Hastert's Nod and a Winkel.

I mean really. What the Hell is Denny Hastert thinking?

(Via Karie at Kankakee Voices.)

Denny Hastert gave us Jim "I'm terrified of Hispanic people" Oberweis. Then he endorsed the wrong county treasurer candidate in his home county! Then he couldn't remember Jim "I have nothing to do with the dairy" Oberweis. Then he wanted to axe Peter Fitzgerald.

Then he was out of town when Alan Keyes came to Illinois...

I mean really, Denny.

The New Marketing Message.

Veterans Day, on which we commemorate the honor and sacrifice of our fathers and uncles, brothers and cousins, grandfathers and great-uncles; a day set aside to ponder the waste and uselessness of bloody conflict, and the inherent cruelties committed by man against man; a day formally proclaimed a federal holiday in only 1954 by one of the greatest heroes of our Republic, Dwight D. Eisenhower, is now used to deliver a new, disgusting, marketing message for a miserably failed president in a cynical act of desperation.

"It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how the war began,'' Bush said in a Veterans Day speech today to military families at Tobyhanna Army Depot near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. ``More than 100 Democrats in the House and Senate who had access to the same intelligence voted to remove Saddam Hussein from power,'' the president said."

It's all there. Change the message again. Demonize the Democrats. Lie about what they actually voted on.

When does this freak show end?

Write Your Own Caption.

I don't know about you, but I'm still humming Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" after seeing Condi waving to her adoring fans at the Baghdad airport!

Oh! I'm out of breath!

I'm wondering what kind of captions you all would write for this photo.

Have at it.

The Pat Robertson - Denny Hastert Connection

If anyone could be a bigger asshole than Hastert is a stroke, it would have to be Radical Fundamentalist Cleric Pat Robertson, PRMAAI*.

So we ask you tonight, Denny: Do you believe in "intelligent design" and do you want it taught in the schools in IL CD-14, or not?

Just answer the question for a change.

*President, Radical Moralistic Assholes of America, Inc.

New Bush Poll: Another Record!

Waterboy Denny Hastert's Coach, George W. Bush is at another record low... with a 36% approval rating.

And that's the Fox Poll.

Gee. You'd think that anyone with leadership potential might recognize a problem here. Finally. And move on.

From the looks of the House Republicans' inability to pass a budget today, I think plenty of the Waterboy's cohorts already have.

When will Denny "J. Dennis" Hastert get it?

Denny Hastert's Finances: Questions to Ponder.

Ponder, if you will, the following.

Denny Hastert received $549,900 for the sale of his Yorkville property in 2002. That's quite a bit less than the $849,900 asking price. Why would he settle for so much less (within 15% is considered OK, but really?)?

The developer who purchased it bought it for a storm water drainage project. The property now has a new owner/inhabitant.

When he purchased the 192-acre Plano estate, the real estate transaction was not run in the local newspaper. Why not?

The rumor is that the property sold for $2.2 million, but the Speaker's speakers were mum on the matter. Why?

Who financed the sale?

Was it financed, or was it paid for in cash?

Was there cash involved in the transaction?

Whose name appears on the title?

Where is this information in Hastert's annual financial disclosures?

This is all just public information, no?

Horrifying! A Look into Hastert's Dark Soul.

Here's a good one: Hastert defends Bush-Fristy-Hastert broken record in Bush country.

Best line from the leader of the "Aw, shucks! I hate government" crowd:

""Between you and me, it's a pleasure to get a break from Washington, D.C.," he told the crowd."

Yeah. I'll bet.

Thanks to reader B. for the link. And keep those emails coming, folks.

Brownie Finally Off the Public Dole.

CNN reports this morning that failed former FEMA head, Mike Brown, is finally off the federal payroll after his two month stint as a "consultant" has run out.

Brown's $148,000 annual salary and benefits never stopped, even though he resigned under a maelstrom of public outrage over his handling of Hurrican Katrina relief.

While Denny Hastert and his wrecking crew are searching for $Billions$ of your money to cut from federal programs that help the poor, elderly and the uninsured, they might consider the tab run up under Brown.

Let's start with the $100 Million in ice shipments that never made it anywhere.

And don't forget the billions in no-bid contracts that employ only a small percentage of local workers, and just above minimum wage. Who cares about the $1.2 billion no-bids recalled?

What we could use here is a new branch of government... One that maybe could provide some sort of, what's the word... Oversight.

Here's to the Moderates.

Three cheers for moderation. And 25 moderate Republicans in the House who have threatened to scuttle Denny Hastert's lust for George W. Bush's radical energy and economic agenda.

Notice the article does not mention the name of a single Democrat on the committee.

Along with all his Democrat-bashing invective, which drones on about how Democrats are difficult and have no plan (yawn...), Hastert and his committe chairs have effectively locked out Democrats from any discussion of any issue. Hastert's declaration last November leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

With 25 defectors in his midst, I wonder what Hastert will do now? Wait for Ken Mehlman's call? Bush's?

Denny Flippity Hastert Floppity. Flop. Flop.

Interesting that Denny "J. Dennis" Hastert is begging for print and air time now that he's under the gun to do something about the cost of energy. You know, that thingie that threatens to bankrupt families this winter?

Hastert and his team were way beyond generous in plugging the energy bill this past spring, which offered up $Billions$ of your money to Big Oil in tax breaks and land deals for building refineries.

Or how about the way Hastert's Congress responded to the leap in gas prices after Katrina, by giving Big Oil federal insurance for projects legitimately stalled by lawsuits or regulatory delays?

Also, note Hastert's continued push for new refineries. Personally, I think a beautiful oil refinery would look smashing on the land just north of the Plano Super Wal-Mart. Across the road from Hastert's lovely wooded estate.

Forget the EPA regulations. Let them pollute the ground water up there. Who cares? We need gas for Denny's Avalanche!

Make no mistake about it: Hastert is beginning to smell his own blood in the pool now. But there's no way out of the mess he's created.