Former House majority leader Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), who resigned last year after being indicted on campaign finance abuses and remains under scrutiny in the Jack Abramoff investigation, is set to headline an upcoming political training seminar titled "explicit discussions of ethics," according to a Washington Post report.
In a column titled "Ethics Tips From 'The Hammer'," Post columnist Mary Ann Akers writes that the former House Majority Leader "is set to kick off a May 31 Campaigns & Elections seminar, where he will hawk his book, 'No Retreat, No Surrender,' and talk political strategy ... and, who knows, maybe even ethics."
In an aside, Akers writes, "After all, Michael Scanlon, a former top DeLay aide who pleaded guilty in the Abramoff lobbying investigation, delivered his graduate thesis on congressional ethics last year; so why shouldn't the Hammer be able to join in the absurdity of it all?"
Excerpts from the column follow...
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"You should see the responses we've received from some very angry Dems," DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said via e-mail. "Looks like they're going to boycott it, which is all the better because if they're this upset over the invitation, wait until they see his presentation."
Actually, though, according to Campaigns & Elections publisher Jordan Lieberman, more Democratic political junkies than Republicans may wind up attending the DeLay forum. Democrats, he said, are "absolutely fascinated" with the controversial former majority leader.
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LINK TO FULL COLUMN