Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON – Support for embattled Republican congressional leader Tom DeLay crumbled in his own party Friday as colleagues from the moderate and conservative wings launched an effort to drive him from power amid rising anxiety over the corruption scandal spreading through Washington.

As DeLay struggled to hold his place in the House leadership, party leaders sent emissaries to persuade him to permanently relinquish his post as House majority leader, a senior House Republican leadership aide said. Meanwhile, two congressmen launched a formal petition drive to elect a permanent replacement for DeLay, who temporarily vacated his position last fall while awaiting trial in Texas on money-laundering charges.

“Everybody knows we’re going to have an election except for, maybe, Tom. Hopefully, Tom will come around and call for it himself,” said the senior Republican leadership aide who had direct knowledge of talks with DeLay.

Sentiment against DeLay, a veteran Texas congressman, has surged in Republican circles since Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist with close ties to DeLay, pleaded guilty to corruption charges that alleged two former high-level DeLay aides were participants in a bribery scheme. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for DeLay’s removal and the influential conservative magazine National Review editorialized for his departure in its online edition.

“It’s time to elect a new leader so that there is a fresh mandate and a clear chain of command,” said Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who leads a caucus of moderate Republicans. Kirk was among the first members to throw his support behind the petition demanding a new election for the post of majority leader – the second most powerful position in the House.

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., a longtime ally of DeLay, said he would not stand in the way of a new election.

One Republican leadership aide said that the announcement of a new election could come as soon as next week, adding “If (DeLay) doesn’t act, events will overtake him.”

On Friday morning, Reps. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a conservative, and Charles Bass, R-N.H., a moderate, began circulating the petition. With the House on a winter break until Jan. 31, the process of gathering support was delayed by the fact that lawmakers were spread out around the globe and many were difficult to reach. Throughout the day, the petition’s organizers lobbied colleagues for the 50 required signatures by telephone and e-mail.

“The momentum is with us and we expect to get there,” Flake said.

But advisers to DeLay said the former majority leader would not be deterred by the petition being circulated among House Republicans and had no intention to end a quest to return to his leadership post.

“Mr. DeLay appreciates that a majority of his colleagues recognize that he remains committed to resuming his responsibility as majority leader as soon as he’s exonerated in Texas,” said Kevin Madden, a spokesman for DeLay. “We expect that to happen soon – most likely by the end of the month.”

DeLay’s associates said he was working to persuade House Republicans not to sign the petition, urging them to wait for his criminal case to conclude before asking him to step aside.

“How many times have people tried to print the political obituary of Mr. DeLay?” a congressional House leadership aide supportive of DeLay said.

DeLay, who was elected majority leader in 2002, has ruled over House Republicans with a forceful hand that did not tolerate dissent within the ranks. A lightning rod for critics, he was rebuked three times by the House ethics committee, yet his own membership stuck by his side.

The petition drive launched Friday marked a turning point, as Republicans launched a plan that ultimately would prevent him from winning back his leadership post. After 11 terms in Congress, he also faces the prospect of a challenging re-election campaign in his district outside Houston.

The Republican leadership team is working on a package of ethics reforms to address perceptions of corruption in Congress, a leadership aide said.

“The speaker obviously needs to adopt a reform agenda. I can tell you, I think a majority of the conference recognizes we need a major course change,” Flake said.

Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Hastert, said the speaker would not oppose the petition for a new leadership election.

Bonjean noted that Hastert had agreed to give party members an opportunity to elect a new majority leader when Congress returned in January if DeLay’s legal troubles were not resolved. Blunt, the third-ranking Republican leader by virtue of his post as party whip, was appointed as a caretaker interim majority leader because party rules required DeLay to step aside after his indictment.

“This is consistent with the speaker’s announcement that this would only be a temporary structure and House Republicans would revisit this matter at the beginning of the year,” Bonjean said.

By late Friday, Reps. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., and Jim Leach, R-Iowa, were among those who had pledged support for the petition to elect a new majority leader to replace DeLay.

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