DELAY PROTESTS DELAYS

The Texas state Court of Criminal Appeals has given Ronnie Earle and Tom DeLay's attorneys one week to submit arguments on DeLay's request for a quick settlement on charges against him.

DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Friday either to dismiss the charges against DeLay or order a lower court to try him immediately.

According to Bloomberg, DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin wrote in his motion, "Congressman DeLay's constituents, the citizens of the 22nd Congressional District, as well as the Republican delegation in the United States Congress are being deprived of the effective services of their elected representative as long as the charges remain unresolved."

I wouldn't be too worried about this since DeLay hasn't lost his Congressional seat and thus can't make the case that his "constitutents" and the "Republican delegation" to Congress have been "deprived of [his] services." But it's an all-Republican court, and that's always problematic.

Aces in our get-DeLay hole: Ronnie Earle and Jack Abramoff.

Tags: Tom DeLay, Ronnie Earle, trial developments