Apparently, battling bug infestations and stubborn members of Congress is easier than making two bum feet do the Cha-cha-cha, as Tom DeLay has bowed out of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Of all the contestants on this season’s “Dancing,” DeLay definitely got the most attention when the cast was announced. But it turns out, he may not be missed all that much.

A poll from entertainment website PopEater.com found that 68 percent of respondents are not sad to see DeLay leave “Dancing.”

DeLay, a former bug exterminator and U.S. House of Representatives majority leader, said on Tuesday’s show that he is leaving because of stress fractures in both feet. “Dancing” is notorious for inflicting injuries on its cast members, inspiring talk that the show suffers from a “curse.” In truth, it’s just a program that demands a lot from cast members, who often come in physically unprepared.

It doesn’t look as if DeLay, whose nicknames over the years have included “Hot Tub Tom” and “The Hammer,” is leaving with any hard feelings. When he joined the program, his professional dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, teased the Republican DeLay by saying, “Tom is very conservative, so a lot of hip shaking is not up his alley.”

But speaking to US Weekly magazine after DeLay announced his departure, Burke said, “He taught me that politicians can dance!”

DeLay jokingly lamented, “I haven’t made her a conservative yet!”

With such deft tact, you can’t say DeLay’s lost his political skills.

(Photo: Courtesy ABC)