From what I've heard so far.
Hastert had emails that were not suggestive. Democrat operatives had the instant messages that were disgusting. They've had them for a couple YEARS and sat on them.
Democrats should fall on their swords. All of them.
I can defend Hastert for not being personally responsible, but if you read the "non-offensive e-mails", and remember while you are reading them that Foley is gay, you WOULD call for an investigation.
They weren't overly sexual, but they weren't benign either, if you have the backstory. Hastert should have at least required the entire page board to be involved. Maybe he didn't want to embarass Foley, but that's no excuse. The board exists for a reason, and it shouldn't have been circumvented. He COULD have launched a small investigation, instead of just taking Foley's word for it.
Again, I can understand why he didn't, but sometimes being a leader means you recognise stuff that isn't so obvious, and Hastert failed.
Between that, the Jefferson stuff, and a few other things Hastert has said and done, I don't see the downside in him announcing he will live up to the 1995 pledge of term-limits for the speakership. Surely among the 230 other republicans, there is one man who is capable of running the house.