HOUSTON -- Houston Congressman Chris Bell's ethics complaint about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's fundraising and voting record has a snowball's chance in "you-know-what" of surviving in the U. S. House of Representatives.

After all, Bell is a freshman congressman who has lost his seat and DeLay is arguably the most powerful member of the House.

Add to that the unwillingness of both parties to ever connect the dots between where they get their money and how they cast their votes and you have a recipe for futility.

While Channel 2 may question Bell's choice of fights, we are outraged by Illinois Representative Ray LaHood's assertion that Bell's complaint should be quashed because Bell is a lame duck and has, in LaHood's words, "no stake in the institution."

As far we are concerned, Bell will be a U.S. Representative until the last day, last hour and last minute of his elected term. And we think his constituents feel the same way.