They did it

And we're outraged, but not surprised. House Republicans voted yesterday to abandon a party rule that required a member of their leadership (i.e., Tom DeLay) to step aside temporarily if indicted.

Mr. DeLay said he hadn't asked for the change but applauded it anyway, saying it could keep "political hacks" from influencing the makeup of Republican leadership. He said Republican lawmakers "fixed the rules so that Democrats cannot use our rules against us."

Mr. DeLay is not completely humorless, however. He said he didn't expect to be indicted anyway, but "This has nothing to do with whether I was going to be or not going to be.'' (Sound of hand slapping knee.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/politics/18house.html?th