From WNYC in New York, this is NPR's On the Media.

I'm Bob Garfield.

And I'm Brooke Gladstone.

In between the death of the Pope and the naming of his successor, the nation's front pages this week were focused

closer to home on the scandal surrounding House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and TV wasn't

far behind.

Problems closer to home. Tom DeLay had a tough week. A story in the New York Times revealing

that he had paid $500,000 over the last several years to his wife and daughter.

Tom DeLay, who's been under fire on ethical questions relating to whether lobbyists improperly

paid for some of his travel and other possible campaign law violations.

A third delay trip under scrutiny, 1997 Russia visit reportedly backed by business interest.

Some of the capitals more faint-hearted leaders might not have survived such a steady barrage of public criticism,

but faint-hearted is one thing, Tom, the hammer delay is not.

This week we learned that the Congressman's staff has teamed up with veteran GOP strategists to wage an all-out counteroffensive.

It remains to be seen whether delays aggressive approach will work, but Washington Post-Staff writer John Harris says there's no mistaking its intent.

The initial strategy, as near as I can tell, was to take all the questions that had been raised about his activities and denounce

them as illegitimate, driven not by facts, but by people who are trying to drive him out of

office for ideological purposes. And you know really what it recalled is in the opening days of

the famous Monica Lewinsky scandal, when Hillary Clinton went on the Today Show, I believe it was, and said that

what was happening to them was the result of the famous phrase of aspirating conspiracy.

So how effective do you think Delay's initial aggressive approach has been?

I think no doubt has been effective in getting fellow conservatives to see the world as he does.

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