WASHINGTON -Private GOP tensions over Tom DeLay's ethics controversy spilled into public yesterday, as a Senate leader called on DeLay to explain his actions and one House Republican demanded the majority leader's resignation.
Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party
is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., told The Associated Press in an interview, calling for DeLay to step down as majority leader.
DeLay, R-Texas, who was admonished by the House ethics committee last year, has been dogged in recent months by new reports about his overseas travel funded by special interests, campaign payments to family members and connections to a lobbyist who is under criminal investigation.
A moderate Republican from Connecticut who has battled with his party's leadership on a number of issues, Shays said efforts by the House GOP members to change ethics rules to protect DeLay only make the party look bad.
My party is going to have to decide whether we are going to continue to make excuses for Tom to the detriment of Republicans seeking election
Shays said.
Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said yesterday that DeLay needs to explain his conduct to the public.
I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves
Santorum told ABC's This Week. But from everything I've heard
again
from the comments and responding to those
is everything he's done was according to the law.
