Dennis Hastert was the Speaker of the House under President George W. Bush. So, the third in line after the vice president was "allegedly" a serial child molester. This is scary. It’s not the most frightening aspect, though. What is terrifying is all the Republicans that came out in his defense. Tom Delay, the former house majority whip who helped Hastert get the Speaker of the House post, actually wrote that Dennis Hastert is a man of “strong faith” and “great integrity." Forty-one similar letters were written by former colleagues and relatives.
None, of course, mentioned anything about the alleged abuse or the violation of banking laws. Of those letters, five were written by former GOP congressmen.
Culpable but untouchable
If you do not already know, Dennis Hastert pled guilty to "illegally structuring $900,000." According to Hastert, it was hush money. The money went to an unidentified individual who I’m pretty sure he admitted to molesting while coaching high school wrestling upwards of three decades ago. Three people have come forward with similar claims of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, he was never prosecuted and the statute of limitations has run out. So, ultimately, Hastert served a mere 13 of a 15-month sentence. He was recently released.
Contemptibly fallacious
In describing their 12-year relationship Tom Delay had this to say: “I have observed him in many different and difficult situations. He has never disappointed me in any way. He is a man of strong faith that guides him. He is a man of great integrity. He loves and respects his fellow man. I have never witnessed a time when he was unkind to anyone.
He is always giving to others and helping anyone including me so many times."
Amongst several statements about God and prayer meetings, he mentions how Hastert created a “lunch time bible study” for colleagues. As if that is going to shine a positive light on anything.
Par for the course
I know it is not just me that finds similarities between those defending Dennis Hastert, and those who still defend pedophile priests.
I’m starting to believe that the subject should have been covered within the already grotesque pages of the bible. It’s clear, at least to me, that pedophilia, perversion, and Christianity are intertwined. It should be clear to anyone that has seriously and objectively read the bible. That they use the god card to defend a molester is nothing new. It’s expected. It’s still disgusting.
Christianity is clearly still a sanctuary for the criminal. Corrupt, wealthy politicians, dishonest lawmakers, and now culpable pedophiles get a lot of miles out of the "god card," but isn’t it time that we as a nation give a little more thought to a separation of church and state?
Defenders of the indefensible
Of the 40 or so people that came to the defense of Dennis Hastert, 5, as I mentioned earlier, were formerly GOP congressmen.
The four that I have yet to mention were as follows; John T. Doolittle(R): former member of the House Of Representatives from 1991 to 2009 in California’s fourth congressional district; David Dreier(R): former member of the House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013; Thomas Ewing(R): former member of both the United States House of Representatives and the Illinois House of Representatives; and Porter Goss(R): member of the House of Representatives who served from 1989 to 2004, when he became the head of the CIA.
Other notable individuals that came to the defense of Hastert’s character were former Illinois attorney general and member of the Republican party, Tyrone Fahner; and former Illinois state Representative, Senate, and again, a member of the Republican party, Doris Karpiel.
I would like to recommend that my readers write these individuals and ask them why they would defend the indefensible? And then to those Republican readers that may be lurking, I ask you: How could you vote for people that would defend a pedophile?
