It’s not every day I get to talk to Tom DeLay about his waistline.

But I did just that when the former Republican Congressman called me from Sugar Land, Texas, where he and Cheryl Burke have been rehearsing for his upcoming spin on season nine of Dancing With the Stars.

The 62-year-old ultraconservative politico said he’s ready for some of the show’s signature costumes.

“I lost 20 pounds, so I can wear the tight pants,” DeLay boasted. “I’ve known I was going to do Dancing With the Stars for three months now, so the moment I agreed to do it, I started working out really hard and heavy.”

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