DeLay indicted on conspiracy charges

I know I won't be the first or the last, but here's the story:

A Travis County grand jury today indicted U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on one count of criminal conspiracy, jeopardizing the Sugar Land Republican's leadership role as the second most powerful Texan in Washington, D.C.

The charge, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years incarceration, stems from his role with his political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, a now-defunct organization that already had been indicted on charges of illegally using corporate money during the 2002 legislative elections.

I guess the only bad news is House Majority Leader David Drier. Rumors are DeLay will be stepping down this afternoon.

*UPDATE* Correction. The bad news is Majority Leader Roy Blunt. Not much of a trade off, there. Though if you've been sitting on a scandal involving Blunt, now's the time to hatch it, no?

Who could forget this one:

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt is coming under fire for trying to help tobacco giant Philip Morris USA in last November's homeland security bill.

Blunt’s ties to the company include large campaign donations from the company - $150,000 since 2001 to committees affiliated with Blunt. His son, Andrew, also works as a lobbyist for Philip Morris back in his home state of Missouri.

The Washington Post reports that just days after he was named to the House's third-highest leadership post, Blunt - who has close personal and political ties to Phillip Morris – tried to slip a pro-tobacco provision into the bill creating the new Department of Homeland Security.

When Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., found out about Blunt’s idea, he immediately yanked it out of the bill. Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Tex., also said he opposed Blunt’s effort and “worked against it” when he found out about it.

Several Republicans told the Post they felt a pro-tobacco provision had very little support and that Blunt’s actions could have proven “embarrassing” to the party and its new Whip.