House Republicans believed they had gotten away with highway robbery when they overhauled the Ethics Committee by replacing all honest Congressmen with those tied with Tom DeLay. Now, the Democrats are standing up to this corrupt action. The Washington Post's Larry Margasak reports:

House Democratic leaders yesterday sought the removal of two recently appointed Republicans from the House ethics committee, questioning whether their contributions to Majority Leader Tom DeLay's legal defense fund would color their judgment on issues involving him.

The committee deferred action last year on investigating any role played by DeLay (R-Tex.) in a corporate campaign-donation controversy in Texas that led to indictments of three of his political associates.

Rep. Lamar S. Smith of Texas contributed $10,000 to the defense fund and Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma donated $5,000, according to an analysis by the watchdog group Public Citizen.

[...]

Democrats and some Republicans have publicly criticized Hastert's realignment of the committee last week. The critics called removal of the panel's previous GOP chairman and two other Republicans a purge designed to stack the panel with DeLay supporters.

The evenly divided 10-member committee admonished DeLay last year for enlisting the help of federal aviation officials in a Texas redistricting dispute, for the appearance of linking political donations and legislation, and for suggesting he would support the candidacy of a Republican lawmaker's son in return for a vote for a Medicare prescription drug benefit.

DeLay's improprieties are weakening the fiber of the American Democracy and for that he should be forced to resign. It's that simple.