Richardson Channels DeLay

Feeling a little tense there, Mr. Speaker? More and more, it appears that Speaker Richardson is channeling Tom DeLay. (We know what happened to DeLay, and Richardson might be wise to note his fate.) The Speaker's arrogance and impulsiveness seem boundless. On Saturday, he is quoted in the Telegraph saying this about the person who filed the ethics complaint against Larry O'Neal:

"This is the Democratic Party of Georgia's lawyer cronies, using him as a pawn in a very dangerous game for him," said Richardson, a Republican from Hiram." (Jan. 27, 2007, The Telegraph)

Today, the Speaker is quoted taking on the press, threatening to yank credentials based on what they write. They have, according to his staff, no constitutional right to be on the floor of the House. I can absolutely understand why the Speaker wants to hide from the press, but his continued threats to those who would dare criticize him and his friends are wearing thin, as is his lip-service treatment of ethics that allows him to remain on the panel for his friend.