From page A1 of today's Washington Post:
ZANESVILLE, Ohio -- After enlarging their majority in the past two elections, House Republicans have begun to fear that public attention to members' travel and relations with lobbyists will make ethics a potent issue that could cost the party seats in next year's midterm races.
In what Republican strategists call "the DeLay effect," questions plaguing House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Tex.) are starting to hurt his fellow party members, who are facing news coverage of their own trips and use of relatives on their campaign payrolls.
It's simple. When you sell out your own values and your constituents' interests and become a paid whore for corporate and evangelical goals instead, you eventually pay the price. The only questions is: when is "eventually"? It looks like the Republicans are about to find out. Details here from The Washington Post.