WASHINGTON -- Nearly a thousand constituents called their representatives in Congress last week and another 75,000 faxed them to find out where they stand on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Only 20 representatives said that Rep. DeLay is ethically fit to serve and more than half of all members declined to take a stand. The mounting pressure prompted Rep. DeLay to defend himself in a letter to his allies.

The Campaign for America’s Future today sent a formal request to each member of Congress to complete the survey. The letter asks every member if he or she believes that Tom DeLay is “ethically fit to serve as Majority Leader.” The organization is tallying the results on its website.

Conservative lawmakers Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and former Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., have raised doubt about Rep. DeLay’s ability to lead. The editorial boards of the Ashville Citizen Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Hartford Courant and York Dispatch have joined the conservative Richmond Times-Dispatch and Wall Street Journal to raise doubt about Rep. DeLay.

NOTE: Results of the Campaign for America’s Future congressional survey by constituents and the latest editorial comment on the Majority Leader are available at www.ourfuture.org.

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