Wonkette

Worry not, nation: vote-related activities are going smoothly in certain parts of Texas, so far. The Austin American-Statesman reports that “there are lines everywhere” in Travis County, whose largest city, Austin, was home to the bathroom shaming of the Clinton press pool last night. Oh and another county’s election-related Web site is up again after crashing this morning under a massive 21,000 page visits. [Austin American Statesman]

OK, so the warrant for the Hammer appears something of a formality, an “a capias” proceeding. DeLay’s attorney Dick DeGuerin calls calls it all “a matter of routine, and bond will be posted.” The sum in question, after all, is a paltry $10,000–the kind of cash Jack Abramoff finds balled up with used Kleenex when his gold-lame suits come back from the drycleaners. Still, we did have a pleasant reverie there for a moment or two, of a wide-eyed Hammer breaking into a furious sweat of desperation the moment his cellmate looked up and said, “You got a purty mouth.” –HOLLY MARTINS MORE »

Tom DeLay is indeed the proud new owner of a criminal indictment, and has in short order announced that he will be stepping aside as House Majority Leader. And it all happened while we were away at lunch. Clearly, we’re going to have to start eating out a lot more often. — HOLLY MARTINS MORE »

A Travis County, Tex., grand jury may hand down an indictment of Tom DeLay today, according to a report in the Austin-American Statesman. The charge looks to be a conspiracy count, stemming from the Hammer’s alleged use of corporate funds for campaign purposes: MORE »