House Republicans steal own election for new Majority Leader

Two stories, really, for one smartass price. The Hill reported that a first attempt at electing a replacement for huggable, indictable Tom DeLay had to be scrapped-- there were more ballots than voters.

The eventual winner, John Boehner of Ohio (voting irregularities just dog that state, don't they?), voted along with DeLay 94% of the time and is known as the man who walked the House chamber passing out checks from tobacco lobbyists.

DeLay's bagman, Roy Blunt of Missouri, must be pretty steamed. He's been in the pocket of big tobacco for years-- and divorced his wife to marry a tobacco lobbyist. And all he got was a lucrative lobbying job for one son and the Missouri governorship for his other son.