In the race for Majority Leader, early signs are that the Republicans are taking balloting seriously:

House Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting.

(via Roll Call)

That's the ticket -- finally the GOP agrees they should count all the votes. Any paper ballots?

Today is the big day: House Republicans will vote on which version of DeLay-ism will be their new majority leader: Roy Blunt (R-MS), John Boehner (R-OH), or John Shadegg (R-AZ).

If you haven't yet seen the ads on these characters, click here.

If you want an inside baseball account of leadership race campaigning check out this story in today's New York Times, which reports on Blunt, Boehner, and Shadegg stumping among conservative House members. There's talk--and denial--of any trading of favors for votes. The election, implies the paper of record, may come down to personality. Each candidate, apprently, has "stiles and perspectives that play to certain constituencies."

Over at National Review, Rich Lowry says John Shadegg is the reformer in the Majority Leader race:

Underdog Shadegg, a member of the historic class of 1994, has no inside advantages whatsoever. He has only a clean image, a serious commitment to reform, and a refreshing insistence that the GOP get back to its government-limiting basics. He offers a fresh start.

Our partners at Public Campaign and allies at Campaign for America's Future have teamed up to release three online videos lampooning the leadership election in the House.

Watch them here.

The State of Texas has a $330,000 contract with Todd Boulanger, who used to work closely with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and who has close ties to Rep. Tom DeLay, reports the Houston Chronicle. Boulanger now works for the lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates. Texas hired the firm in January 2005 and then renewed the contract in November. DeLay's former chief of staff, Tony Rudy, introduced Boulanger to his wife, Jessica, who also worked for DeLay.

The Alexander Strategy Group, a DC based lobbying firm that was peppered with former DeLay staff and a product of a recent DailyDeLay blog post, has permanently shut its doors. The Group's owner Edwin Buckham told the Washington Post, "reports in the press have made it difficult to continue as a lobbying/political entity."

A report in today's Bloomberg news makes the same point we have here, that House majority leader contenders Reps. Roy Blunt of Missouri and John Boehner of Ohio are both awfully close to Tom DeLay and K Street:

Both Boehner and Blunt have voted alongside DeLay 96 % of the time. According to opensecrets.org, since 1999 Boehner received a total of $32,500 from Jack Abramoff, his Indian gaming clients, and SunCruz casinos; Blunt, $8,500.

Much of the DeLay news today centers around the leadership race, which so far is pitting Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio against Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. Here's the NYT on the subject; according to this report, Rep.