Dreier's out, Blunt's in

Apparently, the House Republican caucus didn't take kindly to Speaker Dennis Hastert's selection of Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) to replace Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Indicted) as majority leader.

After a lot of behind the scenes posturing, the Republicans voted unanimously to make House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) temporary majority leader. Dreier's opposition to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage sealed his fate as the caucus decided to go with DeLay's second in command, a conservative from Missouri.

To recap, the House majority leader Tom DeLay was indicted yesterday on charges of conspiring to violate state election law. As Molly Ivins explains in a previous column, it's really hard to violate Texas campaign finance laws. DeLay and company managed to do it though by raising illegal corporate contributions.