MEDIA CALLS FOR HASTERT’S RESIGNATION ARE PREMATURE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday Oct 4, 2006

CONTACT: TIM SCHEIDERER OR COLLEEN O’BOYLE AT 703.683.5004

MEDIA CALLS FOR HASTERT’S
RESIGNATION ARE PREMATURE
Hold Investigation, Gather the Facts, Draw Conclusions, Then Judge

Alexandria, VA–In the fallout of the scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley, who has appropriately resigned from his congressional seat, there have been calls for the immediate resignation of House Speaker Dennis Hastert – a demand that the top media have constantly repeated. In response to the media-fueled calls for Speaker Hastert to step down, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:

“We do not have all the facts. The Foley scandal broke five days ago, although newspapers and other media apparently knew about the scandal for at least a year and did not report it until now. To call for Speaker Hastert’s resignation over this incident before all the facts are gathered is premature.

“However, a full investigation of the scandal must be conducted and the evidence followed wherever it goes. If the evidence shows that any House members, of either party, knew about Rep. Foley’s behavior and did nothing to stop it, or if they tried to cover it up, then those House members should resign immediately.

“Further, no one in the Democratic leadership has any right to make political hay of this scandal given their rich history of coddling adulterers and pedophiles in their ranks.”

To schedule an interview with MRC President Bozell or an MRC spokesperson, please contact Tim Scheiderer (x. 126) or Colleen O’Boyle (x. 122) at 703.683.5004.