If the election for Congress were held today and the candidates were Republican Tom Delay and someone else, for whom would you vote?

Tom DeLay (R)
38.4%

For someone else
45.0%

Not sure
16.6%

Source: Zogby International / Houston Chronicle
Methodology: Interviews to 501 voters in Texas’ 22nd Congressional District, conducted from Mar. 30 to Apr. 1, 2005.

If he's taking a hit in his own district, how can GOP members possibly rationalize backing this guy? Assuming his hometown supporters are already a bit on the fringe to vote for DeLay (safe statement), what does it say when even they wake up and smell the burning coffee?

Not a stretch to point out some parallels with Newt's rule of the House: achieved power than repeatedly overstepped until self-destructing. The big differences are 1) the GOP is in a MUCH more powerful position this time around (duh), and 2) Pelosi and Reid do not make a Clinton (as a foil), not even close. Therefore, DeLay's half-life is longer. However, that said, DeLay is in much deeper than was Newt, both in number of transgressions and the extent to which he crossed he line.