Stalled out

The House Ethics Panel is a joke on so many levels, so, personally, I don't see this as a bad outcome.

A dispute between the parties has shut down the House ethics committee for the second time this year, and lawmakers said that it could be months -- and perhaps next year -- before the panel will decide whether to examine the activities of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) or others accused of violating restrictions on lobbying and travel.

Better to keep the pressure -- and the press reports -- on DeLay for another year than a brief hearing that leads up to a "they all do it" verdict, a hand slap, and ineffectual outrage by the Democratic minority.