In what has to be considered something of a shocker, the Washington Times is calling on House Speaker Dennis Hastert to resign for his inaction and dissembling over the Foley matter:
Now the scandal must unfold on the front pages of the newspapers and on the television screens, as transcripts of lewd messages emerge and doubts are rightly raised about the forthrightness of the Republican stewards of the 109th Congress. Some Democrats are attempting to make this “a Republican scandal,” and they shouldn’t; Democrats have contributed more than their share of characters in the tawdry history of congressional sexual scandals. Sexual predators come in all shapes, sizes and partisan hues, in institutions within and without government. When predators are found they must be dealt with, forcefully and swiftly. This time the offender is a Republican, and Republicans can’t simply “get ahead” of the scandal by competing to make the most noise in calls for a full investigation. The time for that is long past.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.
Hastert has presided over what will probably go down in history as the most inept, corrupt, cynical, and arrogant Congress since perhaps near the turn of the 20th century when the robber barons held sway in Washington and openly bought and sold votes on the floor.
Hastert himself – a genial, if clueless sort – is probably one of the least blameless members in this camper’s stew of corruption and irresponsible lawmaking. His leadership style has been one of staying above the fray while allowing his whips full reign to twist arms and necks to get Republican majorities on major legislation. This allowed stronger personalities like Tom DeLay and Roy Blunt to dominate at times, making Hastert appear to be an appendage, especially to the publicity hungry DeLay. In short, Hastert never really seemed to be in charge – something that was exposed during the Foley matter as it still isn’t clear whether anyone ever bothered to inform the Speaker personally about Foley’s emails to the former page, telling his staff instead who may or may not have informed him.
I’m not sure the resignation of Hastert is either necessary or desirable. The voters will almost surely take care of Mr. Hastert and the Republicans come November. In fact, it seems pretty much of a lead pipe cinch at this point as the universal disgust over Foley and the leadership’s tone deaf response to the emails and their potential import becomes widely known. The only question now is how big a majority the Democrats are likely to be handed as the new Congress sits next January.
It should go without saying that if the Democrats presented anything like a positive agenda for the country, their victory would be of historic proportions, almost certainly surpassing the Republican gains of 1994 and approaching their own electoral tidal wave of 1974. But a combination of Republican advantages in redistricting and voter doubts about their national security bona fides will probably hold Democratic gains to a narrow majority in the House and a possible one seat advantage in the Senate, the latter by no means a certainty but the polls breaking that way of late.
None of the blame for this should necessarily fall entirely on the shoulders of the Speaker. But as a symbol of Republican malfeasance in the Foley matter, it may be hard for him to escape walking the plank. Most conservatives have expressed disgust with the leadership over everything from earmarks to their curious incuriosity when it comes to oversight – my own beef being the horrific waste already revealed in war reconstruction spending. New leadership will hardly have time to get settled before their almost certain replacement by Democrats. So I suppose my point is – what’s the point?
If it is to make a statement that we won’t tolerate this kind of malfeasance then we are all a little late to that party. These people have been playing patty cakes with the truth, with parliamentary procedure, with House rules, and with the faith and trust of the American people for going on 6 years. It is a little late for resignations and mea culpas.
What is needed is a reckoning – a settling of accounts by the voters for all the broken promises, the wasteful spending, the arrogant mismanagement, and the irresponsible lawmaking which have combined to bring the Republican party to its sorriest state I’ve seen in my 30 years of membership.
Let the voters change the leadership in Congress. And then let the chips fall where they may.
5:27 am
Hastert Requests Criminal Probe of Foley
House Speaker Dennis Hastert requested Sunday that the Justice Department conduct an investigation i
7:34 am
Rick: you’re correct, a POX on their House.
But in the most important issue, as to whether they are Americans, care about America, and will protect America, it’s almost an unimaginable disaster, to think of the Hate-America-First-Party, the Leftocrats, in charge!
It fills me with a dread, I have not experienced, since the prospect of a “President” John Kerry!
They will force a withdraw from Iraq; terminate the NSA/SWIFT programs, block any potential Supreme Court Nominations, and in all liklihood, seek to impeach the President.
I shudder, at the prospect of what these Leftist Buffoons will do….
7:54 am
.....and, I might add: I agree, they’re all culpable in some way, for whatever reason: incompetence, politics, afraid to tackle a ‘gay” member; whatever!
But it does illustrate the different Standards, that the two parties hold themselves too, and are in fact, held to by the public and the MSM:
Republicans resign (Livingston, Foley, Lott, Delay, Ney, Cunningham), and are forced to admit fault and misdeed (all of the above)......
