Think Progress

LaHood Falsely Claims Hastert’s ‘Strong Leadership’ Was Responsible For DeLay’s Resignation

In the latest false defense of Speaker Hastert, Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) said today on CBS’s Face the Nation that Hastert showed “strong leadership” in dealing with the Tom DeLay scandal. LaHood falsely claimed, “When Tom [DeLay] was having ethical problems, the speaker wen to him and asked him to leave.” Watch it:

[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2006/10/delay.320.240.flv]

In reality, Hastert repeatedly defended DeLay’s ethical misconduct and attempted to shield him from any responsibility. Hastert replaced the Republican Chairman of the House ethics committee, Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO), after the committee admonished DeLay. The House, under Hastert’s leadership, then passed a rule change that would have shielded DeLay from having to step down from his leadership post if he were indicted. The rule was later rescinded. DeLay resigned only after “a Texas grand jury indicted him and two associates on charges of conspiracy in fundraising.”

Full transcript:

LAHOOD: Look at, I give Speaker Hastert high marks for strong leadership. He took care of Tom DeLay, his best friend. When Tom was having ethical problems, the speaker went to him and asked him to leave.



59 Responses to “LaHood Falsely Claims Hastert’s ‘Strong Leadership’ Was Responsible For DeLay’s Resignation”

  1. PJF says:

    Just say “No, thank you!” to graft.


  2. RUCerious says:

    What a clown!
    I wonder how many young boys this graying geezer has in his closet?


  3. Dog_named_Boo says:

    Bwahahhaaa!

    They tried to change the ethics rules after the fact to keep Delay in power!

    What terrible liars these guys!

    This guy above has been lying for so long he has the gotten the neo-con crazy eyes!!
    It’s like looking at, and hearing two people!

    LAHOOD: Look at, I give Speaker Hastert high marks for strong leadership. He took care of Tom DeLay, his best friend. When Tom was having ethical problems, the speaker went to him and asked him to leave.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54572-2004Nov16.html
    GOP Pushes Rule Change to Protect DeLay’s Post

    By Charles Babington
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Wednesday, November 17, 2004; Page A01

    House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, according to GOP leaders.

    Bwahahahahaaa! Start telling the truth GOP!!


  4. bones says:

    Ok, you fascists want to prove Hastert’s “strong leadership” put his fat ass in Kevlar and drop him into tribal Iraq. He can prove what a “great leader” he is in the 2.4 seconds it takes the “insurgency” to use his ass for target practice.


  5. Kaj says:

    Ask:
    1) How many people saw LaHood lie on CBS and may believe him, and
    2) how many of those viewers will visit this website?
    Answer:
    All very nice that we here can fingerpoint the liars, but if the ‘mainstream’ boys & girls out there don’t, hardly anyone will know.


  6. Dog_named_Boo says:

    The GOP was for unethical behavior before they were for ethical behavior!


  7. Kaj says:

    Oh, and I hate to think of the huge number of die-hard brownshirt Repugs who will actually believe LaHood even though the pile evidence to the contrary is so high that it’s blocking the sun – because the evidence is provided by ‘the liberal media’…


  8. yangho says:

    Bring it to “Daily Show”. Many viewers will love it.


  9. Dog_named_Boo says:

    Ok, you fascists want to prove Hastert’s “strong leadership” put his fat ass in Kevlar and drop him into tribal Iraq. He can prove what a “great leader” he is in the 2.4 seconds it takes the “insurgency” to use his ass for target practice.

    Comment by bones

    I respectfully disagree, anything that large would take a much shorter period of time to locate and target! [ 0.1 seconds]
    Leader, no, something to hide behind yes!


  10. DSouth says:

    Talk about moral values guys. I just saw this about The MACACA man in Virginia.

    http://breitbart.com/news/2006/10/08/D8KKJ9I81.html


  11. km4 says:

    DaHood yet another GOP moron and apologist for fat ass incompetent Hastert.

    The GOP is littered with these asshats !


  12. Miro says:

    It’s been a truly profound experience for me today watching all these clips of Republican Representatives across a wide spectrum of personality types in some ways, but all with one trait the same: They have no trouble going in front of a camera and with a straight face and a righteous attitude making gross distortions of the truth, pushing their own rhetoric far into the realm of lieing — and they don’t so much as blink an eye. LaHood, Adam Putnam, Kingston, McHenry…. And these are just the ones the Major media had time for this Sunday morning. And these are added to the list of _?how many?_ that are at the center of the circle of this cover up.

    It’s more than a culture of denial. A culture of lieing. And at the head of it all, when Cheney gets confronted with the truth of his own words, he curses the listener for remembering and hangs up the phone.


