Hastert Pressured to Step Down.

And it's happening regularly, from what we hear.

Hastert, who has been virtually invisible under the leadership of DeLay and Gingrich, has been able to fly low below the radar of the press. But now that other notable Republicans and his own hand-picked committee chairmen are being indicted, the feeling is that it may not be long before "the coach" himself is tarred by the scandal. By association alone.

And with the press having found their both their testacles and scrotums intact in the past few weeks*, and with it getting so close to a vote that could decide Hastert's future as Speaker, there are some who would rather The Large One take a pass this time.

And where is the greatest pressure coming from?

Right at home. At this point, however, everyone knows there's no way for Hastert to either step down, withdraw his name for Speaker, or otherwise shrink from his position without making the GOP look even worse.

*Rumor has it that Tim Russert also recently found his ass, but the find was disqualified when it was learned that he used both hands.