Former Republican boss DeLay bows out

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Tom DeLay, the Republican former strongman largely responsible for transforming his party into a juggernaut that dominates US politics, announced his resignation, as a criminal corruption probe presses in.

The flamboyant ex-House Republican leader -- whose strong-arm politics earned him the nickname "The Hammer" for his ability to push through President George W. Bush's legislative agenda in Congress -- announced that he will give up his US Congress seat and end his bid for reelection in November's mid-term congressional elections.

"It's time for me to go and do something else," he told Fox News Channel on Tuesday.

The former pest control expert had become one of the most polarizing figures in US politics in recent years, but he has also been wildly successful in instilling lock-step party discipline among Republicans and delivering votes on legislation critical to his party.

He was also ...