"The recent swirl of ethics charges surrounding Rep. DeLay plays just about the same here in Texas as it does anywhere else outside the Beltway," writes Jonathan Gurwitz in a Wall Street Journal op-ed today, says ABC.com's The Note:

"'Tom was stupid for messing with corporate money,' a prominent Houston GOP leader told me, referring to allegations that a political action committee founded by Mr. DeLay may have violated state law by misusing corporate donations. 'If he's not careful, he'll end up like Gingrich.'"