Last week we noted that Tom DeLay's large role in the Terri Schiavo case could hasten his fall. The Wall Street Jounral provided an early sign of wavering right wing support of the House Majority leader today, and CQ Weekly's Bob Benenson reports that the Democrats are waiting in the wings to pounce (no link available).

In recent campaigns, Democrats have sought to influence contests in competitive districts by portraying Republicans as right-wing extremists and Texas Republican DeLay as their mastermind, just as they did former Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia in the mid-1990s. But most voters have shrugged at the Democrats’ invocation of DeLay’s name.

[...]

Given DeLay’s political elusiveness over the years, some Democrats felt a bit of an adrenaline rush seeing him suddenly rushing into the national spotlight — even in a situation such as the Schiavo case that played so well among DeLay’s and the Republican Party’s social conservative base.

“A lot of us have felt over the past three or four years: Please put Tom DeLay on talk shows, get him out there,” said veteran Democratic strategist Peter Fenn. “Every time he does, our numbers go up.”

The Democrats should seriously consider devising a 50-state campaign against DeLay and Republican ethics problems for 2006. 50-state. Not 20-state.

Look at Wyoming, for instance, where Bush won by 40 points in 2004. Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Barbara Cubin was held to only 55% against a seriously underfunded candidate. If the Democrats can add a repulsion towards Tom DeLay to Wyoming's dislike of Cubin, there's a real possibility that a Democrat can win there in 2006. Try the same tactic in Democratic-leaning states like Connecticut and Illinois and they have a chance -- however small -- that they can retake the House.