You have to wonder what was going through Hastert's mind all this time. He and his staff acted irresponsibly with all the information they were given - what was their motive? Political, of course! Now that they've been caught in lie after lie, there is no reason to suspect they won't continue to cover up with lies. It's time for some real action against the fat man.

Hastert's professional associates are proving he is a liar. At what point does he concede or does he get to stick to his lies, no matter what?

Does the man have to be FORCED to admit this? And he was elected on public trust? He is a MODEL of INTEGRITY?

Are they all like that? Most certainly--if this one has the President backing him up in the face of testimony from many.

lOOKS LIKE THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE COVER UP, TOO BAD, THESE GUYS SMELL AND LET'S JUST HOPE MOST OF THEM ARE GONE SOON! They should put all women in charge of the page program, period. Granysue

Another Republican cover-up. Nixon is beginning to look better. This is worse than the "second rate buglary" of Watergate. This are the same people who impeached Clinton for a sexual affair with an adult woman who seduced him.

Again, all the Republican leadership needed to do was turn this over to the ethics committee. They had more than enough information to do so. The ethics committee, obviously would have found enough evidence to censure Foley if it just started asking questions, but it didn't because Hastert and company decided to bury it.

The opposite of burying it would have been to follow procedure and hand the matter over to the ethics committee, but they decided to not do that. In the end, this all comes down to this simple fact. They could have done the right thing but chose to hush the matter up.

Who cares???Isn't that his personal life anyway??? The kids probably taught him a few tricks!!! Get real!!!!

Hastert has to feel like an idiot about now. His lies are being uncovered. It's evident that he was informed about the page incident long before 2005.

It ain't over 'till the fat gentleman sings.

I vacillate between sadness and rage about this scandal, given that it's the party who stridently touts family values and religious beliefs. And neither they nor many of their followers see the glaring hypocrisy that's self-evident. They should be ashamed of applying their judgmental attitudes towards others while avoiding responsibility for their own reckless and immoral behavior.

My guess is that the repubs are going to plant a fake leak claiming democrats have been messing with pages during this time frame as well. It would be typical of them to make a last minute election claim that could not be proven just before the election. The repubs have been guilty of jamming phones, sending out fake literature saying the election day was a day later, etc., etc., etc. So it will be interesting with their horribly low approval that they will do something drastic. They brought us Nixon and McCarthy after all!!!

It's a vast left-wing conspiracy!

Well, it is significant that GOP leadership did not act responsibly in the matter of former Rep. Foley and the young pages, it is astonishing that our focus is once more on how public figures behave sexually, and not address their other moral transgressions.

Hastert is going down, probably the whole gop.

"CHARACTER COUNTS"

Remember???

Guess it only applies to married Deomocrat men who receive consensual BJs from overweight, twenty-something, wealthy, children-of-privilige who willingly offer them up.

It's easy to figure out the why's here. Foley's district is around 55% Republican, and he got like 65% of the vote.

If it was the reverse, where the district was 65% Republican, yet he was getting only 55% of the vote, he would have been sent packing a long time ago.

They would have figured any decent Republican would win easily.

Since losing the incumbent R in that district could have switched it to a D, they decided to cover it all up.

What was going through Hastert's mind?

Orders from DeLay-the de facto leader:
Keep a lid on problems, Denny, and we all keep our jobs.

The Congress of the United States is the most expensive brothel in the world. Almost anyone will sell any value to maintain (a) office with its ridiculous perks, and (b) access to the corporate interests that control them--in other words, their pimps.

I'm sure there are decent people there, but offhand I can't name more than three.

But disheartened and cynical as I am, I will vote and try to choose lesser evils. To this oldtimer voting is not a privilege but an obligation. And the only way to flush out the sewage in the system.

Wow, at this rate, we'll know the full breadth of the scandal by, say, late November...

No wonder this guy left Capitol Hill to work elsewhere--if we all saw what he saw, we'd have wised up much sooner to the lies and hypocrisy among the so-called moral majority.

Yea, GrannySue -- someone like Mary Kay LaTourneau. Cuz we know that women never do anything to kids.

These men have disgraced and denigrated the United States of America and its citizens. They should immediately be removed from office and be permanantly barred from serving in any form of government again. These men are a clear and present danger to National Security simply because of the pitiful displays of abnormal criminal behavior they display to the whole world, including our enemies who must be shocked that we would let such criminals and liars serve in the highest positions of power.

