A last-minute dispute erupted after DeLay's defense attorneys struck five potential black jurors, leaving the panel with no African-Americans. Prosecutors objected.

DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin cited reasons for striking the jurors. He said three were women who gave him "angry" looks after he raised objections to things said by lead prosecutor Gary Cobb, who is black. Cobb said DeGuerin was being "outrageous."

Visting Judge Pat Priest settled the argument by striking another juror and seating a black woman who had laughed and joked with DeGuerin when he had questioned her.

Dancingrole knocked

The seating of 12 jurors and two alternates occurred after DeLay's lawyers and prosecutors winnowed an initial panel of 320 who filled out juror questionnaires down to 91 men and women interviewed in court on Tuesday. The chosen jury consists of six men and six women.

Only one man said his Democratic Party leanings would keep him from giving a fair trial to DeLay, who was once one of the most powerful Republicans in the United States. But several other jurors said they would overcome Democratic leanings to give DeLay a fair trial.

One woman on her questionnaire said she would be biased against DeLay if he looked like "a Republican good old boy," but under questioning she said he didn't fit her "image of a Republican."

Another potential juror on his questionnaire said he thought DeLay "dressed badly and looked cheap." Under questioning, the man said he had mistaken DeLay for Houston criminal defense lawyer Rusty Hardin.

Three women said they only recognized DeLay from his recent appearance on the television show Dancing With the Stars. One said he should not have appeared on the program because "he is a bad dancer."

When the potential jurors learned the trial would start Monday and last for three weeks, half the panel raised their hands to say the trial would cause personal hardships. Several said they would lose their jobs or income as sole proprietors. One man said he could not serve because his dog needs to have surgery.

Concerns about Austin

DeLay is accused of conspiracy and money laundering involving the Republican takeover of the Texas House in the 2002 elections, a victory that led to a bitter congressional redistricting battle in 2003.

DeLay and two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, raised $190,000 in corporate money that could not be used in candidate elections and traded it with the Republican National Committee for a like amount of money for 11 Texas Republican candidates.

Travis County prosecutors say it amounted to money laundering, but DeGuerin contends it was a legal transaction because the prohibited money and the individual money never were commingled.

DeGuerin told the panel of potential jurors that he was concerned about whether DeLay could get a fair trial in highly Democratic Travis County. DeGuerin said he grew up in Austin and knows "it is the most political town in Texas, if not the United States."

DeGuerin questioned the potential jurors not only about bias but whether their political leanings may get in the way of fairly assessing the facts.

Cobb told the panel that the Travis County district attorney's office prosecutes both Democrats and Republicans. He noted that state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, currently is being prosecuted in the same courtroom that DeLay's trial will occupy.

CueThe Simpsons

Cobb at one point tried to explain political money laundering to the jury by using cartoon characters from the television show The Simpsons. In illustrating when Texas passed a law in 1902 prohibiting corporate campaign contributions to candidates, Cobb used a drawing of "Mr. Monopoly" from the game as an illustration.

Cobb and DeGuerin got into an argument when Cobb tried to describe Jim Ellis and John Colyandro as "political activists." Ellis and Colyandro are unindicted co-conspirators who are not on trial, though they face other charges.

DeGuerin said the term "political activist" is a pejorative. He said Ellis is "a hard-working man who hasn't had a job in five years because of this case."

Priest warned both lawyers to back down: "That's enough speechifying by both of you."

One of the potential jurors turned to another and said, "They've already got the gloves off."

rg.ratcliffe@chron.com