Discussion for article #237028
Sure, what’s the rush? Let’s not hurry to arraign someone for breaking federal banking laws the very same person put in place while serving as Speaker in the House, after 9/11.
Banking laws, after all, are there for the very rich and very powerful, and for the banks, themselves to violate.
Then there’s that pesky little charge of lying to the FBI. Sillly, all present and former Republican Congressmen lie most of the time.
Uh oh. Plea bargain talks are back on. Which they wouldn’t be if a zero time in jail option was completely off the table. (Unless, of course, Denny’s lawyer took a look at the government’s file and told him “oh, dude, you are soooo screwed if this goes to trial and there’s nothing I can do for you but try to get you as little time as possible.”)
What I find fascinating as Rachel Maddow pointed out last night: we don’t even know if he as a lawyer and, if so, who, and not one peep nor any sighting of Hastert since the day the charges were announced. Very quiet in Illinois about this, and his constituents shrug it off as just another politician in a sex and money scandal.