Hastert must go.

These men have disgraced and denigrated the United States of America and its citizens. They should immediately be removed from office and be permanantly barred from serving in any form of government again. These men are a clear and present danger to National Security simply because of the pitiful displays of abnormal criminal behavior they display to the whole world, including our enemies who must be shocked that we would let such criminals and liars serve in the highest positions of power.

No, no, the story is, the Coach is a good man. And he's accepting "full responsibilty" that nothing he did that was wrong. The media have run all kinds of stories about Harry Reid's land deal, that looks pretty innocuous to me -- unless somebody finds something else about it -- but almost nothing about Hastert's $2 million profit on land that gained enormously in value because of the earmark he put into the highway bill.

What the hell was Hastert thinking?

What isn't mentioned above is whether the other, as yet unamed "problem group of members and staff", were all Republicans, so I'll save judgement toward any particular party until ALL the facts are in, but the deeds of Foley and possibly Kolbe sure do cast a bad light on Repubs right now and I hope it remains that way.

I would only assume that the reporting going on by assistants & pages to the Speakers' Office would have included reports likely requested by the Speakers' Office in an on-going politically exclusionary manner so as to report back to folks like the presidents' brother as to who shouldn't be on their "holiday" card-list.

Rove convinced Mark Foley to run again despite two lucrative job offers. Foley wanted out and he had a clear path out.

BushCo is making all the calls.

BushCo knowingly chose Republican control of the house over ethics and criminal activity (Foley's solicitations over the internet are criminal.)

Hastert is hanging on by his fingertips. Let's hope the press stays on this and breaks it. . . before the Republicans lie, steal and cheat seats in another election.

Had enough of BushCo? Don't vote for rubber stamp Republicans.

This is an interesting quote: a "problem group of members and staff who spent too much time socializing with pages outside of official duties."

A "group"? How many were in this "group"? Who else was in this "group"?

Brian Ross and his team seem to be the best in the news biz these days.

Excellent job.

What worries me is that Trandahl said he briefed Van Der Meid on a regular basis about a page program issue and also of "a problem group of members and staff spending too much time socializing with pages outside of official duties". Who were or are in this problem group of members? Were they elected officials?

Hastert will not be called to testify.

Even if he is called, he won't testify under oath. No one wants what he has to say to have any weight, meaining, or be official in any way.

It's too late. Bush said he's sticking with Hastert. Hastert has already told us the buck stops with him, but it doesn't. The circle of lies and irresponsibility is now complete.

There is no legitimate government in the US anymore. Certainly not now with the redacting of habeas corpus.

Interesting that Americans are more upset over this than over being lied into a war that has cost the country so much in blood and treasure and respect. The media has obviously done its job.

Hastert and his buddies didn't want Foley's money machine to stop. Just look at what Foley contributed to other candidates. What incentive did other reps have to stop him. In their minds, the innocence of a few pages didn't matter. Only they -- the Reps -- matter, plain and simple. And of course Bush is always supporting the wrong guy. As I included in a fax to the White House, this is Bushshit!

It's not over until the fat Denny resigns.

Time for Hastert and company to go.

I wish ABC had been willing to question the Bush adminstration when it was lying us into war.

I am thankful, however, that now you are bringing these criminals down, even if it is for sex again rather than for the murder of countless thousands. This is the tip of the iceberg.

The Party of Nixon has pulled an Enron off within the United States Government.

Jail the Bush administration.

When Bush was (s)elected President, he said he was going to restore morality in Washington.

Since 1996, Congress has been made up of such unscrupulous characters as Dennis Hasert, Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, Rob Ney, Mark Foley, and "Duke" Cunningham (all Republicans).

I guess it depends on what the definition of the word "morality" is.

hastert's professional staff is also his personal associates, since he lives with scott palmer and the asst. chief of staff.

The other scandal is that Bob Ney, who has pled guilty to taking bribes is still allowed to be a Representative. Hastert, who called the House into session one weekend to deal with Mary Schiavo, refuses to do that to remove a felon from his institution.

