Accidental Blogger

The distasteful, disgraced and now mercifully resigned, Tom DeLay, the former US Congressman from my voting district has a new gimmick up his sleeve to get back into the public eye. The Hammer will be dancing with the stars.

Update: From the Houston Chronicle :

WASHINGTON —Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, better known for his hard sell than his soft sole, is making an improbable comeback in a different kind of competition.

ABC TV announced Monday that the longtime Houston Republican will join former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, one-time child pop star Donny Osmond, model Kathy Ireland and a dozen other celebrities from the worlds of fashion, entertainment and sports on the ninth season of the popular television series Dancing with the Stars.

DeLay, whose own political star dimmed after his 2005 indictment by an Austin grand jury, already is revving up his legendary political machine to get viewers' votes.

“This is going to be so much fun,” he declared Monday in the inaugural post on his new Twitter account. “I will need your support.” …

Looking for a comeback?

Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University in New York, agreed that Dancing can help relaunch a stalled career — for an entertainer.

“But if you were once a major force in national politics and you're on Dancing With The Stars, I think one has to be aware the reason you're being cast is because you're one of the ‘funny' contestants,” he said, “one of the ones that we're supposed to be mocking. Political redemption, even coming back from the brink, is not impossible, but I don't think dancing is the way you'd start doing it. It's a different thing for Marie Osmond than for Tom DeLay.”

To prepare for the Sept. 21 season premiere, DeLay, 62, is working out regularly and has dropped 12 pounds.

While DeLay may enter the competition with low expectations, he has one strategic advantage: ABC is adding the “two-step,” a Texas favorite and a DeLay specialty, to the roster of possible dances.

Longtime DeLay loyalists warn the liberal media not to underestimate the wicked waltzer (and disco king) from Sugar Land.

“Don't be fooled,” says former DeLay spokesman Stuart Roy. “He's actually a pretty good dancer.”