No want of a nail

Politics | House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a scandalmonger's dream | John Dawson

Capitol Hill denizens know House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as “the Hammer”—but recently he’s been more like a nail. For the past two years, Democrats have pounded away at the Republican congressman from Texas, alleging shady dealings and ethics violations.

Democrats say Mr. DeLay, the second-most-prominent member of the House behind Speaker Denny Hastert, has abused power. For his part, Mr. DeLay has asked House and Senate Republicans to back him, and many have. Now, with even more ethical questions swirling, Mr. DeLay is poised for the political fight of his life. His question: Can he extinguish suspicions of wrongdoing or will the parade of scandals eventually take him down?

Mr. DeLay’s trouble is multifaceted. Press reports suggest he took trips paid for by lobbyists, but indirect trip-backing is a common practice in Washington and there’s no proof of anything beyond that. He’s also been criticized for taking a trip to South Korea sponsored by a government agent, though he says he didn’t know the group had changed its status. The New York Times charged Mr. DeLay with putting his wife and daughter on the payroll: He doesn’t deny it; the Federal Election Commission says family members of lawmakers can work for political organizations as long as they are fairly compensated for their work, and that’s also common in Washington.