Lobbyist's Guilty Plea Seen as Threat to DeLay Return - New York Times

Lobbyist's Guilty Plea Seen as Threat to DeLay Return - New York Times: "January 5, 2006

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 - House Republicans arranged an unusual monthlong January recess to give Representative Tom DeLay ample time to escape legal troubles in Texas and retake his post as majority leader. But a triumphant return was dashed this week when his longtime associate, Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty to public corruption.
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Leading Republicans warned in interviews that the scandal could threaten party dominance of the capital that extends from the White House to Congress to K Street unless Republicans move quickly to embrace ethics reform and show they will not tolerate criminal abuse of the substantial power they have been handed by American voters.

'The House and Senate leadership has to decide that they have got to aggressively deal with what I think is a much broader problem than just Abramoff: the lobbying process, the election process, the way this city has spun out of control,' said Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker. 'I think the party will be in an uproar if they don't do something about it.'

Mr. Gingrich was joined by others in publicly calling for House Republicans to permanently replace Mr. DeLay after the House reconvenes Jan. 31."