TOM DELAY: YA EITHER LOVE HIM OR YA HATE HIM

U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay returned home to Texas briefly Tuesday, catching a ride with President Bush for the chief executive's Social Security privitization event at the University of Texas' Medical Branch in Galveston. As has been the case at Bush's similar events across the country, it was an invitation-only gathering of about 700, with about 100 outside protesting. The White House chose Galveston because county employees there decided to opt out of the Social Security system entirely 25 years ago in favour of private retirement accounts.

But back to DeLay: As you would expect from a highly partisan crowd, the hometown boy from Sugar Land received a warm greeting. But on a couple of other fronts, there is reason for the ethically-challenged congressman to be concerned, aside from the obvious items which have been reported.

First, he now has a Democratic challenger for his seat in next year's election. Former Congressman Nick Lampson of Beaumont, who was defeated two years ago after redistricting, has filed papers to challenge the House Majority Leader for his 22st District seat. The announcement came one day after DeLay's 2004 challenger, Richard Morrison, decided to withdraw citing personal financial issues. Lampson does not currently live in the district, which covers portions of Houston's southern suburbs and part of Gavleston County, so he'll have to move there. Lampson is not a stranger to many, though, as his former congressional district covered approximately 30 percent of the area now represented by DeLay.

There could be another Democrat in the race: Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan, the first Asian Mayor Pro-Tem in city history, is considering his options.

And a Houston Chronicle - Zogby poll taken at the end of March shows that DeLay should be worried. A couple of the questions:

For whom did you vote in the 2004 Congressional Election:
DeLay - 50.7
Morrison - 33.1
Other - 16.2

If the election for Congress were held today and the candidates were Republican Tom DeLay and someone else, who would you vote for?
Other - 45.0
DeLay - 38.4
Not Sure - 16.6

Overall Opinion of Tom DeLay:
Very Unfavourable - 30.6
Slightly Favourable - 28.8
Very Fabourable - 22.0
Slightly Unfavourable - 13.4
Not Familiar at all - 3.0
Not Sure - 2.1

Texas 22nd Congressional District Poll taken 30 March - 02 April 2005
Margin of error: +/- 4.5 percentage points