AP: Hastert won't seek House leader post

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told fellow Republican lawmakers on Wednesday he does not intend to run for minority leader when Democrats take control of the House in January, officials said.

Hastert conveyed word in a conference call one day after Republicans lost control of the House in midterm elections.

The officials who described Hastert's plans did so on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt a formal announcement.

His decision to step down cleared the way for a likely succession battle. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader, is expected to run, and Reps. Mike Pence of Indiana and Joe Barton of Texas have also signaled they may make a bid for leadership positions.

link: http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/breaking_news/15962021.htm

TIME: Hastert Will Step Down

Posted Wednesday, Nov. 08, 2006
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) will not seek reelection to the Republican leadership when his members return as a minority party after taking heavy losses in Tuesday's elections, a Republican official tells TIME. Hastert, 64, a low-key former high school wrestling coach, was beloved by members as a "good cop," compared to the enforcer style of the longtime number two leader, former Rep. Tom Delay (R-Tex.). But Hastert was badly damaged by questions about how much he had known about former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and his contact with pages, and members felt Hastert also handled the aftermath of the revelations clumsily.

The battle to succeed him will be bruising, as members attempt to allocate blame for the Foley mess. Among those seeking to replace him at the top of the House leadership, which will now be the minority leader, are House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), now second in the House leadership, and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), chairman of the House conservative caucus, the Republican Study Committee. Other possible candidates are Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), now chief deputy whip and one of the most popular and hard-working members of the leadership, and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), now chairman of Energy and Committee.

The Speaker plans to announce his departure this week and perhaps as soon as today, officials said. Leadership elections are scheduled for next Wednesday but are likely to be pushed back to closer to the deadline under party rules, which is Dec. 20.

link: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1556550,00.html

[katinmn]

1. More good news!!

[Gregorian]

2. SCANDALANCHE!

Look out! Mountains of blubber coming your way!

[Tellurian]

4. kewel catchphrase! nm

[originalpckelly]

16. THAT IS THE BEST PHRASE!!!

Way to go!
:toast:

[orleans]

30. love it! n/t

[rocktivity]

36. Now, now--Hastert's weight doesn't have any more to do with the scandal

than Foley's sexual preferences do.

Even if I believed Hastert's claim that he didn't find out about Foley and the pages until recently, that doesn't his excuse his allowing Foley to remain on the anti-child predator committee or encouraging him to run for office again. So I do give Hastert props for realizing that he'd been derelict in his duty as a leader and threw himself under the bus--though it probably would have been easier to throw the bus.

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Der Blaue Engel]

3. OMG, it's like a decade of Christmases all at once!

This day just keeps getting better and better! I'm actually dancing in my cubicle. :beer: :D

[Tight_rope]

19. The leaves in Aspen have definately changed colors and died!

[Kikosexy2]

31. It makes up for ...

the Fitzmas that almost came...

[doublethink]

5. Kinda hard for that big dude .....

to lay low ..... but it looks like he's gonna try huh? :rofl:

[maseman]

6. So will it be Boner from Ohio?

[Tempest]

8. Won't be Boner

He's caught up in the Foley and Ney scandals.

Boner may be sharing a bunk with a guy named Bubba before the end of his term.

[smb]

23. LOL

Boner may be sharing a bunk with a guy named Bubba before the end of his term.

Bubba with a Boner?

[9119495]

14. I hope he gets it. The more extreme and asshole their leadership

is, the longer we can stay in power.

[Megahurtz]

7. Looks like

all the Chickenhawks are all turning Chickenshit. :rofl:

[acmavm]

9. He's under the crazy impression that if he maintains a low pro

he won't be investigated for any of the unethical or criminal doings he's been involved in.

[Dem2theMax]

24. Ding Ding Ding Ding. And in this corner, we have a winner!

My first thought as well. Well, after I laughed my head off. ;)

[brentspeak]

10. What about Big House trusty post?

[IWantAChange]

11. Might Boehner have too much Rummy baggage to carry?

[AdvancedProgress]

12. The Melt Continues...

Maybe Rove at 4:00p, Cheney sometime around 7:00p

:silly:

[sam sarrha]

13. it will take more than one trip to Rummys shit out of the white house

[Lancer]

17. It's the Night of the Long Knives! n/t

[katty]

22. yea, where's Rover??!!

[Tight_rope]

15. And the day just keeps getting better.

[AIJ Alom]

18. Wonder if he's going to run for head of the page board ? snicker.

[rodeodance]

20. why should he. He has made his money. Now for a few years of just

'showing up"

[katty]

21. Good Riddance!! so why aren't we hearing Rover's bark?

[codjh9]

25. Well, since it took him 3 years to 'finally hear' about Mark Foley, maybe

it'll take 3 more years before he finds out they JUST LOST. :^)

[Lugnut]

26. What a shame.

[Strawman]

27. As if that imbecile was ever the real leader

[fob]

28. Come on denny! You're doin' a heckuva job! Go for it!

Just listen to this; MINORITY LOSER hasturd, I'm sorry, I mean MINORITY LEADER hasturd. Doesn't that have the sound of a whiner to it? Sorry again, I meant weiner, no, winner.


asshole

[shain from kane]

29. Won't seek House leader post? Does it include a buffet? He'd be

there if there was a side order of peanut butter.

[drone]

38. Snack

He probably would settle for a dozen steaks for his next snack

[Acadia Blue]

32. Hastert has lived with the same man for 20 something years. Is that

true?

[Maestro]

33. Joe Barton better

not run. He is my digusting rep. He is dirty!!!!

[Zambero]

34. "Leader" = Oxymoron

Enabler is a better term. The corrupt actions and deliberate avoidance of oversight that the Republicans pulled off -- and presumably thought they'd get away with -- was done with the tacit approval of Hastert. Absolute power absolutely corrupts.

[dipsydoodle]

35. It's over - the fat lady has sung

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

37. Hastert Won't Seek Leadship Position

Snarf! Ya Think!!

This just in: Hastert won't be in the Mr. Universe competition this year.