  13. profmarcus says:

    they will say ANYTHING… seriously… ANYTHING… the flood of lies is so strong and intense, it’s simply impossible to keep up with them… i suppose the strategy of having hundreds of public figures all lying in the same words at the same time is supposed to make us think we might be crazy… ain’t workin’, guys…

    And, yes, I DO take it personally


  14. Republicans Are The Fear And Smear Party says:

    Voters will be disgusted with Republicans like LaHood falling all over themselves trying to protect Hastert with their phony examples of “strong leadership.”


  15. cynic says:

    Isn’t “LaHood” French for…”The Hood”? This guy looks like a hood. He talks like a hood. Is he with the Tattaglia Family or the Barzinis?


  16. km4 says:

    Why Daddy is a Republican
    by Dennis Hastert
    http://billmon.org/archives/002808.html


  17. RUCerious says:

    Ya gotta wonder how the “being a lying scumbag” thing is working out for this guy?


  18. Susan says:

    A very small percentage believe republicans anymore. What an insult to think people are that stupid.


  19. doug says:

    Keep focussed on that Boob of Boobs Bastert. The people who come out to defend him only want to take the spot light off of him. The Boob of Boobs has been derelict in his duty and that is cause for forcing him to resign or be tossed out of office! The other slimy Republicans lying is considered just part of the way they do their job. Hastert, on the other hand, is lying to save himself from being held accountable for dereliction of his duty as a representitive of the People. He forgot to represent the People and only represented himself in his bid for power and wealth. He needs to be held accountable for his crimes against the State.


  20. wisedup says:

    Leadership?….true,only it’s MIS-leadership to lead the public to a 1 party cult/dictatorship. These scum put PARTY before….life and death…how low can they go….Let’s don’t find out…


  21. katy says:

    i wonder how this will “play in peoria”…


  22. Pvt Ratfuck says:

    What’s with the “Pink Tie”? Is that some kind of code, saying to the other fags in the Rep. Party,”I’m on your side,we need to stick together”!


  23. El Tonno says:

    Maybe you want to beam “Dennis the Menace” back to Europe?

    http://www.igd-leo.lu/igd-leo/hastert/hasti001.html

    And no jokes about Luxembourg please! Patton was here!


  24. katy says:

    …LaHood, Adam Putnam, Kingston, McHenry….

    what i’ve noticed is that these guys are new (to me) at this… it’s like they sent out the virgins to be sacrificed… well, lahood is no virgin, obviously, and i have seen kingston before… but where are the “big guns”?…
    i could be mistaken…

    by the way… i was born in peoria… still have family there… nice town… i always understood it had a reputation as a mob town… must be the river…


  25. Above+the+Clouds says:

    Maybe LaHood was refering to George Galloway who said, “Now I know that standards have slipped in the last few years in Washington . . . ” Hastert is the face (and ass) of the GOP turd that is circling the drain.


  26. Above+the+Clouds says:

    Katy: It’s not the “river” it’s the stench of corrupt GOP politics trying to keep their head’s above water in the midwest.


  27. theswan says:

    Hasert is from IL? Lahood is from IL. Two What ya bet, these assholes think alike.


  28. Marie says:

    It’s like I always said, put ‘em all in a bag’ shake ‘em up, pour ‘em out and they are all the same. Makes no difference which one you pick — they lie.
    They cover for each other regardless of the truth or facts. They say whatever and a certain number of people believe them.


  29. Marie says:

    #27 Absolutely, theswan.
    Good observation on Lahood. Also, do you know that another Illinoisan – Rep. Judy Biggert (R) is on the ethics committee that will be investigating Hastert!
    If the fix isn’t in, it is certainly being contrived at this moment.


  30. theswan says:

    Bet ya, this game is easy to play. You kiss mine, i’ll kiss yours.


  31. DSouth says:

    Tucker Carlson said there is one more name that will come out that had bad behavior with a page but he will not say yet.


  32. EconAtheist says:

    Gawd, these modern (R)s are full of shit….


  33. Grey+Eagle says:

    When would these people will stop lying and take us for idits , such arrogance of power .
    We the people demand a complete purge , cleansing of this congress .


  34. katy says:

    tucker would probably know…

    i just heard the best andy rooney i’ve heard in a while…
    he thinks adults should have to go back to school for a week, every 5 years… lose the drivers license or have your tv turned off if you don’t pass a test… this led into a geography and population speil… really good…
    .


  35. pgl says:

    I just watched this show and his dishonesty was so apparent. But did the host challenge this brazen lie? Of course not.


  36. Jay Randal says:

    Hastert is a huge fat blimp, and totally incompetent, so he must resign!


