The Hill, the right-leaning Capitol Hill alternative to Roll Call, reports that the recent payback against GOP Representative Chris Shays over his support for last year's campaign finance bill isn't limited to just Shays. Apparently new Majority Leader Tom DeLay is making life miserable for all GOP moderates in the House, including a direct $50,000 contribution to the Club for Growth, the Cato Institute-inspired PAC that guns for GOP Senators or Representatives who stray off of the right wing fiscal policy reservation. According to story in The Hill:

"Some of the centrist members have even charged that the Republican leadership is quietly working to oust several of them from Congress altogether, and warned that they may be forced to split with the party on crucial votes in coming months."

DeLay in some cases has moved true believers to subcommittee chairmanships over more senior members, and appointed true believers to prized committees, rather than more senior moderates. This was to be expected of DeLay, once he rose to the Majority Leader position. And Denny Hastert is doesn't have the guts, desire, or standing to keep DeLay in check. Yet with such a bold move so early to enforce discipline and cut the moderates out of the power structure in the House, one has to wonder how long it will be before the House GOP moderates band together as the Tuesday Group and wield some power.

Soto