Roll Call is reporting that DeLay is positioning himself to reclaim the Majority Leader post if his case is tossed by Judge Pat Priest.

According to CNN via Roll Call:

The Houston Chronicle's R.G. Ratcliffe writes up a preview of the court hearing tomorrow. DeLay's lawyers are trying to get the case dismissed:

The core issue before visiting Judge Pat Priest on Tuesday will be whether the crimes DeLay is accused of committing were actually crimes in 2002 when they allegedly occurred.

[...]

The New York Times reports about new subpoenas issued by Ronnie Earle to gather information about how DeLay and Blunt committee traded money in 2000 and 2002:

DeLay's lawyers ask Earle to hurry up. Don't hold your breath. DeLay's only hope to get his Majority Leader post back is to have a resolution before January. If it goes longer, there will be new leadership elections in Washington.

The Times Union of Albany, NY says what I've been thinking: There is a higher standard for public officials. DeLay admitted to money laundering when he was brought to Austin by District Attorney Ronnie Earle, and now says he didn't break the law. But he knew it was happening, and whether he is convicted of the crimes or not, he's violated the standard to which we hold elected officials. Or, at least, the standard to which we should hold elected officials.

On October 18, Team DeLay's spin was that D.A. Ronnie Earle "tried to coerce" DeLay into pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offence. Team DeLay attempted to portray Earle as a desperate D.A. that was forced to charge DeLay on felony counts because his plea proposal was rejected.

In what looks like is going to be an ongiong battle, a second judge has been removed from the trial of indicted former Majority Leader Tom DeLay for money laundering and conspiracy.

Administrative Judge B.B. Schraub has recused himself after D.A. Ronnie Earle filed a motion to have Schraub removed from the case, based on his past contributions to Republican candidates, including Gov. Rick Perry, a prominent ally of Tom DeLay.

The Houston Chronicle reports on a letter that indicted former Majority Leader Tom DeLay sent to constituents this week in which he angrily claims that Democrats are practicing "politics of personal destruction."

Citing the recent spate of scandals in the nation's captital, DeLay writes: "What we're fighting is so much larger than a single court case or a single district attorney in Travis County. We are witnessing the criminalization of conservative politics."

The Austin American-Statesman runs an op-ed this morning by Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck, the filmmakers who followed Ronnie Earle for two years as he sought the truth about what happened with TRMPAC, DeLay, his associates and the 2002 election.The movie they produced, The Big Buy, was finished in August, but events in late September (a few indictments) conspired to encourage them to film a new ending.

In a bizarre publicity stunt, Delay attorney Dick DeGuerin sent a letter to prosecutor Ronnie Earle claiming that the prosecutor tried to get the indicted former Majority Leader to plead guilty to a misdemeanor so that he could retain his leadership post, the Associated Press reports.