OpEdNews - Page 2 of Article: Laesch Calls for Hastert's Resignation

Dennis Hastert is playing a smoke and mirrors game with the media to divert attention from the fact that he knew and that he was responsible.

Dennis Hastert has said that he is responsible for everyone working in the Capital. On page 235 of Hastert's book, Speaker, he says that he is responsible for the young boys who open mail in the clerk's office. This is a short excerpt from the book about the anthrax scare in Washington D.C. - These are Dennis Hastert's words:

We said, 'We have _kids_ opening that mail.' I'm responsible for the people who work in these buildings on Capitol Hill, so I decided we were better off shutting down and sending everyone home."

In 2001, Dennis Hastert is responsible, but by 2005 he felt that investigating a possible sex offender is just too much work. It was so important that maybe he even forgot about it.

We have been watching Shimkus and Hastert squirm for the last several days and I think it is important that we call them out on their flip-flopping. Here is the timeline.

At first, Dennis Hastert said that he knew nothing about Foley's addiction to young male pages.

Then, Dennis Hastert has said that he can not remember if he heard about Foley's predeliction for young pages or not.

Now he is saying that maybe he had heard about it but he did not know the details. He didn't know how bad it was.

Hastert wanted to see and sniff all of the dirty laundry when it was Bill Clinton's affair with a grown woman. But Hastert doesn't give a damn when it is a Republican hitting on underage boys.

This is not the first Hastert cover-up or unethical act. Dennis Hastert gutted the ethics committee when Tom DeLay was indicted - protecting Tom DeLay. Dennis Hastert even gave George Bush a "get out of jail free card" by passing the detainee bill - protecting George Bush for torturing detainees.

Now, Dennis Hastert has abused his "cover-up power" by protecting a cyber-space molester, and it is time for Hastert to step down from his position as Speaker of the House.

John Shimkus, who is in charge of the Page Board, should have stepped down from the Page Board days ago.

If I could deliver one message to America, it would be this: Restore honesty and integrity to our House of Representatives by voting Democratic on November 7th - together we can take America in a new direction!

Now, Dennis Hastert, who cared more about protecting the Republican majority than protecting children entrusted to his care, says that I am politicizing this tragic event. Which is sad. I have, on four separate occasions, asked Dennis Hastert for a debate to talk about the issues. I do not want to campaign in these Page-scandal murky waters. I want a debate to talk about the issues.

But the Republicans do not want to campaign on issues, they want to campaign on family values.

For Republicans, values are a great slogan on the campaign trail but Republicans are the first to throw them out of the window when they get to Washington.

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