Don't be in too big a rush with exiting Denny Hastert: The longer
he's there, the more votes he costs
the RepubliCons in this election.
He's a major HazMat - let him repel the righteous and fair-minded
then, after Nov 7, send him to the glue factory.
JimSantaFe

ok...am i stupid here or something?...it seems that whenever bush publicly pats someone on the back that is in trouble, they fall down...am i missing something here?...is he doing this on purpose?

Aww, be nice, he's a good 'ole boy. Oops, shouldn't say boy around here, ha. Um, resign tomorrow Hastert. You've wasted enough of my money. Hypocritical, lying theives. And soon to be flip-flopping sheep. Your song and dance of "stay the course" is changing isn't it? Which tells us, that "stay the course" was wrong. Thanks Florida, voting fraud and jeb Boosh. Look where we are now.

It seems to me the key point of the story is:

...including a "problem group of members and staff who spent too much time socializing with pages outside of official duties." One of whom was Mark Foley.

So, there are others?

I was a page Fall 2005 and the program rocks.

Where are the front page articles on the criminal activities of the campaign manager of the Democratic candidate for Governor of Ohio?

There are rumors that one of the congressmen who had to be watched was a Republican from Illinois who had a relationship with a teenage female page.

Why are we so quick to judge Hastert? Remember "innocent until proven quilty" Let's just wait for the results of the investigation. Everyone has a right to a good name.

Hastert is covering his lie. It doesn't matter if he is a republican or a democrat.
It is about politics. Isn't everything. Human behavior/misbehavior. So we the public should not be surprised unless your very young and navie.I agree that the women should be incharge of the pages.

This is all for show,seems we haven't learn from history.Remember the Delay debacle,removing ethic committee members etc.This gang wil do anything,and they dont venture on a journey unless they know the outcome.
Hastert and Co. will escape condemnation and it will be announced just before the election.They have nothing to loose and all to gain.

Got to admit that this administration's out of this world incompetence, with the Iraq war, Katrina, etc. just shows us that we need some kind of IQ test for presidential candidates. And we should not give extra points to those who are an ex-president's son. We can even call it "Save us from another Bush IQ test".

Without it, a mass-mailer guy like Karl Rove effectively ends up running the country.

Foley is a Predator. Hastert is a Fool. Bush is a Lame Duck that is trying with a last ditch effort in supporting Hastert to maintain GW's majority in congress. He has now become a Fool's Fool.

The truth would have gotten all of them much more respect and honor than the abundance of lies have done. Truth will always 'out'. Sooner or later.

And protected some of our children along the way...

In all of the fall-out that becomes clear day-by-day, the good thing is we, as a people, are finally awake to the consistent effort and campaigns to keep up distracted, confused, divided and distrustful of each other all the while all kinds of garbage was surrounded by this on-going cover-up behavior. Where did these people come from and how did so many of our fellow Americans become fooled by these idiots? Like one writer said and something I have been saying since this Administration stole power, what you do in the dark will come out in the light [truth] of day. We must remain viligant and continue watching these dangerous, hurtful and arrogant people. Hastert and company must go!

Without doubts, this is most corrupt leadeship in our history, president and vicepresident included. The Congres is a whore house with Haster the pimp in charge.

It's incredibly naive to think the "hearings" of the Ethics Committee will do anything but whitewash Hastert's indifference to Foley's antics and/or look for a Democrat to shift blame to.

Doesn't anyone remember that just 2-3 years ago, the Republicans purged the Ethics Committee and replaced them with true-believer hacks? It appeared at the time of the purge that the then-chairman actually had a passing interest in--ethics in the House!
Tom G

All this bilge from our all-American "Values" party. But who is worse--the elected slime or the morons who voted for them?

Sorry repubs...but the Rapture is not an exit strategy. Face the truth as it emerges and vote D on Nov.7 to absolve yourselves of your mistakes. If Jesus II the sequel appears will the american gopper christian crusade kill him?

How many skeletons are there in the GOP closet?

The media is just assuming that Hastert knew about the IMs, possibly so that they can prove Republican corruption. There continues to be no proof of that. Quit distorting the facts for political expediency.

The most depressing thing to me is how stupid BOTH parties leaderships are at this point: The Repubs are corruption on steroids and the Dems are laughable idiots. I am ashamed to admit that this has led me in the past to vote for independents who had no chance, just as a "protest" vote. But, that is not a viable option, either. How do we truly influence our leadership, when so many serious issues are at stake? This has to stop.

