Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Hastert Set to Go

by BooMan
Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 02:28:05 PM EST

Word is leaking out that Dennis Hastert will announce his retirement on Friday. There are even some rumors that he will not fill-out his term.

The expected retirement of former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert from Illinois’ 14th District will serve as a test of Republican strength in predominantly suburban and exurban districts that have long been GOP bailiwicks.
On paper at least, Republicans will be favored to retain the 14th, which includes exurbs west of Chicago and rural communities farther west. President Bush took 55 percent of the vote in the district in 2004, and Hastert won re-election to an 11th term last fall with 59.8 percent of the vote. Still, that was his lowest vote share since he first captured the seat in 1986 with 52 percent of the vote.

Whether or not the Democrats take over this seat, the departure of Hastert nearly completes the job of ridding the Congress of the Republican's political leadership during the Bush/Rove era. With Frist, Santorum, DeLay, and Hastert gone, only Mitch McConnell will remain. And he may not survice the '08 election. In fact, I predict he won't survive it.

It will be interesting to see if Trent Lott resumes his leadership position, or if some other Republican will rise to the top.

This is another legacy of Rove. Total decimation of the party.

Hastert Set to Go | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

"Total decimation of the party."

That's why they can't allow Sibel Edmonds to tell what she knows.

Good riddance to yet another piece of rubbish.

by Sandy on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 02:39:05 PM EST

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

frigging blogads are slowing down the site.

by BooMan on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 02:49:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Ads (none / 0)

That's been going on for some time. There's something called sitemeter, I think, that will sometimes hang until the browser times out. The online version of the trickle-down theory?

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

by DaveW on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 02:54:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

Point to my tinfoil hat if you will, but the only reason I can think of for this precipitous flight is that somebody finally got the goods on him. Hastert started out as a schoolteacher of moderate means and will leave Congress as a multimillionaire. Seems like a de facto case for big-time corruption to me. He doesn't deserve to walk away this clean.

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

by DaveW on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 02:50:30 PM EST

sex... it has to be sexual (none / 0)

I suspect that Larry Flynt may be ready to publish. Since Hastert sleeps with his male aides while his wife sleeps in a hotel room when she visits DC, it doesn't take much guessing as to who warms the cockles of his heart, or something lower.

It could also be a real estate deal unwinding or a bribery-for-favors scam (he is a greedy lout), but my guess is that his sexual preferences are going to be made public in a very embarrassing way. People will remember that he sheltered Foley and that retired congress-critter down in New Mexico(?), and wonder just how many closets are filled with Republican hypocrits.

Corruption in general and in particular don't seem to be problems. These guys can run cocaine-arms-mercenary deals or war profiteering without raising eyebrows, but let them look at the wrong pair of ankles and the electorate screams in horror and aversion.

by hauksdottir on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 08:06:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

It will be interesting to see if Trent Lott resumes his leadership position, or if some other Republican will rise to the top.

As they say where I'm from, "Shit floats."

---Cthulhu for President: Why vote for the lesser evil?

by eodell (eodell at naqada dot org) on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 03:00:13 PM EST

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

in the same spirit, Hunter Thompson said "The scum also rises".

The Four Horsemen of Bushism: War, Corruption, Hypocrisy and Greed

by esquimaux (esquimaux1 at gmail dot com) on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 03:32:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hastert Set to Go (none / 0)

Lately Hastert has been seen (several times) on the ESPN2 show Bidding Wars buying vintage pickup trucks with what is presumed to be his own funds. (Scroll down a bit at the link.)

Oh, there you are, Perry. -Phineas -SLB-

by boran2 (blogistan@yahoo.com) on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 03:17:53 PM EST

Oh, I am just shocked. (none / 0)

This just comes as a COMPLETE surprise to me, let me tell you. Surely, he doesn't miss being Speaker. Those perks meant nothing to him...nothing. The joy of serving his constituents is all the perquisite he needs.

/snark.

Cuz I haven't typed "/snark" in a while.

Can't hear ya, Peach!

by AP on Tue Aug 14th, 2007 at 07:59:26 PM EST

Hastert Set to Go | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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