Page 84 - Tom Delay News Today

Public relations catastrophe in the middle of what they were trying to do in the middle of the bill clinton impeachment weather all of that going on with all of that turmoil in 98, after losing the midterms middle of the impeachment, recognizing its a political disaster losing newt gingrich picking bob livingston, losing liv, not wanting tom delay not wanting army weather all of that going on facing the historic defeat in the elections, they decided, republicans decided they needed to play it sa...

Still in the midst of impeaching president clinton for his affairs. and so livingston gets picked as speaker and then immediately has to resign. then what are they going to do? theyve got other republicans in leadership. they could have picked one of their wild men at the time. dick armey on the right of your screen there, or tom delay on the left of your screen, they were both kind of fire breathers like newt gingrich had been. but after what newt gingrich had brought them to, after the bob liv...

Let tom delay guide along the caucus. he was an accidental speaker and no one thought much of him in terms of his leadership style but he was very noncontroversial until today. >> he was supposed to stand out for bringing order and peace to his caucus and now with this trial presumably were going to see, were going to learn more about another side of him according to federal authorities. that is a big story. the other political story to get you in on here former maryland governor martin omalley ...

But i cannot do that job or be the kind of leader that i would like to be under current circumstances. >> they had picked louisiana republican congressman bob livingston to be the new speaker at newt gingrich resigned. but then it turned out that bob livingston, too, had been having extramarital affairs, and so he couldnt be the speaker for them either, not while they were still in the midst of impeaching president clinton for his affairs. and so livingston gets picked as speaker and then immedi...

Time since he left office on k street yet hes very inaccessible, doesnt want to be in the public spotlight at all. not that tipped me off to anything, but now looking in hindsight, how long has this been going on? >> what is this? >> we dont know yet. >> tbd. >> k street means lobbying, working if nor client who comes in the door, you have to shingle up, sell influence. thats what it is. >> i was more surprised because he was the noncontroversial. he replaced newt gingrich, who was very controve...

Top delay was in congress as hasterts number two. >> he was safe. >> thom delay was known as the person who -- considered the one who did the bad stuff, hastert was the nice man who took care of things, tom delay led the house. im kind of shocked more than anything. >> the country thinks you come to washington to get corrupted. get into the habit, people are getting into being lobbyists and people work on the hill that staffers get into. what can you get away with? take the pens and pencils home...

Beat the rap? i want to bring ing our legal dream team. criminal defense team. he worked to overturn the laundry conviction for tom delay. and hewas part of the team who convicted a senator. brian, ill start with you, you got a delay cleared. lets see menendez calls you up your take the case what is the message? all the gifts they can prove that melgen this guy gave to menendez. clearly he intervened in some way on his behalf whats the defense? >> i dont want to break character as house counsel ...

And this particular governor had a leg up in making this pitch to congress because he had one very very key contact in washington. which is that his brother was president of the united states at the time. so jeb bush was successful in getting congress to intervene directly in this case in his state. he got congress to pass a law moving jurisdiction for the terri schavio case out of florida state courts and into the federal court system. he got his brother to sign that law as president. he also g...

Into the federal court system. he got his brother to sign that law as president. he also got members of congress including republican house majority leader tom delay and leader of the senate republicans, he got them to call terri schiavo as a witness in congress. she sent her a subpoena ordering her to appear in washington d.c. this is a woman who at that point had been in a persistent vegetative state for nearly 15 years. but they subpoenaed her to be a witness in congress. the idea was apparen...

Potentially give members a chance to change their minds, change their votes? >> reporter: indefinitely. there have been times late at night votes during back when tom delay was the house majority whip they held it open for hours to try to work over members to change votes. the house republicans or whomever is in charge at this point house republicans, are in charge of the house and they control the answer to that question. they will probably keep it open until they think it is absolutely pointle...