Democrats refused to resign (Jefferson, Stubbs, Clinton,Murtha), are elevated to Rock Star Status and Democrat Hall of Fame status (Clinton), enjoy widespread support(Clinton), write books(Clinton), appear on Oprah (McGreavey), and earn incredibly large speaking fees(Clinton), and get re-elected (Stubbs,Murtha etc.)!
Somebody tell if something isn’t wrong with this picture?
8:32 am
Very interesting analysis, Rick; can’t disagree with a thing you’ve written. About the only cogent argument these guys have left is “Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Conyers”. Obviously, that doesn’t address the Party’s fiscal mismanagement or its lack of leadership. On the plus side, our Constitution has a wonderful way of remedying these situations, despite the shortcomings of the people who serve it.
9:17 am
Ignoring all the red flags pre-9/11 and Iraq incompetence and pork-barrel spending with raging deficits, inaction on Immigration and the Katrina response and Abramoff/K-Street and now being more concerned about protecting a Republican majority than protecting a minor.
Had enough?
10:13 am
The question must be asked, how can we expect the GOP House leadership to protect the United States of America from Al Qaeda when they can’t even protect pages from predatory Republican Congressmen?
10:39 am
Capital E Ed is NOT me, ed with a small e! I’ll take my Rick Moran beatings and beratings (smile), but only for my own comments. For once, I agree almost completely with Rick. And I hope the Democrats, if they do take over either or both of the legislative branches, remember that Republican hubris, corruption and incompetence is what will be rejected by the voters. There is no great desire to return to far left-wing governance.
10:41 am
I am a conservative, however, the Republican Party has, or is quickly becoming, a party of “Power for the sake of Power” much like to minority Democratic Party. The mis-calculation on the part of the Republican Party has been to think they can sweep things under the rug to protect their majority status, rather than out the malfeasance of their members, remove them from their seats and really show they are above the fray. In their zeal to protect their majority status in an election year, they have doomed it.
10:45 am
Dale:
I realize politics is a contact sport and all that. But is it necessary to villify those who don’t vote or endorse your policy ideals? Must the electorate be this polarized?
Perhaps I’m naive to ask these questions, but i see no difference between your comments and those at the left blogs i’ve read – just change the party affiliation and the themes are the same; ” we are always right and they are wrong ” – no nuance at all, very absolute in fact and it appears that it insulates voters from approaching the issues and stakeholders objectively.
They can’t get a fair hearing because they don’t have the elephant lapel pin or the donkey bumper sticker -This can’t be the type of political discourse that encourages cogent policy for americans.
Certainly libs feel that there is a double standard as well – so who is correct? Is there any space for balance? Your comments on the so called double standards relating to morality and polticians is curious. I know of no politico who willingy cedes power, absent external pressure or internal nudges from the party. I’d assume this operates at the Natl. level like it does at the State.
Your suggestion that GOP politicians willingly resign when they are found to be corrupt, out of some intristic sense of political nobleness i guess, doesn’t reflect the power dynamic of politics. Politicians of BOTH parties have to be dragged screaming and kicking to admit their guilt.
The ONLY reason Tom Delay fell on the sword was because he had no choice! The ONLY reason Marrion Berry owned up to smoking crack is because they had him on
tape smoking it!!
12:54 pm
Phonics: I understand your points; and I’m not sure that I said that Republicans resign because THEY are nobler than Democrats!
It’s all too obvsious, Abramoff, etc., that absolute power, corrupts absolutely!
No doubt about that, when the Republicans lose, either or both Houses these mid-terms, notice I said a POX on them, because the damage is at least 75% SELF-inflicted; so they had to work to EARN that!
But to get back to your main point, I don’t think that Republicans are “nobler” that Democrats, and resign because they are so; I think I was implying that they’re held to a Higher Standard, by their own party, and the public, and the Press, and the Democrats, mainly because, I think, that they do portray themselves as the values and family values party! (I’m a registered independent by the way!)
This actually sets the bar higher themselves, and gives them less wiggle room, when they do succumb to their human foilbles, for example!
Imagine for instance George Bush caught in a Clinton Lewinsky type scandal; do you really think, he could, or WOULD remain in office?
That said, if you’re driving towards this point, I wholeheartedly agree: We NEED a viable, strong, THIRD party, because NEITHER of these two groups of Bozos is getting it done!
As corrupt, off the path, and wrong, BOTH parties are on, on a multiple of issues, I think the 2-party system has outlived it’s usefulness, and I think it largely the reason for the increasingly partisan atmosphere we find ourselves in!
