It’s becoming a bit trite to accuse Tom DeLay of snapping his tether to reality, but I’m not going to stop noting it until Tom stops doing it. Yesterday, he gave a short presentation to the GOP Senate caucus, where he unveiled what should be called the “Stoner Defense”, a combination of “chill out” sentiment and massive paranoia:

As DeLay left a 90-minute luncheon with his party’s senators, he told reporters that his basic message was “Be patient; we’ll be fine.”

Giving a preview of the approach he is likely to take when he appears before reporters this afternoon, DeLay dismissed questions about his travel and his relationships with lobbyists as “the Democratic agenda.”

Attendees said DeLay, in extremely brief remarks, told the senators that, if asked about his predicament, they should blame Democrats and their lack of an agenda. The attendees said DeLay thanked Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) for supportive comments on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

Yeah man, it’s like, nothing. So stop fucking up the rotation. And make sure Roy’s keeping watch for Democrats, they’re everywhere.

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.