Human Events
by Robert Novak

01/16/06

When John Shadegg announced from his hometown of Phoenix on Friday that he is running for House majority leader, it appeared that the two leading candidates to succeed Tom DeLay had peaked. The reason is that Roy Blunt and John Boehner both are regarded as K Street candidates, whose selection might not be prudent for a Republican Party enmeshed in scandal. Neither Blunt nor Boehner is burdened with DeLay's connection to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Like DeLay, each is closely associated with K Street (the capital's big and brassy lobbyist community). Unlike DeLay, neither is viewed by ardent ideological conservatives as one of their own. So, until Shadegg announced his candidacy, members of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) were watching a race without a horse to bet on. While starting well behind the front-runners, Shadegg is a non-K Street reformer...

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=11603


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp