DeLay Steps Away From Spotlight

Amid Scandal, Former House Majority Leader Drops Re-election Bid

(CBS/AP) 
One House Republican told Borger that some are hopeful for more diversity of opinion, and maybe even an effort to deal with the Democrats.

DeLay quit after his party colleagues rebelled and rescinded legislation meant to protect him despite his legal troubles.

Last week, former DeLay aide Tony Rudy pleaded guilty to conspiring with Abramoff, DeLay's former close friend who also has pleaded guilty to federal charges, and others to corrupt public officials. Rudy's plea was affixed to a promise to help federal investigators build a case in a broad investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud that already has resulted in three convictions.

Neither Rudy, Abramoff nor anyone else connected with the investigation has publicly accused DeLay of breaking the law, but Rudy confessed that he had acted illegally while working in the majority leader's office. DeLay has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

DeLay, who turns 59 on Saturday, said he would resign before mid-June, contingent on the congressional calendar.

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, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

Democrats said DeLay's plans to step down marked more than the end to one man's career in Congress.

"Tom DeLay's decision to leave Congress is just the latest piece of evidence that the Republican Party is a party in disarray, a party out of ideas and out of energy," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

As Borger reports, "Delay is also the poster child for what the Democrats call the 'culture of corruption' in the House, and he realized that he would be a huge liability, particularly given his own legal problems in the Abramoff affair and also the fact that he is currently under indictment in the state of Texas."

DeLay has already won the Republican primary. Rather than hold a special election for his replacement, the state central committee will probably appoint a replacement candidate, says CBSNews.com political analyst Dotty Lynch. The committee has until August to get another Republican candidate on the November ballot.

It was unclear whether Texas Gov. Rick Perry would call a special election to fill out the unexpired portion of DeLay's term or let the seat remain vacant until it is filled in November.

Either way, DeLay's concern about the potential loss of his Houston-area seat long in Republican hands reflected a deeper worry among party strategists. After a dozen years in the majority, they face a strong challenge from Democrats this fall, at a time when Bush's public support is sagging and the Abramoff scandal has helped send Republican-controlled Congress' approval ratings tumbling.

Democrats now stand a very good chance of winning DeLay's seat, Borger said, and if they do, then they've only got 14 more seats to go.

"Really, the control of the House of Representatives is what's at stake here," Borger added.