It seems that our illustrious Liberal pundits are up to their old tricks !!! I thought our constitution assured every one a fair trial before being judged guilty. Without knowing almost any facts (lots of hearsay and allegations)all Repubs have been condemned and demonized by our Demo friends. Why not let the Ethics committee finish their investigation, when all the facts have been presented,and then make your judgement? No, I do not approve of what Foley is accussed of doing, nor did I approve of what Bill Clinton did while in office,(in the Oval office no less)!! Seems a lot of people have very short memories!!! He promised to have the most ethical administration in history!!(Campaign rhetoric?) But of 60 posts I found only one that asked for fairness,

I agree with what Keith Gore Wiseman said about jailing Bush and all his pals. How about execution for high treason or a trip to Gitmo? The amount of death and destruction they caused certainly warranties the death penalty. The penalty would indeed suit the crime. Too bad pardons will save them all, even if they are impeached. They won't serve 1 day. Furthermore, the GOP will find a way to retain at least the Senate if not both houses (I didn't say they would do it legally). That would leave "Shooter" Cheney in the way. I'm one scared American right now. The polls may give the Dems a false sense of security, keeping them from voting. Look, the base is going to come out strong and vote GOP, I don't care what anyone says. One would have to assume that the GOP base isn't ignorant or stupid, and that's not the case. Agnostic Karl Rove will convince them to do what they've always done. The first and most important thing we have to do is vote. Talk about this thing with everyone and don't relent. If you bring it up and find someone like-minded who you know will vote, move on to someone else. Preaching to the choir relates to wasting time, and time is growing short. Find the Bushies and badger the hell out of them. Be well prepared and anticipate likely arguments. Kick ass and take names; the country is at stake. VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!!!!

Tony G. -

This progressive (I refuse to use the word liberal) is pissed off. I'm going to be a aggressive progressive, as I urge others to do the same. Don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining. The constitution assures a great many things, or should I say did before your boy took office. The president, and I use the term loosely, took a vow to protect the constitution. He's done the absolute opposite. He has done an excellent job of protecting the rich and all his pals. You want to talk ethics? The guy invented a war! The one thing I'll say on Clinton's ethics; he actually cares about ALL Americans. His lies about Monica didn't kill anyone to my knowledge. You know Denny lied; it's very obvious. I guess Clinton went wrong when he didn't continue the affair for I don't know, say 5 years, and he didn't beat and choke Monica. If he had, maybe he could have stopped her from talking to Tripp. Don't forget that Gingrich himself was having an affair during the impeachment BS. He resigned, or maybe you've forgotten. ANYONE cheating on a spouse is wrong. Clinton's hummer got him impeached. The GOP set a dangerous precedent, so deal with it. It's your turn!!!

Talk is that the Foley issue was seen as a problem beginning, at latest, in 1996. That means the cover-up of Foley's pedophilia (which has nothing to do with sexual orientation) went on before, during, and after the bogus impeachment of Clinton for a non-illegal consensual affair between himself and an adult stalker of the opposite sex.

The motive had to be jealousy: Clinton could get along with adults of the opposite sex.

There is a pattern here: Reagan-Bush I-Rumsfeld provided Saddam Hussein with WMDs, including poison gasses, before, during, and after Husssein allegedly "gassed his own people". And they preferred Hussein's friendship than giving a damn about the alleged "gassing".

In both instances, they totally disregarded the injured/dead victims.

I am still curious as to why Foley was not allowed to go to Bush events in Florida as evidenced by his emails to Jeb and Jebs responses (backstory PalmBeachPost.com). Come on Brian, what's up w/that?

Excellent work Brian Ross and team,keep it up and do not let them back you down.This whole mess smells rotten to the top.How come the NRCC is not returning any of the money Foley raised for them?
They need it because now they and the oval office are in the fight of their lives.16 days to go and they can all say goodbye.

great day.........

I see you people blaming republican for the foley fiasco. What about the democrats who have done the same things if not worse. Do you actually think that a political party has anything to do with this type of behavior. You know to be honest what did foley do? Sent some e mails to test the water to see who would take him up on offers. That happen on my space and in restarants. He had no contacty with under age kids. Some of you people might want to look at things objectively or are yo0u just trying to get a rise out of some one...