WASHINGTON — All five Republicans on the House ethics committee have financial links to Tom DeLay that could raise conflict-of-interest issues should the panel investigate the GOP majority leader.

Duh!

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged fellow Republicans on Wednesday to abandon new rules that led to a shutdown of the ethics committee and political grief for the GOP.
<...>
The Republican lawmakers had endured weeks of intense Democratic criticism — and hometown editorials — complaining that the GOP rule changes were an attempt to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from further investigation.
<...>
Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., was dumped by Hastert as chairman of the evenly divided committee after the panel admonished DeLay. He has been one of the few Republicans who opposed the rule changes from the beginning.

Hmm, you think Hastert will also reinstate Hefley?

Meanwhile, Congress refocuses its attention on what truly matters to the country....

And regarding the filibuster threat, who is the extremist here? Me thinks Frist.

Don't forget, "between 1995 and 2000, 35 percent of Clinton's appeals court nominees were not even allowed to come up for a vote; 45 percent went unconfirmed in the Congress in which they were nominated." Compare this to the 95 percent this Senate has confirmed of Bush's nominees.

Where is Pelosi or Reid to state this fact and clear the air?