Hastert On McCain: "Undependable"

Looks like people have finally woken up to the threat to the GOP of a McCain nomination. Read it all at link, too. Solid praise for Romney and Hastert claims to have known all the candidates and worked with them, as well.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert questioned John McCain’s Republican credentials today, saying he was always known among the GOP as “the undependable vote” in the Senate and always “allied with Democrats.”

Hastert, an Illinoisan who is backing McCain rival Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination, also had a conference call with reporters earlier in the day in which he said the Arizona senator had changed “after the Keating Five scandal.”

Speaking later to the Tribune, Hastert, who retired from Congress in November of last year, said McCain changed after the Keating Five to become “more of a populist.”

“He was gearing up for a run for the presidency in 2000 so he had to change track and clean up his image, from my point of view,” Hastert said.

The former House speaker has not had a lot of good to say about McCain in recent years. He contended that on agenda items under the Republican-controlled Congress, “it just seems like everything we did, John was someplace else.”

“It was McCain-Kennedy, it was McCain-Lieberman, it was McCain-Feingold on campaign finance reform,” Hastert said, noting Democratic co-sponsors. “He was against us on tax cuts and his form of immigration reform was to open the gates and let everybody in.”

Comments

[DKM]

I may not be a McCain fan, but I couldn't care less what the bloated, worthless Hastert has to say about him. His disgraceful leadership as speaker likely cost the GOP its House majority. His tenure as leader makes me sick to my stomach, punctuated by his despicable defense of Cold Cash Jefferson because, you know, if the documents showing you're are a bribe-taking scumbag congressman are in your office, well, that's just gotta be off limits. If Hastert supports Romney, that pushes me toward McCain.