Posted on 10/02/2006 5:42:54 PM PDT by Dane
Conservatives Call on Hastert to Resign
by Robert B. Bluey
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R.-Ill.) is coming under fire from conservatives for his failing to take action against disgraced Rep. Mark Foley (R.-Fla.), who resigned last week for inappropriate communications with teenage pages.
“Speaker Hastert had knowledge of Congressman Foley’s inappropriate behavior and chose to protect a potential pedophile and powerful colleague over a congressional page,” said David Bossie, president of conservative advocacy group Citizens United.
Joining Bossie’s call for Hastert to resign was nationally syndicated radio show host Michael Reagan.
“Any member of Congress who was aware of the sexual emails and protected the congressman should also resign effective immediately,” Reagan said. “I was sexually abused by a day camp counselor at age eight and also made to be part of child pornography.”
Hastert said in a news conference Monday that neither he nor other Republican leaders knew about the lurid exchanges between Foley and the teenage pages dating back to 2003. “As a parent and speaker of the House, I am disgusted,” Hastert said.
However, that didn’t blunt the criticism from Bossie and Reagan. Bossie’s group, which is best known for producing the movies “Celsius 41.11” in 2004 and the just-released “Border War,” said Hastert had failed in his duty to investigate the matter “before it became a public relations problem.” Bossie said the problem may cost Republicans control of the House in November as a result.
“This inaction demonstrates a lack of leadership on Speaker Hastert’s part, and calls into question both his judgment and character,” Bossie said. “If Speaker Hastert was willing to sacrifice a child to protect Rep. Foley’s seat and his own leadership position, then he surely does not share our American and conservative values.”
Uh Bossie and Michael Reagan, Hastert did not know of the lurid IM's until last Friday.
Maybe you two should read FR more and get the real story instead of relying on CNN.
I feel that Hastert has been a very poor leader. I may get lots of flame, but that's my opinion.
I am very surprised by Michael Reagan's comments, IF THEY ARE TRUE and in context. Is 'Human Events' reliable, or just another dinosaur wandering off to the tar pits?
This statement from Reagan is false.
I understand his knee-jerk reaction better than most since he was a victim of perversion. But the email the GOP leadership was aware of had not reached perversion level.
Hastert only became aware of the disgusting IMM's a few days ago.
OK first Hastart, THEN WHO's NEXT????!!!
And you think you or nancy pelosi would do a better job?
If Hastert were to resign, the dims would go more bananas but it would be a mistake.
This is probably a pretext to remove him from office. brings to mind the demise of another: Tom Foley. (Except that Tom Foley actually did something)
Damn, Michael Reagan was on a tear too. He really screwed up with this statement.
These armchair bozo's need to get their facts correct. The IM's (which someone was holding onto) were explicit in nature, the e-mail's (which Hastert saw) were very tame in comparison.
Uh Bossie and Michael Reagan, Hastert did not know of the lurid IM's until last Friday.
Ping! Gut reaction check needed for Michael Reagan. From what I heard, the emails were pretty innocuous but it was the IMs that were lurid. These only came to light very recently to Hassert. They were of course, being sat on by SOMEONE for political use against the GOP. Hmmmm, I wonder who that could be?
You think Nancy Pelosi is going to be a dam site better?
She'd gladly parade their endless supply of perverts in front of our faces and proclaim them as heroes of the little people.
At least Hastert is making attempts to take out the trash, both on the right and the left.
Human event has their own agenda in this. This is pretty tragic to watch. Not like Foley was not tragic enough.
This is not the time for the various wings of the party to start settling old scores and looking for influence. We got a election in about a month.
I just saw two makor "conservative" activist on CNN. They were suppose to talk about FOLEY but it was more in the line of veiled threats if you ask me. This is crazy.
Nothing like joining the CNN-Pelosi-Reid lynch mob.
THE ENEMY is not Hastert, the ENEMY is the jerkos who had the IMs and DID NOT TURN THEM OVER.
Good God, we do NOT need conservatives cannibalizing each other over this!!!!!! We need to stick together, or we get Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi!
Hastert is basically the House Minority Leader, although somehow, his party has more representatives than the other. Has their ever been a more tepid, inneffectual Speaker? If he was like this as a wrestling coach, he probably didn't have a good record.
Good grief....sounds like they went off half cocked after watching the Drive By Media spin the facts all weekend. What a pity. What does he want him to resign from? The House or the Majority Leader?
Don't be ridiculous. It doesn't have to be a choice between Pelosi and Hastert.
If the Republican's went along with Bossie and Reagan's suggestion, the Democrats could just sit back and watch the Republican's implode. It's friggen insane to do what Bossie and Reagan suggest, at this stage of the game.
Uh, yes it is a choice between pelosi or Hastert.
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