Dancing with DeLay

On the eve of his highly anticipated debut on ABC's Dancing With the Stars dance contest, the daughter of former House Majority Leader turned-dancer Tom DeLay (R-Texas) wants to make sure fans know exactly how to cast a vote for her father.

The email below is from Dani DeLay Ferro; in it she encourages DeLay supporters to "vote early and vote often," (which is an entirely legal tactic on dance programs) and even jokes about her father's reputation for marshaling votes during his years in the House of Representatives: "Tom DeLay was known as the most effective Whip in modern congressional history," she writes, "and now it’s our turn to “whip” the vote for him."

Read the full letter after the jump.

Dear Friends,

My dad is in LA preparing for the premiere’s big performance on Dancing With the Stars – TONIGHT – at 8:00pm EST. He is having so much fun – and has gotten in great shape!

Now, it may have been shocking to some of you that my dad decided to participate in such a high profile dancing program. But for those who know what a goofball he really is, it's a perfect fit. Really, the man loves to dance. Weddings, parties, political events – when there’s a dance floor, he always puts on a show. Now that doesn’t mean he’s the best dancer, but he has fun with it and isn’t shy about taking the stage – which we all know is half the battle.

Personally, I am a HUGE fan of the show. I tune in every week, and I vote. And I lobbied for him to be partnered with the best – Cheryl Burke! But my favorite part about DWTS is that it takes people who are brilliant and successful in a variety of careers – acting, music, technology, football, and yes, even politics – and places them completely out of their element to challenge their mind, body, and ability to work with others. It’s one of the last truly family-oriented shows that promotes the beauty and fun of dancing to the people.

Now I have one thing I will ask of you - vote early, and vote often! Tom DeLay was known as the most effective Whip in modern congressional history, and now it’s our turn to “whip” the vote for him. Similar to the House of Representatives, the rules are a bit peculiar, so I’ve outlined them below.

Phone lines open at the beginning of the show and stay open for 30 minutes after the show ends - voters can call or use text messaging to vote. Online voting via your email address will remain open until noon [Eastern time] the next day. In order to vote online, you MUST register through the ABC website. The viewer voting determines who goes on to compete the next week, with one man and one woman eliminated on Wednesday’s show.

Unlike elections, in which each citizen gets one vote, the “DWTS” voting system allows you to vote EIGHT TIMES — the number of contestants that night — by calling 1-800-868-3408. That means you can vote eight times from your home phone, eight times from your cellphone, eight times on the web site and you can also text eight times.

Thank you again for supporting my dad in this exciting and fun new challenge. Please don’t forget to tell your friends and family to vote to keep him on the show that he’s enjoying so much! And as Dad always says…

Keep the faith,

Dani DeLay Ferro