A Democrat has emerged from a bitter race to win the right to challenge California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a former Republican congressman from California narrowly beat his Democratic rival early today for a House seat, during the biggest primary night of the US election year.

TOM DeLAY, once one of the most powerful and feared conservatives in the US Congress, yesterday said he was resigning from the House of Representatives in the wake of two criminal investigations that have dimmed his re-election prospects.

JACK ABRAMOFF, the disgraced lobbyist at the heart of a Washington influence-peddling scandal that has rattled top Republicans, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison yesterday for fraud in the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line.

US President George Bush said today that a recently passed US law barring torture doesn’t contain loopholes that would allow abuses.

Embattled Congressman Tom DeLay decided today to give up his post as House majority leader – the leader of Republicans in the House of Representatives - clearing the way for new leadership elections among House Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal, two officials said.

US PRESIDENT George Bush and dozens of other leading politicians are racing to distance themselves from a disgraced political lobbyist.