Can Cheryl Burke keep Tom DeLay ‘Dancing’?

The only other “Dancing With the Stars” contestant to garner as much pre-show press as Tom DeLay is Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills.

Mills, who appeared on season 4, lasted through six weeks of competition — but does anyone but the most loyal of “Dancing” fans recall that Jonathan Roberts was her professional partner?

Mills’ experience is part of the reason that two-time champion Cheryl Burke, one of the most popular professional dancing partners in the show's history, was paired with the former Republican House Majority Leader.

“(The show is) as much about the team as it is the celebrity,” said one “DWTS” source. “The early buzz dies out if there isn’t a fan favorite helping out on the professional side. That’s where Cheryl comes in.”

Slideshow: Season 9 ‘Dancing’ cast Is Burke, long known as a taskmaster, relaxing her standards considering what she has to work with? Unclear, but DeLay wrote on his Twitter, “After two dance sessions, I can tell you Cheryl Burke is the most patient person I have ever met.”

Just how long will Burke have to exercise Herculean patience? After all, no one is using the phrase “stands to win it all” in the same sentence as the former House majority leader.

“There is a sense that this could be another Wayne Newton season,” said the “Dancing” source. Newton only lasted three weeks. Enjoy it while you can, Mr. DeLay.

Kourtney Kardashian: Stop talking about your baby
Reality “star” Kourtney Kardashian confirmed Aug. 12 that she was expecting her first child. Since then, the general public has been subject to every fleeting baby-related thought to pass through the expectant mama's skull.

Slideshow: Celebrity Sightings Not just content to make an announcement and await baby shower buzz, Kardashian has pontificated on the question of posing nude while pregnant (she has to think about it), diapers (she doesn’t think she’s ever changed one) and C-sections (compared to labor, she used to think they were “easy”).

The next 30-odd weeks until the baby is born will move along at a glacial pace if the current rate of overshare is maintained. I implore you, Kourtney, stop talking about your baby so much.

In case you haven’t noticed, times are tough out there. The odds of landing a magazine deal to follow you from birth right on through baby’s first photo shoot diminish with every extraneous quote you give about your cravings (which include “way more fruit”).

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Until the kid actually shows up, please leave something to our imaginations.

‘Basterds’ win box-office war
Quentin Tarantino can’t have much to complain about this Monday.

His long-awaited WWII film, “Inglorious Basterds,” came in at No. 1 with a $37.6 million estimated take at the box offce. It was the biggest opener ever for Tarantino and beat out sci-fi heart-pounder “District 9,” which had a solid second weekend at $18.9 million.

As far as what disappointed: “Post Grad” lived up to the low bar set by our very own Alonso Duralde during our movie review chat. The film made only $2.8 million. There are plenty of cast members in that film who can chalk this up to a learning experience, but really, Carol Burnett deserved better.

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.