For example what does a person like me, how personally believes in the following:
a) the right for women to choose, but LIMITEDLY; i.e. abortion shouldn’t be used for “birth control”, because you’re too lazy, or drunk some night, to take precaustions
b) the death penalty is necessary, but I fully recognize the fact that our current judicial system is UNFAIR, and “justice” is applied UNEQUALLY, based upon race/socio-economic class!
Those are MY beliefs, I’m NOT opening them up to debate, I’m stating them to make a point: based upon My beliefs, WHAT party to I belong to?
I don’t fit neatly into either, and yet, I’m forced to technically support some issues I don’t support, by voting Republican, and vice versa!
That’s nuts!
So, as a former military member, who believes that patriotism, and service to country is the MOST important thing we can do, as citizens, I’ve been reduced, the past 4- 5 elections, in voting for the person that I thought, would BEST protect American, and all the other stuff that I disagree with, I HAVE TO IGNORE!
That’s nuts….and it makes us all, in a sense, hypocrites when we vote!
Unless of course, you believe 100% in the party plank, which I don’t; and I’d suspect, that probably more Americans are in the “middle” with most of the issues, than on either right or left wing extremes!
But we don’t have that choice, unfortunately…
Hope that makes sense?
12:55 pm
Foley Follies
This Article is Crossposted at NewsBusters
I haven’t posted much about the Foley Follies since this scandal erupted because I wanted to get a clearer picture of what exactly was going on.
As October Surprises break there is a tendency for the press …
2:32 pm
The dems are the party of brokeback mentality, but this is getting crazy. By the times the dems have finished this boy’s picture will be on the front of the ny slimes , the family did not wish to persue this but now they have even outed the kid’s name, and I agree with Hastard, who SAT on this info since 2003, this is beginning to look like an Oct. surprize and a set-up to screw up the Fl. vote and get Hastard out.
The dems want back in so bad they’ll do anything, give this kid a break and leave him outta this sleezy thing Foley did and concentrate on who did and knew what when, and if it appears my party tried to cover Foley’s ass for THE REALLY GROSS STUFF, so be it,they will be gone, but unfortunatly, if it is the dems we’ll be hard pressed to hear it in the dem controlled media. Thats just how it is.
chrissy mattthews wet his pants last night with glee, cnn is doing cartwheels and msnbc, Good God.
2:33 pm
Rick, actually I do hope the Dems win, not because I’m in love with that party, but because as evidence has clearly showed us, divided government is always best. Whenever history has given us one political party in charge of the majority of the government, i.e. the White House and both Senate and the House of Representatives, the result is usually corruption, malfeasance and no checks on political power. I say let divided government be our goal even in 2008: if the Dems control the Congress, elect a Republican for President.
3:37 pm
[...] Rick Moran doesn’t quite call for Hastert’s dismissal, but is clearly sympathetic: What is needed is a reckoning — a settling of accounts by the voters for all the broken promises, the wasteful spending, the arrogant mismanagement, and the irresponsible lawmaking which have combined to bring the Republican party to its sorriest state I’ve seen in my 30 years of membership. [...]
8:19 pm
What a coincidence – the pot calling the kettle black
From ABC 7 News:
Newspaper HR Director Faces Internet Sex Charges
Location: WASHINGTON
Posted: September 28, 2006 6:11 AM EST
URL: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0906/364718.html
WASHINGTON (AP) – The human resources director of The Washington Times has been arrested on charges of soliciting a teenager for sex on the Internet.
D.C. police say 53-year-old Randall Casseday of Dobbs Ferry, New York, was arrested Tuesday night in Northeast Washington. He had allegedly arranged to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl he had been corresponding with in an online chat room. The person he was communicating with was a detective with the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children branch.
Casseday, who rents a room in the Washington area, was charged with attempted enticement of a minor and was due to appear Thursday in U.S. District Court.
Brian Bauman, a spokesman for the Times, says the company is cooperating with authorities and that Casseday has been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation.
11:11 pm
Unspeakerable
Rick Moran thinks that the Washington Times was being a bit too hard on Denny Hastert, though he doesn’t think Hastert has been a very strong leader: “Hastert himself—a genial, if clueless sort—is probably one of…
2:54 pm
[...] Right Wing Nut House WASHINGTON TIMES TO HASTERT: RESIGN NOW In what has to be considered something of a shocker, the Washington Times is calling on House Speaker Dennis Hastert to resign for his inaction and dissembling over the Foley matter: [...]
10:15 pm
[...] Right Wing Nut House » WASHINGTON TIMES TO HASTERT: RESIGN NOWThe classified document, a copy of which was shown to The Washington Times, is known better by its abbreviation NSPD 17, as well as Homeland Security … [...]