TOM DELAY STEPS DOWN

MAFIA BOSS TOM "The Hammer" DELAY FINALLY STEPS DOWN, WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Score one for the good guys :)

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From the Chicago Tribune

Officials: DeLay won't seek re-election

By Jill Zuckman and Jeff Zeleny

Washington Bureau

Published April 4, 2006, 12:53 AM CDT
WASHINGTON -- With his former aides pleading guilty to corruption charges and cooperating with federal investigators, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has decided not to run for re-election, according to senior House Republican officials.

Long known as "the Hammer" for keeping Republican troops in line, DeLay (R-Texas) stepped down from his leadership post last fall after a Texas grand jury indicted him on campaign finance charges and his legal troubles mounted. But he insisted he was innocent and vowed to stay in Congress as he fought the charges.

Last week, however, DeLay decided to resign from Congress, according to a source close to the lawmaker. He informed President Bush on Monday and also told other senior Republican leaders. He is expected to make an announcement Tuesday on his Web site, tomdelay.house.gov.

Sources said DeLay is likely to leave Capitol Hill by Memorial Day. In an interview with Time that was posted late Monday on the magazine's Web site, DeLay said he did not want to risk losing his seat to the Democrats in the midterm elections this fall. He added that he spent "a lot of time in prayer" over the decision, which "was obvious to me—I'm a realist.""I can evaluate political situations. And it was obvious to me that the 22nd District needed an election that discussed issues," DeLay said in the interview. "It was obvious to me that this election had become a referendum on me."

Continue Reading here... from the Chicago Tribune.