Hotline After Dark -- Justice DeLayed

The Tom DeLay news broke so late you would almost think it was part of the late night laughs. But it was no laughing matter and TV rushed to get the news out there.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews announced the news on "Scarborough Country" after receiving a call from DeLay: "He knows it's going to save the Republican Party a seat at least."

Matthews gave more details on the "Situation." Matthews: "He said that he wants to save the seat for the Republicans. He said anyone else who runs for this seat in the 22nd District of Texas will, as he put it, walk into the seat. He said that he had been in bad shape with the polling, which has been negative on him and declining for his re-election since last November. ... He also said that he would face a beating this summer from the Democrats. ... He said that he thinks that he can lead the Republican conservative movement from outside the Congress better than he can within."

Time's Allen was on after Matthews. Allen: "I'll start by saying that he does not think he's going to be convicted."

More Allen: "I asked him, 'Did you do anything illegal in office?' He said no. I said, 'Did you do anything unethical in office?' He said no. And I said, 'Did you do anything immoral?' And he started to say no and then he caught himself and said, 'We're all sinners.'"

On "On the Record," FNC's Brian Wilson, who has been the Fox pointman on the DeLay story, noted: "He is a pragmatist, and if there is one thing you know about Tom DeLay, he knows how to count votes -- that's what he is best known for. And Tom DeLay looked at it and said, I don't have the votes."

On "AC 360," Dana Bash reported that DeLay was on a conference call with the TX delegation to explain his decision and that he'll hold a presser this a.m.

HAVING HER SAY

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) was on the "Situation Room" along with her attys James Myart and Michael Raffauf. McKinney: "If the members of the United States Capitol Hill Police who are charged with the responsibility of protecting the members of Congress don't know who they are, then what does that say to us about the kind of security that we have?"

More McKinney: "If you look at C-SPAN and the speeches from the floor of the House on any given day, you will see that there are very many members of Congress who don't happen to have their pins on while they're speaking on the floor of the House. But let me just say that the requirement for pages to become a congressional page at age 16 is to know by face and by name the members of the United States Congress. Don't you think that the United States Capitol Police ought to also know the members of Congress by name and by face?"

On her hairstyle change: "The bottom line is that my face hasn't changed, and I haven't changed." More: "My hair is not an issue."

Myart and Raffauf were also on the "Abrams Report." Myart: "Those lapel pins are like police badges. You can get them anywhere. That is no security at all."

Raffauf: "Congressmen and their entourage routinely walk by these checkpoints, so you must know your congressman."

STICKING WITH HIS DAY JOB

On "Hannity & Colmes," ex-Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) said he'd had no discussions with anyone about going to work at the WH. Asked if he'll ever return to political life: "Three or four terms down the road, maybe I may."