Washington Times on Hastert

Wow... when the "True Father" Moon's unerringly pro-GOP Washington Times is throwing Hastert under the bus, you know the scandal is moving to the next level.

The evidence was strong enough long enough ago that the speaker should have relieved Mr. Foley of his committee responsibilities contingent on a full investigation to learn what had taken place, whether any laws had been violated and what action, up to and including prosecution, were warranted by the facts. This never happened.

(snip)

House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once. Either he was grossly negligent for not taking the red flags fully into account and ordering a swift investigation, for not even remembering the order of events leading up to last week's revelations -- or he deliberately looked the other way in hopes that a brewing scandal would simply blow away. He gave phony answers Friday to the old and ever-relevant questions of what did he know and when did he know it? Mr. Hastert has forfeited the confidence of the public and his party, and he cannot preside over the necessary coming investigation, an investigation that must examine his own inept performance.

Denny Hastert isn't President Bush, so the Republican Party doesn't have the uncontrollable urge to defend every mistake he makes. Will he survive until the election, or do the "noble" thing and step aside for the sake of the party?