Updated: Should Hastert Resign?

Here is the Washington Times editorial, maybe they were worried over being scooped by the WaPO or NYT's. Republicans may be toast either way now. If he goes, the Dems can point to that; if he stays, etc. In hindsight, it's easy to call for the resignation. As it happened, I'm not so sure. It really depends a lot of what was or wasn't being whispered about at the time, and who knew it. If Foley didn't have a blemish on his record, the story of wanting a simple picture to ID the kid when he wrote for a reference isn't all that out of line, IF, as had been said, they maintained pics of other pages for the same reason.

Foley may well have passed it off as the kid being a flake, not him. Knowing what we know now, that seems intolerable ... it simply might not have been so then. Either way, this is shaping up like a disaster, as usual, because the base is bailing. That's been the weakness of the Republicans all along. I'm not faulting the base, just pointing out that's where the R's real problems have always been.

The facts of the disgrace of Mark Foley, who was a Republican member of the House from a Florida district until he resigned last week, constitute a disgrace for every Republican member of Congress. Red flags emerged in late 2005, perhaps even earlier, in suggestive and wholly inappropriate e-mail messages to underage congressional pages. His aberrant, predatory -- and possibly criminal -- behavior was an open secret among the pages who were his prey. The evidence was strong enough long enough ago that the speaker should have relieved Mr. Foley of his committee responsibilities contingent on a full investigation to learn what had taken place, whether any laws had been violated and what action, up to and including prosecution, were warranted by the facts. This never happened.

via Drudge, apparently some think so. Personally I don't, though it might be a prudent political move ... something the GOP seems to be uneven with at best these days. Oh well, it's going to be an interesting month. I simply haven't seen enough in the initial emails to feel that Hastert could have gone after Foley if he wanted to, other than take the steps that were taken. It isn't like thay could have gotten a warrant for anything on the basis of those initial emails. Had the IMs surfaced it would be a different story.

WASHINGTON TIMES ON TUESDAY WILL CALL FOR SPEAKER HASTERT'S RESIGNATION, NEWSROOM SOURCES TELL DRUDGE... DEVELOPING... Editorial titled: 'Resign, Mr. Speaker': 'House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once... Mr. Hastert has forfeited the confidence of the public and his party, and he cannot preside over the necessary coming investigation, an investigation that must examine his own inept performance'... -- Washington Times, October 3, 2006...

Comments

[Western Washington Vet]

Yes he should resign. He inexplicably wanted to shield the liberal Louisiana likely-crook William Jefferson and now he wants to shield Foley. IMHO Foley is not as bad as Jefferson because if the allegations are to be believed he is just a sad individual with no self-control while Jefferson, if what has been charged is true, willfully stole from all of us. But no matter, both have been charged with crimes and it is time for Denny to not just step aside but to step down.

[Captain Joe]

Looks like WT is trying to take advantage of the situation and clear out some of the perceived moderates in the party. I think WT has decided that the Pubbies are going to lose next month and it might be a good time to shed the House of some of their not-so-right people that aren't giving their all to the Right philosophy.

[Captain Joe]

Looks like WT is trying to take advantage of the situation and clear out some of the perceived moderates in the party. I think WT has decided that the Pubbies are going to lose next month and it might be a good time to shed the House of some of their not-so-right people that aren't giving their all to the Right philosophy.

[Purple Avenger]

I'd love to see Hastert gone - he's been an ineffective hack who doesn't give a hoot about the general public.

However, I want to see him gone because he's been a douche. I've seen no evidence that shows he did anything wrong here.

[Jason Coleman]

Whoa nelly, hang on folks. Look, I know you view Foley's actions as something deserving of a head on a pike. I feel that way too. However. . . Just because Foley immediately resigned and went "rehab" on all of us and in doing so denied us our immediate pound of flesh, that's not a good reason for us to instead go after Hastert.

Look, yes it's true that Hastert immediately defended Jefferson, and it's important to realize that he HAD to do so immediately. When the executive comes kicking down doors on the legislative, they had better have a damn good reason to (and they did). It's also important that when the executive comes a kicking that the legislative immediately resist such an action until it is determined that such a kicking is legal and necessary, which is was and it was. Once all that was hashed out, Hastert backed down. He was doing is JOB as speaker of the House, leader of the lower house, in a bi-partisan manner. Just as he should have.

Now with Foley, it's true Hastert was given some emails that could be considered questionable, BUT, they are questionable in light of the additional information now provided. They were not questionable without the additional information that has since been provided. Hastert was correct in being skeptical about the emails when they were presented to him. On their own, they look like a partisan sneak attack, and they seem like a little too friendly exchange, but if I were to pull out every email I've received from Senators and Congressmen over the years, I could find language that also seems a bit off. So Hastert passed a non-issue down the chain and went to back to work. There was NOT enough information associated with the emails to begin with and IF Hastert would have gone afer Foley based just on those emails, I can almost assure you that Foley would have gone into hibernation and waited until the flak passed. Nothing would have occured based solely on those emails and it would have been chalked up as one of a long line of partisan hit jobs and attempted smears.

