Agree with Impy and PhilCollins on this. I definitely have mixed feelings about the outcome.
I have no problem with leaving Hastert to rot in prison for being a sicko predator. As others noted, even before we knew he was a pervert, he was ALWAYS a combiner and sleezy politician (nice job getting this guy on your side, Jim Oberweis...)
The problem is the "crime" they convicted him of was withdrawing the "wrong" amount of money from his own bank account. There's something very Orwellian and creepy if the government is allowed to toss people in prison for that. And why the heck isn't the guy who blackmailed Hastert in the first place ALSO going to prison? Blackmail is a much bigger crime that taking "too much money" out of your own bank account.
There's something very fishy about all of this.
The ‘crime’ hastert is being prosecuted for is crap. I agree totally. In spite of his spending his ill gotten congressional gains on the blackmailer, it was his money.
My original comment was about the seeming ‘inability’ of the pubbie congress in the 90’s and early 00’s to get anything conservative accomplished. Not surprising when you think about it. The ‘other side’ knew about Newt’s diddling outside of marriage and Hastert’s issue. And likely Foleys and anyone else of that sort. Their votes were subsequently suspect.
Some of us think that the DC crowd doesn’t allow anyone who is NOT blackmailable to win national elections.
Hastert was a shot over the bow to any congress critters with similar ‘issues’ and the upcoming TPP and Corker amendment votes. It was to ‘get their mind right’ about the upcoming vote.