For all of the national disapproval of Tom DeLay, the only people whose opinions actually matter in determining his standing (aside from Republican Congressmen who elect him their leader and possibly a jury of his peers) are the people living in his district. According to the latest poll of these voters, Delay's supporting is waning quickly.

Support for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has slipped in his district, and a majority of voters surveyed disapprove of his decision to lead Congress into the Terri Schiavo case, according to a Houston Chronicle poll.

Forty-five percent of 501 voters questioned last week said they would vote for someone else if a congressional election were at hand, while about 38 percent said they would re-elect DeLay.

The powerful Texas Republican maintained that his constituents backed his decision to take Congress into the dispute over whether to keep the severely brain-damaged woman alive. But nearly 58 percent of those surveyed said they opposed his decision, while about 33 percent expressed support.

"There seems to be no question that there has been an erosion in support for the congressman," said John Zogby, whose company Zogby International conducted the poll. "These are not good re-election numbers."

Perhaps Tom DeLay shouldn't have raised his profile after all. Or, even better, perhaps he shouldn't have committed ethics violations in the first place.