Viewers of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" were shocked Tuesday night when Tom DeLay announced that because of stress fractures in both feet, he was leaving the show. Earlier, DeLay and his professional dance partner, Cheryl Burke, looked stunned to hear that their samba the previous night, on his injured feet, had garnered enough viewer votes to make them "safe" to go to the next round.

DeLay told me in an interview before the show's premiere that despite the pre-stress fracture in one foot, "I'll dance until the bone breaks." In the past week, the pre-stress fracture was diagnosed as a stress fracture in not one but both feet. Bottom line, the bones broke.

The former House leader Wednesday evening posted an update on his personal Facebook site: "Well, I guess you all know by now that I had to withdraw from the competition. I am so disappointed. The pros told me I could have lasted a long time. Oh well. Two broken feet a dancer does not make. I had a great time. I got to dance with Cheryl Burke and get to know her and came to love her. She is so precious. I will be back for the finale to dance the two step. Thank you for all your support and prayers."

Dani DeLay Ferro, Tom's only daughter, told me in an e-mail: "I'm so proud of my Dad. And I'm so happy that America finally got to see the real Tom DeLay, who we know and love so much. And I'm excited my parents will be coming home to Houston now!"

DeLay and Burke were brought out midway through the hour show for a special interview by the hosts. Asked whether he will continue to dance now that he had been "saved to go through," DeLay tilted his head and responded "No, I won't." The audience loudly and spontaneously said, "Awww."

Hearing the audience reaction, DeLay looked down and attempted to choke back tears. "You can't practice," he said. "And if you can't practice you make a fool of yourself out here. And I don't want to do that to Cheryl."

Next week would have been DeLay's favorite dance, the Texas Two-Step. He seemed disappointed to have to miss his home state's most famous dance export. Host Tom Bergeron surprised DeLay, telling him that if he recovers from the injuries, the show wanted him to come back to the finale to dance the Texas Two-Step.

DeLay immediately cheered up. "No!" he said. "I'd love that! That'd be wonderful!"

Tom DeLay is the former Republican House Majority Leader nicknamed the "Hammer" for his tough political style. DeLay has impressed the judges and the audience with his grit and determination.

But, always the realist, DeLay told me before the show premiered, "Well, you know, Emily, I'm 62, so these bones are just tellin' me, 'You gotta be kiddin' me with all this dancing.'"

When it was announced in mid-September that DeLay would be a contestant on the show, his wife, Christine, predicted to me, "People are going to see the real man" and not the caricature of mean Tom DeLay. A Democratic lobbyist told me that during years of seeing DeLay every day up close, she never saw the "humble, self-deprecating, funny and kind Tom DeLay" that she saw on "Dancing with the Stars."

His final dance, the samba, was choreographed by Burke to be a lesson on bipartisan America. Wearing costumes with the Republican elephant logo and Democratic donkey logo, DeLay and Burke danced to "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Tom DeLay's determination, hard work and upbeat attitude showed that partisan politics can sometimes blind us to the good nature in all Americans.

Click play below for a slide show of rehearsal photos from Emily Miller (click here for the full-screen version).



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