So Dennis Hastert just came out of hibernation to give the most pointless press conference ever. Louis Freeh, who would have made a comically terrible choice for “independent” investigator revising the Page program (say what?), turned it down and Nancy Pelosi would have killed the idea anyway. So all we have now is yesterday’s news, half-formed rumors about even bigger shoes waiting to drop and Dennis Hastert taking back what he said before he even says it. In the midst of all this, Steve Benen suggests the GOP strategy going forward:
Hastert reportedly wants to seize control of this situation and go on the offensive.
Hastert wants to go on the offensive? Against whom? The scandal was started by a leak from a lifelong Republican. Claims that people who knew about Foley’s behavior did not contact the authorities are plainly false.
Maybe Hastert seriously thinks that he can win by inventing a conspiracy of limp-wristed GOP staffers on whom to pin the whole mess. For Hastert’s sake I hope not. Scapegoating Kirk Fordham worked so well for them and Fordham is just one guy. How will they like dozens of burned John Deans leaking what they know to the press? Good staffers keep track of their Reps’ dirty secrets, in order to keep them out of the press. Great ones keep the documentation.
On second thought, Hastert should go for it. Show that velvet mafia who’s boss.
Heckuva job, Denny.
Steve
Freeh wasn’t even going to be an investigator, although that’s clearly the impression they wanted to leave. He was going to recommend improvements to the PAGE PROGRAM!
Yes… that’s clearly what the American people are demanding here… a better page program. How about better leadership.
Pb
Yeesh, it’s sad that even the FBI has to cover for their apparent inaction in this scandal. Of course they can’t investigate everything, but they shouldn’t waste their time lying about it either. Who’s going to investigate the FBI? The Justice Department? Don’t make me laugh. Oh Patrick Fitzgerald, got a minute…
Keith
This is venturing into the surreal. Although we may have hit that point with the Reynolds & Friends presser, this new Press Conference About Nothing is a beaut.
Tsulagi
Ken Starr available?
Sort of shorter Hastert: We want to dump this commission on someone loyal. Then we can say we can’t talk about an ongoing investigation while we get our stories straight and reinforce order not to shoot each other. Let history decide…after the midterms at least.
docg
In a vice-presidential debate 20 years from now, words we will never hear:
“Senator, I knew Denny Hastert. Denny Hastert was a friend of mine. And Senator, you’re no Denny Hastert.”
Davebo
Wow, the wingnuts are truly getting desperate!
A sample blogosphere reaction via hit and run
Cyrus
Call me partisan, small-minded, whatever you want, but this whole ongoing story reminds me of nothing more than a picture posted at the Poor Man blog a week or so ago – an oil well of ponies.
Gary Farber
“So Dennis Hastert just came out of hibernation to give the most pointless press conference ever. Louis Freeh, who would have made a comically terrible choice for “independent” investigator revising the Page program (say what?), turned it down and Nancy Pelosi would have killed the idea anyway. ”
Um, Tim, this is very interesting, but I seem to recall “blogs” being about the “links.” Where is a link to any and all of this?
It’s possible that some don’t keep up with you, and might want a “link” to these developments.
p.lukasiak
Wow, the wingnuts are truly getting desperate!
that sounds like the latest “official” explanation — drudge is apparently reporting that two of the identified page’s friends called the IM’s a “prank”, and that “political enemies” somehow got a hold of them…
which sounds kinda fishy to me, since ABC didn’t get the IMs until after the “overly friendly” email story was released….
Richard 23
Gee, did Denny think of asking Freeh before he did the press conference? Yeah, this guy’s competant enough…for me to poop on!
Maybe Kissinger can take Freeh’s place. He’ll get to the bottom of things. Of course people will be killed, but that’s only natural during the course of a sensitive investigation.
Shochu John
“that sounds like the latest “official” explanation—drudge is apparently reporting that two of the identified page’s friends called the IM’s a “prank”, and that “political enemies” somehow got a hold of them…”
And if that one works, they should try it on Iraq too. The violence is just a friendly prank between the grateful Iraqis and their liberators.
Pb
BREAKING: Friends of former Republican page shift blame to Democrats, film at 11! And in other news, new research reveals that cats and dogs often don’t get along… Developing…
fwiffo
Sure, Republicans have let the fucked the budget, fucked Iraq and cyberfucked underage pages, but if Nancy Pelosi were speaker, all of those problems would be fucked/cyberfucked even more.
Sstarr
Hastert is toast, and the damage he does on the way out could be extreme. Here’s an article on the Fox News web site that claims that internal party pollsters are telling the Repbulicans that the consequences of Hastert remaining will be dire.
Jim
“‘The Buck Stops Here’ and it’s all George Soros’ fault”.
Pb
fwiffo,
Link / cite? Oh, ok, this’ll do:
etc., etc.
Punchy
Like these facts matter. “Plainly false” means absolutely nothing to these clowns.
Punchy
Hey look everyone!
More pages given 12-inch tape measures for Christmas!
This shit just WONT end!
Zifnab
I liked the Fox News take on all this. Sure, Foley is a perv, but if the Democrats had only investigated this like they should have – some time back in ’05 when it wasn’t politically inconvinent – then all this never would have happened. Where is the oversight? Where. Is. The. Oversight? If Pelosi let this happen on her watch as minority leader, just imagine how bad things will get when she’s Speaker.
Also, flip on talk radio sometime and see how many times the names “Nancy Pelosi” and “George Soros” compared to “Fordham” and “Hastert”. Or… better yet, check out the Sean Hannity Forum if you really want to get detached from reality.
My personal favorite forum topics are:
FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE MESSAGES WERE PAGE PRANK GONE AWRY
Wonder Why Kennedy So Quiet On Foley Scandal? Look what I found.
Now that The Foley IMs are a fraud, Nancy Pelosi SHOULD RESIGN!
…
And my personal favorite
Was Watergate A Liberal Democrat Set-Up?
Now we know where the Darrels come from.
jaime
It’s a perpetual motion machine. The salaciousness keeps it in the headlines, it’s a gift to Democrats for the elections, and the desperate Rush/Bush/Conservo/bots are determined to prove some Soros-Clinton-ABC-DNC conspiracy.
ThymeZone
Sullivan, via WaMo.
Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Richard 23
That is so awesome!
Derrick
I made the comment earlier on a republican board that somehow this party installed Steve Spurrier as coach. There will never be a problem that a little slanging the old ball around won’t help. Their whole strategy amounts to offense, and if they can’t find someone to go on offense with they’ll make them up.