Tom DeLay owns ethics

Well, you could argue at least that he owns the new head and most of the ethics panel:

House Republicans today chose Rep. Doc Hastings to be the next chairman of the House ethics committee as Speaker Dennis Hastert recast a panel caught up in controversy.

The House Republican caucus, consisting of all Republicans in the chamber, ratified Hastert's choice to replace Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., as chairman of the committee which twice last year issued reports rebuking Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.

(snip)

In addition to Hastings, the Republican committee members will include Lamar Smith, ethics chairman from 1996-98 and a Texas ally of DeLay; Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania; Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Judy Biggert of Illinois. Biggert is a returning committee member.

Here's how much Tom DeLay's PAC has donated to their campaigns:
Doc Hastings (R, WA) $5,930
Melissa Hart (R, PA) $15,000
Tom Cole (R, OK) $15,000
Judy Biggert (R, IL) $1,764
Lamar Smith (R, TX) $20

Smith, of course, also donated $5,000 to DeLay's legal defense fund. So there should be no conflict of interest there. Or anywhere, really.

It's slowly becoming Tom DeLay's world. We all just live in it.