Hastert Resignation WatchYesterday, U.S. News & World Report reported that Speaker Hastert’s fate will be decided over the next day or so. So how’s it going?
Despite calls from some conservatives for Hastert to resign, Hastert has garnered public support from a number of House Republicans, as Roll Call reports (sub. req.) today — and none of them have yet called for his resignation. Some of the sharpest words have come from Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) — “Somebody has to take responsibility for this. It is on our watch.” But in subsequent comments, Lahood has walked a fine line: exonerating the Speaker, while blaming Hastert’s staff for not doing more.
The most public show of support came from Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ), who made a run for Majority Leader this spring. He sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to House Republicans last night in support of Hastert. Shadegg pointed out that the “stern warning” given to Foley in the fall of 2005 after the “over-friendly” emails came to light proved effective; “from the evidence we have now,” Shadegg writes, Foley did not strike again. Given the pace of revelations in this scandal, that’s a risky assertion.
Hastert himself says that he’d resign if it were politically wise. Now he says it’s not. Will that change?
