DeLay To Replace Cunningham On House Appropriations Committee

Buried amidst the big news yesteray that Rep. Tom DeLay was abandoning his bid to reclaim his position as Majority Leader was another interesting tidbit of news.

In an unusual piece of protocol, DeLay informs Hastert that he will be replacing Rep. Duke Cunningham on the House Appropriations Committee.

I will also be reclaiming my seat on the Appropriations Committee when the second session of the 109th Congress convenes later this month.

Since when does a member tell the Speaker of the House which committees they will be assigned to?  Is Tom DeLay still calling the shots in the House?

But more importantly, only in the GOP House Caucus would you  replace a member of the Appropriations Committee who has pled guilty to accepting bribes for steering public moneys to favored business interests, with someone under the kind of ethical cloud that DeLay now finds himself under.

Every member of the GOP Caucus should be asked by their local media if they believe it is appropriate for DeLay to serve on Appropriations given the ethical cloud hanging over his head.