Tom DeLay: Digesting The Story

The Tom DeLay resignation and possible special election will no doubt dominate most of the next several news cycles for the MainStreamMedia. For those of us in the Blogsphere, digesting the same and keeping track of the facts, rumors and various replacement scinarios will be an important task.

Taking a look around Texas media this morning, I think the Houston Chronicle has the most complete coverage.

First, check out this story, DeLay to Announce Resignation from House. Some snippits:

A formal announcement of DeLay’s plans was expected Tuesday at a Houston news conference. Early Tuesday morning, DeLay emerged from his nearby Sugar Land home, greeted reporters and photographers but did not respond to questions. “I’ll see y’all later,” DeLay said, as he got into a waiting car and was driven away.

A formal announcement of DeLay’s plans was expected Tuesday at a news conference in Houston. In a video statement made available to television news networks late Monday, DeLay blamed “liberal Democrats” for making his re-election campaign largely a negative one.

“I refuse to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative personal campaign,” DeLay said. “The voters of the 22nd district of Texas deserve a campaign about the vital national issues that they care most about and that affect their lives every day and not a campaign focused solely as a referendum on me.”

Next, check out “DeLay Expected To Step Aside.” Here’s an interesting paragraph from that story that gives some insight into what’s going on in CD 22 right now:

The shocking move creates a weird scramble for his seat in the burgeoning suburbs south of Houston. The state Republican Executive Committee or the party chairmen in the counties in the 22nd Congressional District will get to nominate a candidate for the November general election, officials said. But first may come a special election to select someone to fill the remainder of DeLay’s term through the end of the year.

And, then, “Possible Contenders Emerge For DeLay Seat“:

Those who acknowledged interest in the seat or were mentioned as contenders included Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, state Rep. Robert Talton, Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace, Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs and former State District Judge John Devine.

Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill said he started receiving calls from interested officials within minutes of hearing the news of DeLay’s decision.

“Numerous people have called me inquiring about the seat,” he said.

Other phones also were ringing as politicians gauged potential support or heard from backers.

“I’ve had a number of calls this evening. I’ll visit with my family and look at the process,” Eckels said. “I do have an interest in at least looking at the race.”

He said that his experience coordinating the local response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left him frustrated with the federal government and its impact on local issues.

Sekula-Gibbs, who lives in Clear Lake, said she has received several calls from local Republicans asking her if she would be interested in the seat.

“I’m saddened that the congressman has decided to step down, but I’m interested in the position,” she said. “I’m definitely giving it very serious consideration.”

A special election to fill the remainder of DeLay’s term likely will be held on the next uniform election date, which is in May. Gov. Rick Perry will set the date.

Wallace said he plans to run for the unexpired term.

It was unclear Monday night how Republicans will select a November nominee to replace DeLay, who won the GOP primary in March.

“We’ve never had this happen in a congressional race,” Woodfill said. “We’ll have a little bit of time to figure it out. We have our lawyers looking at it.”

At issue is whether the responsibility for selecting a nominee falls to the 62-member state Republican Executive Committee or to the five GOP county chairs in the 22nd Congressional District.

DeLay is expected to resign officially sometime after April 7 and move to Virginia to work with a conservative organization. That would make him ineligible to run despite his nomination, opening the way for party officials to select another nominee, Woodfill said.

…

Former U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson is the Democratic nominee for the seat. Lampson’s campaign manager Mike Malaise said Lampson’s plans have not changed.

“Our challenge was always to get Nick’s message out there,” Malaise said. “We’ve got $2.5 million in the bank to help us do that. The other side is going to be playing catch-up to us in that regard.”

“We don’t know who our opponent will be. It’s unrealistic to say that Republicans have it in the bag.”

And then, of course, look at the DeLay chronology.

And, here is some national coverage: Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Time (and Q&A here), New York Times, The Hill.

And, around Texas: Austin American Statesman, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Tyler Morning Telegraph, El Paso Times, Galveston County Daily News, Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

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