What is the Repube Rationale for keeping Hastert on as Speaker?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

Is it that he is the cork in the bottle & if they yank him
the whole bottle of rats might follow down the drain? It seems
like we would want to keep him there as long as possible
spinning & roasting slowly in his own mumbling buck-passing
incompetence, the apple in his mouth, while they
would want to dump him ASAP & get a new spokesperson in there.

[Kagemusha]

1. Because if he resigns it's an admission of guilt.

No admission, no guilt.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. Seems like he's hurting them more by staying

than he'd hurt them by resigning. He's a living symbol
of incompetence, lack of leadership, corruption, greed, etc.
I hope he stays and spins and roasts and spins.

[IntravenousDemilo]

19. Mmmmmmmm, roast Hastert!

All pink and juicy and well-marbled. And just look at the size of those drumsticks!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

20. Where's Swamp Rat?!?

[NVMojo]

2. FEAR OF LOSING GOP CONTROL & HARMING THE BUSH AGENDA!

[NVMojo]

3. oops!

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Let him simmer a little longer before putting him on the serving platter

He can do more harm than good by being stubborn and arrogant.

He's become the Tom Delay du jour.

[Robbien]

21. But Delay stayed on for almost two years and did so much damage

in those two years. Remember he was the arm twister that got the bankruptcy bill, CAFTA and the Leave No Lobbiest Behind Energy Bill passed. All the damage he did to our country after being indicted and before stepping down is sickening.

Everyone on the left said let Delay stay and he will be a lightening rod for the GOPers. That didn't work. Why do you believe it will work this time?

[HereSince1628]

5. There is no upside to his resignation at this point.

I'm sure the hope is that it goes away.

The questions for me are who is being interviewed today for the Sunday morning shows and what were the questions that their answers beg?

If the thing stalls on Sunday it'll be out of sight by Tuesday.

[catmandu57]

7. Stubbornness

Just like fearless leader* they can't admit mistakes.

[kenny blankenship]

8. They'd have a succession fight right before elections

few things are more important to their political hegemony than the perception of strength and unity. It's very important for their base, and they really need the base to turn out. Republicans win because they are strong. Democrats are puny and whiny and divisive. Notice that the Republicans and their media proxies are always claiming victories regardless of the outcome, or the sense of such claims. They won that one, they are winning, or despite present appearances all the gains of the Dems are about to boomerang and cinch another Republican victory. Their own fuckups, we're told, are Democratic plots which they promise will backfire on the Dems, only making the Republicans more strong. (Thus you see Freepers actually claiming the Foley scandal will destroy the Democrats and work to sweep Republicans to more power) Republicans win because they are right and they are right because they win. It's the agreement between their ideology and natural law, you see, that makes them naturally strong. That natural law is: Whatsoever the strong can take from the weak belongs to the strong by right. Strength is a natural symptom of their philosophical correctness, an attribute they possess because (as Fascists) they believe it is everything. Their God is the personification of the Will to Power. As a party they attract other strong force based institutions--the military and business--because of their evident strength and rightness.
Now if they were fighting among themselves they'd begin to look guilty and what's far worse, they'd look weak. If might makes right, and they certainly act as if they think it does, then appearing divided risks appearing wrong, possibly wrong right down to the core.
It's better then to stay unified in a stance of denial and to displace guilt on Democrats between now and the elections. There's too little time between now and Nov. 7 for their lies and misleading versions of the scandal to be fully exposed, which means they can say anything they want about it and deal with the consequences only after the election.

[WCGreen]

10. Damn, we tied....

Both in at 4:46.....

[A-Schwarzenegger]

13. The sucession fight rationale makes sense, thanks, but

Hastert is such a weak man and weak leader, inarticulate, incompetent,
obviously terrible liar, squirming boob, that it's harder to see the strength angle as justification for keeping him out front as Repube
spokesman. Maybe I'm expecting the rationale to be rational. Thanks.
Oh, also I heard somebody suggest he resign but hold off stepping
down till after the election.

[WCGreen]

9. If he resigns, they will have to call a special GOP House

caucus to name his replacement and there are about three or four ambitious young turks that are eyin' that big ol' gavel.....

First that comes to mind is Boehner from Ohio...

A surprise winner in the race to replace Delay....


Bottom line, though, it will cause major major internal problems for the caucus and they can't afford to take their eye off the ball for even a minute...

that's why the Dem's and allied organizations are pushing hard for Hastert to resign....

[A-Schwarzenegger]

17. But do the Dem leaders truly want him to resign now?

Or are they saying it but hope he stays on?
It seems to me there are really deep opposing forces
at work in the party/WH for him to quit or not, & at some
point if this doesnt "go away," they'll have to get him to quit now
and step down after the election.

[janx]

18. Dems? The only Dem who publically wants him out

is the guy who is running against him! Dems are too worried about getting decent people elected in November to worry about Hastert. If the Dems succeed, the point will be moot.

[WCGreen]

22. You are correct...

His flock is revolting...

And they are also plotting against him as well...

[movonne]

11. The same rationale he had for going to Iraq..

[spanone]

12. It's the moronic 'stay the course' mentality.

[louis-t]

14. Oh, it's because he "didn't do anything wrong, obviously"

according to Hastert. :eyes:

[ComerPerro]

15. principle. They don't compromise. Ever.

[helderheid]

16. they are planning to steal the election - why get rid of him?