Liberal Media Attacks DeLay?

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) attacked the “liberal media” for trying to embarrass him following reports of two separate allegations of impropriety today.

A NY Times report detailing that Mr. DeLay’s wife and daughter have been paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by Mr. DeLay's political action and campaign committees.

Mr. Delay is quoted at CNN.com saying:

"My wife and daughter have any right, just like any other American, to be employed and be compensated for their employment. It's pretty disgusting, particularly when my wife and daughter are singled out and others are not, in similar situations in the Senate and as well as the House.

"But it's just another seedy attempt by the liberal media to embarrass me."

Advocacy groups seeking an overhaul of federal campaign-finance and ethics laws say that the payments to Mr. DeLay's family members were unusually generous.

Separately, The Washington Post reported Wednesday that a six-day trip to Moscow in 1997 by DeLay when he was majority whip was underwritten by business interests lobbying in support of the Russian government.
In response to allegations of improper conduct DeLay said:

"No member can be responsible for going into the bowels of researching what this organization, how it gets its money or how it's funded. The rules say if it's a legitimate organization that funds the trip and it's reported, it's legal."

We should expect more of our elected leaders.