Posted on 08/08/2006 11:57:22 AM PDT by SolidSupplySide
WASHINGTON — Dogged by scandal, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay intends to withdraw as a candidate for Congress, a Republican strategist said today, a step that would allow the party to field a write-in candidate in hopes of holding his seat.
The development came one day after Texas Republicans lost a court battle in their bid to name a replacement candidate for DeLay on the November ballot.
The strategist described DeLay's intentions on condition of anonymity, saying the former majority leader intended to make his own announcement.
DeLay resigned his Houston-area seat in June and said he was switching his legal residence to Virginia. He had already won a primary in Texas, and Republican officials there moved to name a replacement candidate.
Democrats went to court to block the switch, and prevailed.
The maneuvering underscored the intensity of the battle between the two national parties as they vie for control of Congress in the midterm elections.
DeLay had held the House seat for more than two decades, but yielded his power — first surrendering his post as majority leader, then resigning his seat — at the urging of party leaders who said he risked defeat this fall and that his presence on the ballot could hamper other incumbents.
He is awaiting trial in Texas state court on money laundering charges alleging that illegal corporate cash helped pay for legislative campaigns in 2002. DeLay also had close ties to Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a congressional corruption investigation.
DeLay has not been charged in that investigation, although two former aides who later developed ties to Abramoff have entered into plea bargains.
Former Rep. Nick Lampson is the Democratic candidate in the race, and had amassed more than $2 million in his campaign treasury as of June 30 in preparation for a race against DeLay.
Texas Republicans on Monday abandoned their court fight to replace DeLay on the November ballot, conceding defeat after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia ruled against them.
"I think all our legal avenues are exhausted in terms of affecting the ruling prior to the election," said Jim Bopp Jr., the attorney who argued the Republican Party's case to allow party officials to substitute another candidate for DeLay.
In a statement late Monday, Bopp warned Democrats, "Be careful what you ask for."
The lawyer said Democrats "insisted he run for Congress, now it's up to voters to decide if Democrats are going to be happy" on Election Day.
Democrats were undaunted by the prospect of facing DeLay in November and claimed victory.
"Given the choice between facing the voters and facing the courts, DeLay chose the courts and lost handily," said Bill Burton, spokesman for the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Got any names that will now attempt to make the Write In Candidate list?.... Reckon the primary challengers will try?
How is it official from an anonymous source quoted by the AP???
Official....
Not quite based upon an unnamed source..... but highly likely.
Official will be when DeLay asked his name be withdrawn from the ballot.
Delay should RUN, WIN, and then DEMAND his leadership seat back.
I guess because they are more right than they are wrong?
My understanding of Texas law says that noone running for another race can become a write-in unless they "withdraw" from the other race. That means it is unlikely that anyone already on the November ballot will be the write in candidate.
David Wallace, mayor of Sugar Land, is the most likely candidate. But Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (Houston city council) fits the category of not running for office in November, too.
Sad, this is definately a case of disinfranchising the voters. How can we expect people attending public schools to "write" in a candidate???
I hope each and every voter in that district writes in TOM DELAY on their ballot and re-elects the man whether he likes it or not!
Let Ronnie Earle and the rest of the 'Rats shriek!
Why is it if Republicans fought to keep the Democrats from fielding a candidate when another bowed out they'd be accused of trying to "disenfranchise voters" and of "trying to keep voters from having a choice on election day?" But Dems. do it and its considered clever.
Delay is a pussy. He should run and win to prove he still has his mojo. I guess all that lobbying money waiting for him is more important than keeping congress in republican hands. Another conservative sell out.
Anyone with the last name of BUSH available?
If you say so.
I'll believe it when the source is acutally on the record. I think this is wishful thinking on the part of the author.
If Delay felt he had any chance of winning, he wouldn't have tried to get his name off the ballot in the first place.
This is for the best - if he had run - the noble and charismatic Ronnie Earle would have managed to have him in court before Election Day.
As soon as the election is over, the Pubs need to deep six their pact to remove "indicted" congressman from power. It is WAY to easy to get an indictment.
What were they thinking - never crossed their minds the dims would find a Ronnie to gin up some charges? Notice the dims don't have the same pact. I'm not even sure they remove their people from power for a conviction.
Can we find someone with the name John Smith to make the write-in easier?
a 'Republican strategist'? This could be anyone from Tucker Carlson to some kid who serves Orange Julius at the mall.
The Dismalcrap Party ploy to keep Delay on the ballot is just as fricken bad as the GayAmerican Governor waiting until November to resign so they could hand pick his fricken replacement. Is there no depth to which these sleazy vermin will not sink?
I would have voted for Delay just so he could step aside and the GoodLookingGovernor appoint a replacement. The bas***ds.
(better now)
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