TOP STORY

Long Knives

By Thomas Jeffrey

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Article Posted: Tuesday October 3, 2006

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Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has been finding it increasingly difficult as of late to avoid allegations that he did not do enough in regards to the Mark Foley scandal after he was informed about inappropriate emails between the former US House representative and a 16-year old page. And now, the Washington Times, a leading conservative news daily, just turned up the heat by calling for Hastert to resign from his post in an editorial that it published on Tuesday.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once. Either he was grossly negligent for not taking the red flags fully into account and ordering a swift investigation, for not even remembering the order of events leading up to last week’s revelations—or he deliberately looked the other way in hopes that a brewing scandal would simply blow away. He gave phony answers Friday to the old and ever-relevant questions of what did he know and when did he know it? 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 Editorial October 3, 2006

Indeed, the long knives seemed to have become unsheathed as the Republican Leadership in the House appear to be laying all blame for the scandal at their speaker’s feet, with House Majority Leader David Boehner stating on Tuesday that he had talked to the speaker about the issue earlier in the year when he initially became aware of it and was led to believe by Hastert that it had been dealt with.

“My position is, it’s in his corner, it’s his responsibility. The clerk of the House who runs the page program, the Page Board—all report to the speaker. And I believe it had been dealt with.”—House Majority Leader David Boehner

Representative Tom Reynolds, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee and took the initial brunt of criticism over the scandal, maintains that he informed Hastert immediately upon learning of the email exchanges from Representative Rodney Alexander, a conversation that Hastert claims not to remember but doesn’t dispute the possibility that it may have occurred.

“If he did, he brought it in with a whole stack of things.”—Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

As for now, Speaker Hastert remains defiant, perhaps buoyed by the same sense of confidence that has allowed him to weather other storms like the Tom DeLay ethics scandal and sail on through with nary a scratch. But this time might be a bit different.

The American people have come to expect dishonesty, infidelity, and even some level of impropriety from their elected representatives, but there are some things that go so beyond the pale that no amount of ‘explanation’ can satisfy.

And the fact that this matter has been referred into the House or Representatives’ ethical “black hole”—namely the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct—illustrates quite clearly just how seriously the speaker views this issue. And when Mr. Hastert claims that “There wasn’t much there other than a friendly inquiry,” about the original email in which Foley asked for the page’s picture and complemented him on his body, you really have to wonder whether or not the former high school wresting coach has his priorities straight.

Indeed, it’s time to pull the plug.

Source:
Resign, Mr. Speaker—Washington Times
Majority leader: Foley matter Hastert’s responsibility—CNN.com
Hastert Stands by Handling of Foley Case—AP via Myway.com

- posted by: Thomas Jeffrey and Oct 3, 12:55 PM in Mark-Foley House-of-Representatives

 

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