Democrats in Congress are ecstatic to see Delay gone. And it isn't because he was perceived as weak and counterproductive to the Republican cause.
Yes, they are happy to see him, gone, because he was building a GOP patronage machine and beating them in elections.
But, that was done at the expense of accelerating pork to record levels. I noticed you didn't address that. If he was so powerful and effective, and also a good conservative, why were things like the transportation bill so out of control with pork?