A Knight-Ridder piece in the Seattle Times explores DeLay’s status now that he’s no longer Majority Leader. The piece quotes several Republicans anonymously and one, Rep. Zach Wamp, for attribution who say that DeLay might never return to power.
The indictment left conservatives with two questions: what to make of the charges, and whether DeLay should return as Majority Leader once this thing blows over.
The editors answer the first question. The charges are baseless and should be thrown out. The answer to the second question is unclear, and the debate over it has already started. DeLay will prevail over these charges, but is it time for conservatives to try new leadership in the House?
One thing is clear: the press will have a field day covering the debate. The Boston Globe also has a story today about “crumbling” conservative support for DeLay. They’re all going to miss the point, which is that there’s a difference between defending DeLay against a baseless charge and wondering whether a leadership change might be good for the GOP at this time.