  37. Jay Randal says:

    LaHood is wearing a pink tie, because he is a closeted homosexual just like the rest of the GOP membership in DC > lol.


  38. Zooey says:

    I love implosions.


  39. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    ,,, yeah, and the moon is made of swiss cheese. I’m truly getting tired of all these Republican lies.

    Can’t trust Republicans to speak the truth. They love to play the “blame game”.



  40. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    Bush supporters love pediphiles. Bush supporters think they are above the law.


  41. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    #

    Talk about moral values guys. I just saw this about The MACACA man in Virginia.

    http://breitbart.com/ news/ 2006/ 10/ 08/ D8KKJ9I81.html

    Comment by DSouth — October 8, 2006 @ 4:53 pm

    Another lying Republican.


  42. RUCerious says:

    How can you tell when a Repugnicant legislator is lying>?
    It’s mouth is moving and hot air is being expelled.


  43. RUCerious says:

    Caption for picture:
    I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse!


  44. Zooey says:

    Caption Contest:

    Hey, yous guys think this here pink tie brings out my highlights?


  45. katy says:

    Read me.
    …Foley’s inappropriate Internet exchanges as far back as 2000…

    oh no! gasp! …that means it WAS clinton’s fault…


  46. Dog_named_Boo says:

    caption contest ala darvo;

    “It’s not a pink tie, it’s salmon colored. Liberals are the ones that wear pink ties, and it’s Clenis, from 2000 that allowed Foley to run amok attacking innocent young pages while in a drunken stupor. Also I would like to add that I am color blind and your picking on me..Waahh!”


  47. james+k.+sayre says:

    Fortunately, there are no thin blimps, at least any that visible in the great state of Illinois…
    Cheers.


  48. katy says:

    boy – here’s a guy who needs to be talking more on the MSM…
    mike papentonio won’t be shushed… and he puts the stories out there!

    check it out… part 2 also, if you can… see what you think:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsaoXdyhFEo&mode=related&search=

    way late… g’nite…


  49. Martin says:

  50. onion says:

    revisionism at work… why wait until everybody forgot the details?


  51. cheryl says:

    These Republicans are so desperate they tap dance around issues, indulge in lie about lie, and blame Democrats for everything. I tell you what, they remind me of a bunch of bullies on a school playground, who have fooled everyone-but the passive are finally circling the wagons and are attacking!!! These thugs have painted themselves into so many corners that their family values can’t save them anymore!!! Good riddance to all you Republicans-you will always be known as the paranoid, rules don’t apply to me, bible thwacking party of corruption!!!!!!!


  52. American Patriot says:

    #18 SUSAN, quit deluding yourself. It has been proven time and time again that a far greater percentage of Americans are stupid. Your “asleep at the wheel” attitude is what got America in this mess to begin with. Grow up and open your eyes or continue to take the same screwing you have been getting.


  53. dele says:

    what does gop and doma stand for guys


  54. dele says:

    whats gop guys? and whats doma?


  55. Pissed+Off says:

    #15 Cynic

    He actually looks like Paul “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri from the Sopranos


  56. Manuel says:

    How he expects that anybody would believe him when he said “He took care of Tom Delay, his best friend”, I mean, come on repukes !! Is that the best you can come up with ???


  57. Zenseeker says:

    Hello all, I just finished the Mark Foley Flash game where you can slap him around and put some sense into him. I will be making several more down the stretch and would like your opinions on what topic and subject matter I should concentrate on. I have Michelle Malkin, Dennis Hastert in the works and others TBA. email me at zenseeker(a)zenwire.com with your thoughts. Take care and keep up the good fight.
    You can play the game here: at zenwire.com Also try slap newtgingrich, stab ann coulter, bush rampage, and many more at http://www.zenwire.com/flashmedia.php


  58. Brad Eleven says:

    It is truly amazing to see a group of physically mature adults, driven by the only way they know how to deal with unfavorable information. It’s almost exactly like the classic “cheating spouse” scenario: Deny, deny, deny, and even when confronted with clear evidence, do not admit any wrongdoing–unless you’re being confronted by law enforcement authorities.

    It must be the activation of subconscious human survival instincts, e.g., these people cannot see how ridiculous they look because they’re trying to survive, they don’t have access to the “how does this look?” routines.

    This isn’t, of course, a phenom restricted to the GOP, but like members of any organization which declares loudly and often that they have the high moral ground, this particular group in this particular circumstance looks almost as absurd as the Korean legislature having a fistfight.

    I am enthralled by the parallels between this coverup attempt and the similar circumstances/responses in the Catholic Church’s problems with sexually active priests.



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