October 5, 2026
"The towering irony of Mr. Hastert’s fall was that his rise to high legislative office was cleared by his apparent moral rectitude amid a morass of sex scandals in late 1990s Washington."
From "Dennis Hastert, ex-House speaker whose sex abuse admission upended legacy, dies at 84/The Illinois Republican helped spearhead President George W. Bush’s legislative agenda before his career ended in disgrace" (WaPo)(gift link).
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19 comments:
How did he survive the fall if he wasn't Hispanic? Especially a fall from a. towering irony?
Do you think he became Speaker of the House despite being a pedo, or do you think he became Speaker of the House *because* he was a pedo?
Predictions I've made have often been wrong, but the "uh-oh" I felt when I heard the House Republicans voted for a high school wrestling coach to be speaker was on target.
Contrast this with the NYTs obit of barney Frank. One rule for D's and another for R's.
Of course the low quality of Republican Speakers has been a problem for years. Remember the guy who came after Hassart? Bonehead. I think he's now selling MJ. And then there's Paul Ryan, boneheads chosen successor.
And worthless Kevin McCarthy who turned out to be Frank Lutz's BFF and meat puppet.
A corrupt pol like Pelosi seems like a Giant in comparison. And at least Pelosi fought for her own voters and not against them.
In DC rectitude means mor ass.
Principles matter, but are not determinative. A character revealed.
He served 13 months. Did we not take such crimes as seriously . Or did he get special treatment?
Was he rehabilitated?
I am reminded of the old Soviet formula: "Executed 1938. Rehabilitated 1988." We do things quicker in America. Christa Pike was executed last week and word is, she's already rehabilitated and ready to take on the world.
Christa Pike was executed last week and word is, she's already rehabilitated and ready to take on the underworld.
FIFY
On one hand, on the other, always and forever.
"Was he rehabilitated?"
As far as I know he reamed, I mean he remained a Republican. So, no.
I see I'm not the only one who thought Coach Dennie was on the hinky end of the rectum, I mean spectrum.
He waa a tool of the turks and the price of getting newt and livingston
As someone who lived in Illinois for over 50 years, I can tell you that Hastert the RINO was more than a pedo. He adopted the "pay to play" approach to legislation that has worked so well for the state. IOW, he was both a crook and a pervert.
The epitome of the cesspool inside the beltway. Amorality at its finest.
Rather interesting that, after his fall from office, the Democrats didn't make Hassert a poster boy for Republican degeneracy.. The it dawned on me that neither the Blue nor Red team wanted the media sniffing around too much about child sex in Congress.
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