DeLay: Gonzo!

Well, that'll put a smile on almost anyone's face. Guess Tommy Boy just couldn't muster the prospect of a sure loss in November.

UPDATE: Time has the gory details and the self-serving whining.

UPDATE 2.0: Just the laugh I need for the day - DeLay's own blogging constituent can't even realize what's going on despite the fact that Tom offered an exclusive interview with Mike Allen and oh that little thing like being on television murmuring the words himself. Yeah, let's all just hold off and wait till we get word from Tom DeLay's press secretary. Man, this whole thing about not believing the so-called liberal media is just a laugh riot when you see it played out before you.

UPDATE 3.0: Houstonist starts off with the "What Now." Obviously, there'll be a special election called and you can bet your Ronald Reagan mint coin that Rick Perry will call it faster for a living coward of a Republican than he called it for replacing a dead Democrat. I'm not as certain that the resulting field (open primary) will have only Nick Lampson facing a squadron of rightwingers and other assorted loonies. Ambition makes for poor predictions and an open seat in an increasingly competitive district can make some interesting things happen.

I certainly hope that folks leave it open for Nick and I've got to think there'll be some partisan pressure to pull that off. But even if that happens, there's no guarantee that the other side might not be just as effective at filling the spot with their own lone standard-bearer. Just a hunch, but I don't think it'll be Steve Stockman. So count that one out. My money's on Sugar Land mayor David Wallace if he gets a clean shot at it (ie - DeLay's pick). If it turns into a free-for-all, no bets just yet.

If nothing else, the move will make for some interesting political calculus. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for either side just yet. But it certainly injects a new hornet's nest into the game.

UPDATE 4.0: Interesting tidbit in the comments over at BOR:

1. If DeLay resigns, there will be a special election for this term only, and that would have no effect on the fall election.

2. If he withdraws from the ballot, he can not be replaced because the D's have a nominee.

3. However, (see chapter 145, Election Code), the Republicans can not replace him on the ballot if he were declared ineligible by the State party Chair, and that can only be done if he is declared unable to serve by a physician or if he becomes ineligible to hold the seat, which could occur if:

a. he could convince the Chair (and a Court) that he has moved his permanent residence out of the state, or

b. if he were finally convicted of a felony - two things that would disqulaify him as a Texas Member.

I think the key there is "declared ineligible by the State party Chair." As fanciful as some of those options may appear on paper, I don't think a man who convinced Republican state legislators and the entire Statewide Republican leadership to go through with an illegal redistricting gambit is going to have any problem sweet talking a piddly, servile State Party Chair.

UPDATE 5.0: The Safety Dancer is finally snapping to and realizing what's going on. He clips some Harvey Kronberg so I don't have to and the extent of the quote seconds my guess that Wallace is in the pole position. Chris also adds Kyle Janek's name to the mix, which as been floated before when the name of the replacement game was more wishcasting than anything else. I can't say that'd surprise me if he were in the running. So my question in that situation is ... what happens in November when Janek is supposedly on the ballot for State Senate and he's also a sitting congressman with his name on the ballot for Congress. This exceeds my election law expertise. No idea if there's an LBJ rule thing that applies here or if there's an automatic effect that a potential Congressional win on the part of Janek would have on the State Senate balloting.

UPDATE 6.0: The Washington Post just may be on to something here:

DeLay, who is withdrawing from his reelection bid, also is entitled under federal election rules to convert any or all of his remaining campaign funds to his legal expenses, whether or not he resigns, is indicted or loses the election. Election lawyers say one advantage of bowing out of the election now is that the campaign cash can be converted to pay legal bills immediately, instead of being drained in the course of a bid to stay in office.

Perhaps the only foster care DeLay will be working on after all is fostering goodwill with his highly paid lawyers.

UPDATE 7.0: Meanwhile, Laurence really cuts to the chase on this bit of news.

UPDATE 8.0: David Wallace's website apparently went from a slick bit of pixelation announcing his upcoming mayoral run to a blank page. (hat tip: Kronberg)

UPDATE 9.0: Chris Bell chimes in, reminding us that the culture of corruption isn't just limited to one bad apple. Of course, Chris deserves a good deal of applause for being one of the first to take DeLay to task with his House ethics charges. Also, kudos should go to the now-former Texas State Reps (like Houston's own Debra Danburg) who filed suit against TRMPAC and others for their illegal actions.