Hastert’s Last Hurrah
David Rogers reports on former House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, expected to announce that he will retire from Congress this term, wants to add one last hurrah to his career: enacting climate change, energy legislation with the woman who took the gavel from him, Nancy Pelosi of California.
It is a remarkable convergence of interests, and given the splits among Democrats over energy policy, the Illinois Republican could be a spoiler for Pelosi or an invaluable asset with access to the White House and an understanding of the difficulties of her office, having been there himself.
Hastert wants more emphasis on new energy production as well as carbon dioxide controls in the bill, which is scheduled to be marked up this fall by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on which he sits. But weary of partisanship and having announced his retirement today in Illinois, this 65-year-old lawmaker sees the spoiler role as a dead-end at this stage of his 22-year-career. And instead Hastert seems most intent on building partnerships with committee Democrats and cashing in chits that open doors for both parties to high officials in the Bush administration, such as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
The hot summer in D.C. must have softened Dennis Hastert’s brain.
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Nancy Pelosi can’t wait for Hastert to leave office so that she and Rahm Emmanuel (DCCC chair and a representative from Illinois) can put a Democrat in that seat.
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Dennis Hastert owes his position to his constituents in Illinois, not to the congressional leadership.
Cooperating with the Dems will achieve absolutely nothing,evidently Hastert hasn’t learned this small fact in 22 years. This is why Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006…a base that is completely dissatisfied with elected Republicans abandoning their conservative principles and constantly caving in to the demands of the whining Left.
The correct spelling of the last name of the DCCC chair is Emanuel.
Repubs lost in 2006 because of Bush’s stupid and unwinnable war, and a whole bunch of corrupt to the core candidates. Hastert’s cooperation or lack thereof had nothing to do with it.
Controls on carbon dioxide. The Republicans were thrown out because they were acting like Democrats!
Hastert was ineffective as a Majority leader while he held the office. It’s interesting that he might be very effective for the Democratic party at this time. He didn’t lead this energy issue while in office, but now that he is about the leave maybe he’ll pull it throught? NO. He a very weak leader with little to show. He didn’t have the fortitude to push the issue then and now he is in a lesser influencial position. Too many years in office, too many favors owed, too many things to consider, too indecisive to make a difference.
Good bye Denny… and thanks for very, very little.
Good bye Denny… and thanks for very, very little.
Good bye Denny… and thanks for very, very little.
What kind of a traitor would support difficult but necessary legislation if the *other* side wanted it to?! No wonder those commies got the boot in ‘06
So, larasphere, if I understand correctly, all the Republican voters who were dissatisfied with Republicans acting like Democrats went out and voted for Democrats so Republicans lost. Makes perfect sense. And Patton thinks that progress on important issues is best made by refusing to cooperate with the party that controls at least half of the votes. I think there’s a place for both of you in the Bush White House, especially in view of all the recent openings!
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