(UPDATE: Though DeLay deserved to land in the loser's circle Tuesday, actress Debi Mazar was instead ejected from the show in a surprise vote.

DeLay bowed out anyway, admitting that his injuries kept him from practicing which could lead to looking like a fool out on the dance floor. Host Tom Bergeron was kind enough not to tell him that ship already sailed long ago.)

Given his lead-footed samba on Monday night, it's likely former House leader Tom DeLay would have hit the bricks tonight, anyway.

But E! Online is reporting that DeLay will quit ABC's monster reality show Dancing With the Stars tonight, presumably before the show reveals his likely ejection.

That last half-sentence is my doing. As a professional Dancing watcher, what I've learned is that the comic relief contestants only last so long before their severe lack of skill starts to turn the show into a joke. And the comic relief folks -- who, by the way, are most entertaining when they don't seem to fully realize they are the comic relief -- last about as long as their enthusiasm.

So DeLay, suffering from two stress fractures in his feet and already grousing publicly about having to wear ruffles and frilly costumes for the dance numbers, was getting close to ejectionville, anyway (especially after Monday's dance, in which you could actually see him counting out his steps during the number).

No word on whether the show will also eject someone, particularly if the person who was due to leave isn't DeLay. I'm betting they'll just tell that person that they have gotten a reprieve -- after stretching out an episode already robbed of suspense because we know The Indicted One is already gone.

Check out his painful -- for viewers! -- samba from Monday, below.

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