Hastert Resignation Watch

O.K., I have to admit it. There's a certain level of fun in watching Denny Hastert and the Republican House leadership squirm over all the new revelations in the Foley matter and its cover-up. In an interview published on Wednesday in the Chicago Tribune, Hastert insists that he's holding on to the speakership for all the wrong reasons.

"No. Look, I've talked to our members," Hastert said. "Our members are supportive. I think that [resignation] is exactly what our opponents would like to have happen--that I'd fold my tent and others would fold our tent and they would sweep the House."

That's an interesting interpretation, to say the least. What I'd like to see, and this is what I assume to be true of most Democrats, is Hastert to hold onto the speakership as long as he possibly can. That keeps his ineptness front and center for the foreseeable future. If he resigned (or even worse, was forced to resign), it would look like the Repubs were taking responsibility for their leadership and might even stop the hemorrhaging. Even worse, we wouldn't have Denny to kick around any more. Why would Democrats support, let alone promote, that kind of solution that would leave them worse off?

I'm afraid it's far, far too late tonight for me to continue making any sense (which assumes that I'm continuing to make sense). I'm too tired to be of any use, so I'm going to go to bed and take another look at all of this tomorrow.