From the Department of Congressional Chutzpah:

At least 43 House members and dozens of aides failed to publicly report travel financed by special interests until Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s trips were scrutinized, an Associated Press review shows.

Despite a rule requiring public disclosure within 30 days after a trip’s conclusion, the AP found at least 198 recently filed travel reports that were as much as eight years late.

The review covered pre-2005 trips that were disclosed since early March, when news articles questioned whether a lobbyist paid for some of DeLay’s travel. A House rule prohibits lawmakers from accepting travel expenses from lobbyists.

Most of the previously undisclosed trips occurred in 2004, but some dated back to the late 1990s. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., recently disclosed 12 trips, the oldest dating back to 1997.

Stacey Bernards, a spokeswoman for Hoyer, said the office searched the files after the travel issue was raised initially by "Republicans doing opposition research to deflect from their own ethical issues."

Hoyer’s undisclosed trips were nearly doubled by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., with 21. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., reported 20 past trips and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. reported 13.

It is true, by the way, that many Republicans were similarly tardy in their paperwork.

But that is the point– ideal or not, DeLay’s filing "issues" are routine among congressional officials and unworthy of the Scarlett O’Hara panic attack the mainstream media has worked itself into the past few weeks.