(CNN) - Tom DeLay's dancing days have come to an end.
While miraculously escaping another round of elimination on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Tuesday night, the former Republican House majority leader voluntarily withdrew from the widely-watched competition on recommendations from his doctor and the show's producers.
The man once known as "The Hammer" on Capitol Hill said he was just too injured to continue, developing stress fractures in both his feet that made it very difficult to endure the rigors of the competition.
Delay originally remained defiant in the face of such pain, declaring last week, "nothing's going to stop me from doing this dance." But this week's round of competition proved too taxing on the 62 year-old, evidenced by a wince-inducing performance Monday of the samba to War's "Why can't we be friends."
In the end, the man who gave in to few fights in Washington had to call it quits on the ABC hit series.
"If you can't practice, you make a fool of yourself out here," DeLay said. "I don't want to do that to [my dancing partner] Cheryl."
Carried out on wheelbarrow on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Tuesday night, DeLay appeared slightly embarrassed over the development: "A boy from Texas breaking his feet dancing...," he said to laughter.
Still though, DeLay remained confident his skills could have carried him forward.
"Can you shake your booty like I can?" Delay asked a skeptical Kimmel.
Asked if he his performance will inspire other indicted politicians to dance, Delay - who was charged with criminal violations of state campaign finance laws but never convicted - said "hey, it keeps you out of jail."
"But God for bid if you end up in jail, it's not a good thing for the inmates to see on reruns," Kimmel replied.
(CNN) - Tom DeLay, a one-time House Majority Whip, now has a vote counter of his own.
DeLay's daughter, Dani DeLay Ferro, blasted out an e-mail Monday in an effort to drum up votes for her father just as he is set to make his debut on the reality show "Dancing with the Stars" Monday night.
"[I]t's time to watch and vote!!," Ferro writes in the message. "The judges score is only half the overall score, our votes are the other half."
The daughter of the former Republican congressman offered multiple ways that recipients of her message can cast their votes during and after Monday night's show, adding: "Dad is really counting on us so now's a great time to show your support!!"
The e-mail was sent to friends, family, and the former lawmaker's political supporters, Ferro told CNN in an e-mail message.
Ferro isn't the only one excited about Monday night's premiere.
"I can't wait to show you my Cha Cha tonight," DeLay wrote Monday morning on the micro-blogging site Twitter, "We are ready. My foot is better. Life is sweet."
Almost a week ago, DeLay warned on Twitter that he might he might have suffered a stress fracture. "[I]t'll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor!" DeLay tweeted at the time.
Later the same day, DeLay used the popular social networking site to broadcast an update about his condition. "No stress fracture! . . . I live for another day."
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, practice for his debut on this season of Dancing With The Stars, debuting next week on ABC. (PHOTO CREDIT: ABC)
(CNN) - Tom DeLay may have left the political spotlight - but he says a broken bone or two isn't enough to force him to cede the real thing.
"Old age is catching up to me, may have a stress fracture in my foot," the former House Majority Leader, a contestant on this season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, wrote on Twitter Tuesday. "no worries, it'll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor!"
The show's new season is slated to debut next week.
Update 5:56 p.m.: DeLay has informed his Twitter followers that his condition is "a pre-stress fracture. I live for another day."
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, practice for his debut on this season of Dancing With The Stars, debuting in three weeks on ABC. (PHOTO CREDIT: ABC)
(CNN) - Political observers know former House Majority Leader Tom "The Hammer" DeLay can have a heavy hand - the question is, can he be light on his feet?
They'll find out later this month. The Texas Republican, who left Congress in 2006 amid controversy, will appear on this season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, joining celebrities like Mya, Macy Gray, Aaron Carter, Ashley Hamilton, Melissa Joan Hart, Kelly Osbourne, Donny Osmond, Chuck Liddell and Michael Irvin, among others.
DeLay, who has largely kept a low profile since leaving the House, is president of a political consulting firm with offices in both Houston and the nation's capital. His turn on DWTS begins next week.
NEW YORK (CNN) - "The Hammer" is surely smiling.
Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's old House seat is back in Republican hands.
In Texas' District 22, Democratic Rep. Nicholas Lampson has lost to Republican Pete Olson, a Navy veteran.
Lampson won the seat in 2006 after DeLay resigned under a cloud of scandal. He was known as "The Hammer" for being able to enforce party discipline when it came to getting House Republicans to vote. DeLay held the seat for two decades.
Delay said Wednesday the charges are "politically motivated."
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Texas Court of Appeals ruled against reinstating a dropped conspiracy charge against former Rep. Tom DeLay Wednesday, but one Democratic-leaning watchdog group is making sure people know "serious criminal charges remain."
"No one should be confused, Tom DeLay remains under indictment for serious criminal activity," Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle said in a statement. "DeLay’s very name has become shorthand for a corrupt public official. If justice is done, Tom DeLay’s future blog postings will be done behind bars."
The Lone Star project says on its Web site that it is unaffiliated with the Democratic Party, but describes itself as a watchdog group on the Texas GOP.
The former House majority leader had been charged with conspiracy to violate the state's election laws in the 2002 election cycle, but a judge threw out the charge after DeLay's defense attorneys successfully argued that the law he was accused of violating was not written until 2003. On Wednesday, the Texas court held up the decision in a 5-4 vote.
In a post on his blog reacting to the ruling, DeLay lashed out at Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earl for raising the charges.
"Ronnie Earle’s politically motivated indictments cost Republicans the leader of their choice, and my family hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees," he wrote. "The damage he has done to my family and my career cannot be rectified, but the courts have recognized a significant portion of the injustice and ruled accordingly."
The Texas Republican, who resigned from Congress last June, still faces criminal charges in association with money laundering.
From CNN Politics
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