In the supercharged, partisan atmosphere of Washington, D.C., where politicians seem to take shots at the opposing party on a daily basis, people don't need to give their critics free ammunition. But that's just what Republican Tom DeLay is doing, most recently with recent reports that his campaign has paid the House majority leader's wife and daughter hundreds of thousands of dollars for campaign-related work.

Since 2001, DeLay's campaign fund or political action committee has paid more than $500,000 in fees to DeLay's wife and daughter. By most reports, both women have campaign skills. The lawmaker's daughter has managed several re-election campaigns for her father and DeLay's wife is said to play a pivotal and advisory role, not unlike many other political spouses.

DeLay is not alone in employing family members as paid campaign workers. Prominent lawmakers from both parties have used campaign funds to pay family members or family related companies assisting in campaigns.

But the revelations about DeLay come as possible final straws piled onto a camel's back.

DeLay, known as "the hammer" inside the beltway for his rough style politics is loathed by many Democrats or his success in advancing Republican majorities. He was seen as an effective Republican Whip, and thus many in the GOP are thought to be beholding to DeLay.

But earlier run-ins with ethical issues, which resulted in two warnings from the House ethics committee, might be making DeLay vulnerable. Democrats, who are piling on after the latest campaign payroll stories, were largely opposed to DeLay's efforts to press Congress to act in the Terri Shiavo case in Florida.

It might be a case of DeLay being a lightning rod for attacks because of his high-ranking position in the Republican Party as well as his take-no-prisoners attitude toward personal and party advancement.

But many voters, including Republicans as well as Democrats, are bothered at appearance of politicians directing money to family members.

"It's 'DeLay Inc.' " is the way it was put by Melanie Sloan of the Washington-based research group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Few voters would dispute Sloan's comment regarding DeLay's actions, "If it's not illegal, it certainly is inappropriate for members of Congress to use their positions to enrich their families."

DeLay could survive the latest flurry of ethical problems. Democrats would love to take him out of current leadership role, much like they helped push former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich.

And if DeLay becomes enough of a distraction from party policy objectives and a liability in terms of the public's view of the GOP, DeLay's own party leaders could decide it was time for "the hammer" to be replaced by a less controversial figure.