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Other Columns by Paul M. Weyrich
Paul M. Weyrich Bio

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In Washington no good deed in Congress goes unpunished. I am serious. Those who seek to do the right things in this city acquire a large target on their backs. In fact, we have a reverse reward-and-punishment system here. If you sell out you are praised. Your picture appears frequently in The Washington Post. You get cited as an up-and-coming leader. You get invited to the right parties. Many political transactions in Washington occur at these parties. Washingtonian magazine suggests that your political party would do well to put such a far-sighted person in the leadership. Your colleagues, some of whom had been downright nasty and hostile while you were still trying to do the right thing, suddenly take a liking to you. More parties. You are mentioned in The New York Times as reasonable.

That even affects how things go back home. A large hometown newspaper which has always supported your opposition suddenly suggests that you might be okay anyway. It feels so good to sell out. On the other hand, if you stick to principle, and especially if you are in the House or Senate Leadership, teams of reporters will be assigned to dig up dirt on you. You are labeled as "inflexible." Your picture does appear in The Post. But it is your driver's license picture. You are disinvited to parties and other events. There are rumors about someone in your political party challenging you for your leadership post. The New York Times calls you "ineffective." Charges are filed against you. Ethics charges are raised concerning the identical things all sorts of Members do but you get singled out. You can show an Ethics Committee opinion saying what you did was permissible. It doesn't matter. Your colleagues see this as an opportunity to get at you. Charges may even be filed back home. Those charges are an effort to weaken you so you will draw a primary opponent.

Sound familiar? Before Tom DeLay, a small businessman from Houston, got into the Majority Leadership a decade ago, House Republicans were a rag-tag bunch. They went every which way. They seldom won any vote because they were not disciplined enough to stay together even when there were enough defecting Democrats to produce a coalition win. DeLay changed all that. First, as Majority Whip and then following the retirement of Majority Leader Dick Armey as Majority Leader, Tom DeLay has fashioned House Republicans as a mighty force which is more disciplined now than at any time since the 1920s.

Thanks to the able assistance of current House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, there is a feeling that House Republicans can pass almost everything.

You may like DeLay; you may dislike him. Whatever, you can't help but acknowledge his effectiveness. Cross him and you may no longer have your subcommittee chairmanship. Defect on an important vote in the House and bills you are interested in may never see the light of day. He is, if anything, disciplined. And he is tough and serious. He has a compassionate side as well. He has adopted children and helped to care for legions. But when it comes to the House of Representatives he means business.

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