No scruples, no shame, no surprise

U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pledged for the first time yesterday that he would push a tobacco buyout plan to the House floor -- but only if Republican Alice Forgy Kerr is elected to Congress.

Tobacco growers attending the $50-a-head Kerr-sponsored event in Lexington applauded Hastert's remarks....

...Hastert told reporters before the luncheon that he has spoken with Kerr about the issue, which has been kicked around the Capitol for several years.

"I made a commitment to her that I will move this through the (agriculture) committee and we will move it to the House floor. We think we can bring a good bill," said Hastert, a 17-year congressman from Illinois.

Asked if he would still push the bill if [Kerr's Democrat opponent] Chandler were elected, Hastert responded: "I made a commitment to Alice. I certainly hope that she would be there to see the fruition of it."

Later, speaking to about 200 people, Hastert said he and the Congressional leadership will work with Kerr but that he couldn't say the same thing about Chandler.

"I need Alice Forgy Kerr in Congress," he said. "So I'm willing to do what I have to to help. And I'm asking you to do what you have to do to make this happen."

Jason Sauer, spokesman for Chandler's campaign, said he could not comment on Hastert's specific words.

"But if it's a political condition being put on something as important to farmers across Kentucky and the country, then that's unfortunate," he said. "That's playing politics with the farmers of America. And that seems beneath the office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives."  article

Nothing is beneath the Speaker of the House of Representatives from what I've been reading.

And speaking of Dennis Hastert, the House ethics committee has apparently been "looking into" the matter of bribery in the Medicare vote that used to be in the news oh so very long ago - about two months.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.