Absolute power

One of the reasons the GOP was able to take control of Congress in 1994 was because the Democrats had become drunk and bloated with power. Forty years, it turned out, was far too long for one party to be in power.

Now, with 10 years as the majority party under their belt, and fresh from an Election Day triumph, it's the Republicans' turn to abuse their power:

House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, according to GOP leaders.

The proposed rule change, which several leaders predicted would win approval at a closed meeting today, comes as House Republicans return to Washington feeling indebted to DeLay for the slightly enhanced majority they won in this month's elections. DeLay led an aggressive redistricting effort in Texas last year that resulted in five Democratic House members retiring or losing reelection. It also triggered a grand jury inquiry into fundraising efforts related to the state legislature's redistricting actions.