Hastert Lashes out at DOJ over Leak

[Perky]

Hastert Lashes Out at Justice Dept.

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press Writer

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RAID_ON_CONGRESS?SITE=CATOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-05-25-13-46-19


WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert accused the Justice Department Thursday of trying to intimidate him in retaliation for criticizing the FBI's weekend raid on a congressman's office, escalating a searing battle between the executive and legislative branches of government.

"This is one of the leaks that come out to try to, you know, intimidate people," Hastert said on WGN radio Thursday morning. "We're just not going to be intimidated on it."

Asked later Thursday whether he thought he Justice Department retaliated against him with the leak, Hastert replied: "All I'm saying is, here are the dots. People can connect any dots they want to."

"I thought it was an interesting sequence of events," he added.

[RebelDawg]

1. Can't wait to find

out what this fat slime ball is hiding.

[bunny planet]

2. oh this is getting good.

:popcorn:

[central scrutinizer]

3. bwah hah hah

Get a clue, asshole - maybe this is why everybody hates your fucking party leader - Bushco and the rest of you worthless enablers.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Did it occur to you ...

...that Gonzales is finally making good on his threats to start ball-squeezing anyone who opposes the administration? All politicians in this country are liars and half are crooks. But this smells like intimidation.

[MADem]

7. It's either that, or a career civil servant who's fed up to his eyeballs

at all the bullshit going down. The raid on Jefferson aside, the leaking of "Hastert in the gunsights" could have come from someone who wants to put pressure on BushCo. After all, a sweating, nervous Speaker is a less effective speaker. It mitigates the Jefferson thing, cuts into the news about it, and reinforces the Culture of Corruption theme.

If Denny either piles on more pounds, or loses a load like Karl, it might provide a clue.

[EVDebs]

4. I heard Hastert's ties to Abramoff's schemes are under investigation

Heard on AAR's Al Franken Show. Maybe Hastert is hearing footsteps. Pretty sad for a Wheaton College grad, don't you think ? An ethics investigation. Sheeeesh.

[saltpoint]

5. It's a rare day indeed when I spring to the defense of Dennis Hastert,

but I think he should sue the hell out of the government for this.

I don't blame him one bit for being angry.

There's more than a wee bit of intimidation at work by the White House to keep the legislative cattle in the corral.

[Master Mahon]

10. Didn't you hear?

Intimidation is not illegal when applied by the 'Commander In Chief',
espcially when during a time of 'War', and a 'Global Struggle' at that!!
:+

[saltpoint]

12. Damn! How could I have forgotten!? If we don't raid Congressmen's

offices, THE TERRORISTS W I N !

[11 Bravo]

15. When Congress authorized their annual Mother's Day resolution

to be included in the Congressional Record, Bush authored a signing statement which made clear that according to his understanding of Congress's actions, he was now authorized to raid congressional offices or do whatever the fuck else he wanted to.

[katinmn]

8. Two slimeballs going at each other. Wonderful!

In the red trunks we have Albert Gonzales. In the black tights its Denny Hastert.

:D

[Raksha]

13. Denny Hastert in black tights...YUCK!

I could really have done without that mental image. :puke:

[Perky]

9. Pelosi should simply sit down on this whole issue now

and watch the other side of the aisle disintigrate.

Nothing is gained by getting involved.

[bunny planet]

11. but at the same time he's accusing ABC news of libel

while saying the Justice Dept. leaked the info. to them to smear him as payback for criticizing JD's raid on Jefferson's Congressional offices. So which is it Denny, is the Justice Department guilty of spreading rumors about you or is ABC news wrong for printing what the Justice Dept. actually leaked to them which is in fact true?

Regardless, the real issue that's being overlooked here is the abuse of power on the part of the Executive branch and its minions. If Congress, which is supposed to be a co-equal branch of government according to the Constitution, had a raid of Executive branch offices even with a warrant, they'd be shot. The executive branch is claiming absolute, unConstitutional power and when Hastert squawked, they played their hand. Shut up Denny, or we'll let loose the investigation on you. Doesn't excuse Hastert however, he probably really is a crook, ask Sibel Edmunds. They really are a bunch of backstabbing, blackmailing criminals aren't they. Let's hope this is beginning of ratfest, where they all out each other in a feeding frenzy.

[Perky]

14. That is precisely the STORY

And that is the proper framing of the issue and the way to nationalize
the election as a referendum on Bush.

"Do we really want people in charge who think they don't have to respect the courts, the congress, the Constitution and the privacy of ordinary americans and does not think they need to ask. Whatever happened to checks and balances?
Enough is enough. WHo is going to control these guys?"