Indicted Rep. Tom DeLay’s (R-Tex.) contentious primary election battle with three Republicans comes to a boil today, as voters in southeast Texas head to the polls. 

With his political life on the line, how is DeLay spending election day, you ask?   Going door to door in his home district?  Holding a rally to encourage his supporters to turn out at the polls? Making one last round of television interviews before voters cast their ballots?

Of course not. Incredibly but not surprisingly, Delay is doing what has kept him in office for 22 years and vaulted him to the pinnacle of power in the Republican party: attending a fundraiser with wealthy lobbyists.

According to the Associated Press, DeLay is in Washington to attend a fundraiser tonight with two of the capital’s newest high-powered lobbyists.  Former Reps. Bill Paxon and Susan Molinari, prime examples of Washington’s revolving door problem, are hosting the fundraiser, which also features former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.  A seat at the election night event starts at a cool $500 for individuals and $1,000 for political action committees.

The absurdity wasn’t lost on DeLay’s leading opponent, attorney Tom Campbell.  "I think it's amazingly ironic and callous he would be spending election night with a group of lobbyists," Campbell said. "I don't think he understands how unhappy constituents are with what appears to be a trade of principle for power."

It is possible, though, that DeLay’s constituents will remind him how unhappy they are: This is DeLay’s first contested election in many years… and it’s still only the primary.