Dancing With the Stars; Prison Edition

Tom Delay can add a new title to his resume: Convicted felon.

Tom DeLay, one of the most powerful and divisive Republican lawmakers to ever come out of Texas, was convicted Wednesday of money laundering charges in a state trial, five years after his indictment here forced him to resign as majority leader in the House of Representatives.

After 19 hours of deliberation, a jury of six men and six women decided that Mr. Delay was guilty of one charge of money laundering and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

As the verdict was read, Mr. DeLay, who is 63, sat stone-faced at the defense table. Then he rose, turned, smiled and hugged his wife and then his weeping daughter in the first row of spectators. He faces between five and 99 years in prison, though the judge may choose probation.

Of course, DeLay says it was a "political persecution" (though I don't remember him speaking up about the Don Siegelman case and condemning that verdict). He'd be better advised to keep his mouth shut on that before the sentencing, unless he wants to talk his way into the prison system.