[Mb-civic] Attempt to Pick Successor Is Foiled - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Attempt to Pick Successor Is Foiled
Blunt Temporarily Takes Reins as Conservatives Reject Dreier

By Shailagh Murray and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 29, 2005; Page A01

As the legal troubles mounted for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in 
recent weeks, he and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert talked repeatedly 
to craft a detailed strategy for the Republican leadership for the day 
when a long-feared indictment arrived.

DeLay, according to several GOP sources, knew that House rules would 
give him no choice but to step down immediately. But he made clear to 
Hastert, his longtime friend and protege, that he was determined to 
fight the charges and return to power as soon as possible.

What he and Hastert wanted was a timeserver, someone to hold the job but 
with no ambitions to stay in it. And they had someone in mind. This 
week, an aide to the speaker approached Rep. David Dreier about his role 
in a post-DeLay caucus. Dreier, a congenial Californian who has loyally 
served the GOP leadership as Rules Committee chairman, expressed 
interest in helping Hastert.

There was one big problem: When DeLay's indictment was unsealed 
yesterday, conservatives in the GOP caucus immediately erupted in anger 
over rumors that the selection of Dreier, whom they regard as too 
moderate, was being presented as a fait accompli .

As the conservatives met to vent frustrations and plot options, Hastert 
was changing course in a separate meeting on the second floor of the 
Capitol. Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.), the majority whip, was making a personal 
appeal for the promotion. Hastert agreed, forestalling a possible revolt 
by conservatives, who regard Blunt as one of their own.

The wild day of maneuvering made clear that beneath the image of 
lockstep discipline in the House -- which DeLay himself enforced for 
years -- the GOP caucus is rife with ambitious personalities in 
not-so-subtle competition. With DeLay sidelined, it will fall largely to 
Hastert to move President Bush's agenda and to maintain order among an 
increasingly restless crowd as the 2006 elections approach.

Hastert's challenge was vividly highlighted yesterday by the mood at a 
private late-afternoon meeting of the House Republican Conference, with 
nearly all members in attendance.

Some lawmakers, such as Zach Wamp (Tenn.) challenged Republican leaders 
to set a date for formal leadership elections instead of allowing party 
bosses to impose their choices. At the same time, conservatives such as 
Steve Buyer (Ind.) rose to say Republicans should have allowed DeLay to 
remain majority leader even with an indictment. Earlier this year, under 
pressure from Democrats and a few in his own party, Hastert reversed a 
rule designed expressly for DeLay that would have allowed indicted 
leaders to retain their positions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092802550.html?nav=hcmodule
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