Former Speaker Hastert Speaks
Hastert urges Capitol Hill civility in farewell
By Christi Parsons and Rick Pearson
Tribune staff reporters
8:43 PM CST, November 15, 2007
WASHINGTON - Delivering his farewell address to Congress, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) on Thursday bemoaned the "pool of bitterness" he believes exists in the nation's capital and urged his colleagues to try and work together in civility after he is gone.
"I continue to worry about the breakdown of civility in our political discourse," Hastert told lawmakers. "When I addressed this chamber for the first time as your speaker, I noted that solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. Those words are as true today as they were then."
Speaking to an audience that included his wife, Jean, and former House Minority Leader Robert Michel of Peoria, Hastert called upon fellow lawmakers to be passionate advocates for their beliefs but also to be "civil, open-minded and fair."
But soon Hastert won't be around to help with that cause. After more than two decades in the Congress, the west suburban Republican plans to step down—probably by the end of the month, friends say—to make way for a replacement. [more]
One wonders whether "stepping down" so that a hand-picked replacement can be named to run as an incumbent -- thus "gaming" the system -- falls under the aegis of "civility." The Commonwealth of Blogistan would welcome the return of democracy to the United States of America.
Fat chance.
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