Now, in light of other information, mainly the IM's, there's something to go after, and that's why Foley jumped ship at the first incling. Denying us all our pound of flesh. Foley WILL come out of rehab, and straight into the arms of the FBI.

What people should be questioning is why has the local paper held this story when they had it over a year ago. Why have they been sitting on this infomation, and are they actually now complicit in any and all crimes committed since they became aware of Foley's actions? We should also be looking closely at the Soros funded CREW organization which appears to also be involved in knowingly holding evidence of possible criminality through one election and waiting until the next to release it. On can theorize correctly that if the house was not in play that CREW would have held their cards until 08.

Look I'm not in any way defending Foley, I want him under the jail if the government can build a case around him, but going after Hastert is unwarranted transferrence and I suspect that many conservatives are falling into a rapidly spun trap. The Dems obviously expected Foley to fight and give them a big smear campaign to last through the election with Foley pulling everyone down. Since Foley jumped ship quickly, the Dems and their hyper-activists lost their battle, so they are trying to transfer it over to Hastert, and you can be assured, they'll try to paint a number of Republicans with the Foley brush since Foley is in effect isolated from the charges while in rehab.

Foley should go under the jail and that's it. Pascarell is on TV right now intimating that this goes "all the way up" alluding to Bush and all Republicans, and that's just plain BS politicing.

This is an emotional issue, and it's being played masterfully by the Dems, but what you have to realize is that to Republicans, it's real and painful, to the Dems it's just a game and that's evident by their holding of the information for so long.

Finally, the Washington Times calling for an unrelated resignation, is ridiculous and once again throws their credibility as the press out the window, they are running plays called by the dems and not being a critical observer at all, they are being a partisan player.

The double standards are enormous, and the holding of relevant information should be considered as criminal as the act itself.

Going after Hastert is stupid and irrational based on the evidence. With the "new" information, Hastert could be found at fault, but not with the old information he was presented with.

Foley is gone, and rightly so, and the rest is all partisan games. We'd better either start playing hardball back with Soros, CREW, Rodgers and the rest or let the issue die by continuing to condemn Foley and focusing back on the issues.

--Jason

[old trooper]

The FBI as well as the State of Florida will prosecute Foley on "Statute" if there are crimes here.

The Media and the "Usual Suspects"...the out of power Democrats and the morbid elements of the "Free Press" are prosecuting Hastert on purely Political reasons. This has become the mountain made out of the molehill.

The rabid Dems need to look back on Studds and Barney Frank and STFU.

Let the FBI and Florida Cops and the Courts do their work. Due Process is what should be the focus here, not partisan political sniping. The Congress and Senate have real work to pursue, not this sort of nonsense. The Congress and Senate, during this past session have failed to get that work done and should fear the wrath of the Voting Citizens, the folks that they should be serving!

[Another old trooper]

He should not have the opportunity to resign. This is an attack on the morale of the conservative base. We all know that THEY don't feel there was a moral outrage, but they know a lot of US feel there WAS. Some are going to say "why should I go out in the rain to vote for another one of these suckers?"

Regain the moral high ground, and the morale, by throwing him out on his ear! We shouldn't put up with representatives that don't share our moral sense. I'm not saying that any of us is perfect, but there is no excuse for excusing or enabling abhorent behavior. Abhorent behavior is for repenting. Go look it up.

[The Dude]

I have a bigger problem with the entire incident. If someone had these emails and/or IM's for several years, why is it just coming out now? Not only do the members of Congress have an obligation
to look into this(if it is a crime) but what was the purpose of holding onto the writings! Everyone is saying this is an october Suprise. Well it is, but, were there attempts to blackmail Foley or any of his associates? Monica L. kept her dress. She got a great job and I'm sure a ton of hush money. Obviously the page had a hand in some part of this. could it have been a set up the whole time? Someone needs to look into this and preferrably not Sandy Berger. He's got enough in his pants already.

[kate]

Oh for pete's sake, the pervert already stepped down. There is no evidence that Hastert knew a darn thing. If Hastert, or anybody else, had forced Foley out for being queer or sending some odd emails, everybody would have screamed bloody murder that Republicans were gay bashers. I really wanted to sit the next election out, but crap like this warns me to go and vote a staight Republican ticket, again. Gawd, I hate that.

[warrewarrenbnb]

Yes he should go....Actually he should have left already....GET OUT!!! HASTERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!