[ambrose]

On the other hand, Delay has done a good job of absorbing the punishment on behalf of the entire GOP leadership. If he left, they'd simply turn to another target.

[Torie]

Of course, but the issue is effectiveness. One wants the opposition to be as ineffective as possible. There really isn't another target that would give the Dems much traction at present. Jesse Helms is retired, and Don Rumsfeld knows how to take fire and effectively return it, and cut his losses. DeLay alas does not. The sad thing is that the wounds are self inflicted. Sad really.