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U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay surrendered to authorities in Houston on Thursday, the last step before his scheduled appearance Friday in Austin, Texas, to formally hear the conspiracy and money-laundering charges that were leveled against him last month.

DeLay, R-Texas, who relinquished his post as U.S. House majority leader after being indicted in Travis County, was photographed and fingerprinted during the brief midday proceedings in Houston before being released on $10,000 bond.

Meanwhile, his lawyers filed motions asking that state District Judge Bob Perkins recuse himself from the case because of close ties to the Democratic Party, including giving campaign contributions to 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry and to the liberal-leaning activist group MoveOn.org.

The lawyers also asked that DeLay's trial be moved out of Austin, where the case has received intense publicity.

"The logic behind the defendant's motion to recuse Judge Perkins would mean that no criminal defendant could be tried in a court presided over by a judge who did not belong to the defendant's political party. It would also mean that a judge who contributes to child abuse prevention could not preside over the trial of an alleged child abuser. We believe that to be neither the law nor good public policy. We will oppose the defendant's motion for change of venue. A fair trial can be held in Travis County."

Thursday's action came even as DeLay's allies in Congress said he retains his considerable clout despite standing down from his leadership post. And they reasserted DeLay's oft-repeated mantra that he is the victim of a partisan vendetta by Earle.

"There's absolutely no question that he enjoys the confidence of the (GOP) conference," said U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. "I value his advice and counsel. It's business as usual and he's helping me get business done."

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who has assumed most of DeLay's leadership duties, remained deferential to the Texan during his first news conference Thursday.

"Mr. DeLay is an important part of what we do (and) a great asset to us," Blunt told reporters.

Even one of DeLay's Republican critics, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut, suggested that the specter of being booked into jail engendered sympathy for DeLay, who is nicknamed "The Hammer."

"In Connecticut, we would never make a horrific issue of it," Shays said. "In Texas, it sounds like a circus, even for those of us who don't have a lot of sympathy for Tom DeLay."

Democrats took issue with DeLay's continued role as a player in the Republican leadership.

"I think that the fact that Tom DeLay is still involved in leadership decisions on the Republican side, if that is so, is a reflection of the tolerance that the Republican Conference has for the culture of corruption and cronyism in the House of Representatives," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

By surrendering in Houston, DeLay was able to avoid the media camped out in nearby Fort Bend County after being led to believe that he would choose to be booked there, close to his home.

DeLay and Republican operatives Jim Ellis of Washington, D.C., and John Colyandro of Austin are accused of violating the century-old state law barring the use of corporate money for direct political expenditures.

The indictments charge them with soliciting and accepting corporate donations and then funneling the money through national Republican organizations in Washington and having them returned to Texas for use by GOP candidates in state House races.

In Austin, opinions varied on how the indictments will affect DeLay's long-term future.

Veteran Democratic strategist Kelly Fero said he relishes the opportunity to hang DeLay's legal difficulties around the necks of Republicans who are defending seats in the Legislature and in Texas' congressional delegation.

"I cannot say loudly and emphatically enough that Tom DeLay will be a heavy burden to bear for Republicans up and down the ballot next year," Fero said. "He epitomizes the culture of corruption that Republican rule has brought to Texas."

Bill Miller, a consultant with close ties to Republican Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, disagreed. In local races, voters will be more likely to judge candidates on how they respond to the bread-and-butter issues affecting the home front, he said.

"In something like a race for a seat in the Legislature, voters are going to judge you on whether you could get something done on school finance rather than if you got help from Tom DeLay," Miller said. "And by the time the elections roll around next year, the DeLay case will have been settled."

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