WND "There has been much made of former Speaker Hastert’s indictment this week. Most of us who knew him on any level (I’m a member of the press who covers Congress) feel horrible for him.
I asked my friend and colleague former Rep. Bob Ney, author of “Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill,” to give me his perspective.
Full article here
Full article here
. . . "Besides some better staffers, he also could use a good mental health therapist. I have seen people destroy themselves time and time again in Washington, D.C. It often happens after taking public office, although Speaker Hastert’s problems may have begun years before the thought of public office entered Mr. Hastert’s mind.
"This self-destruction usually has to do with the self that is displayed to the world verses the inner self. Choosing young men/boys may be an attempt at working out internal conflicts from long ago. Some may see it as a reflection of internalized homophobia, but that would not encompass choosing someone as young and innocent as a high-school student. Some theories see this kind of sexual abuse not as sexual but as an abuse of power. This might fit into his need to seek high office and deal with his inner demons.
"Former Rep. Bob Ney saw one Denny Hastert, and at least one of Hastert’s high-school students saw another. Now the task former Speaker Hastert is to reconcile the two parts of himself. It is a large task, and he is going to need lots of help to do it.
"This self-destruction usually has to do with the self that is displayed to the world verses the inner self. Choosing young men/boys may be an attempt at working out internal conflicts from long ago. Some may see it as a reflection of internalized homophobia, but that would not encompass choosing someone as young and innocent as a high-school student. Some theories see this kind of sexual abuse not as sexual but as an abuse of power. This might fit into his need to seek high office and deal with his inner demons.
"Former Rep. Bob Ney saw one Denny Hastert, and at least one of Hastert’s high-school students saw another. Now the task former Speaker Hastert is to reconcile the two parts of himself. It is a large task, and he is going to need lots of help to do it.
Some things Mr. Hastert could do:
- Publish any letters of admiration for him by his victim;
- Have a surrogate remark that Hastert got his victim by dragging a dollar bill through a trailer park
- Publicly deny he had sex with that boy
- Have surrogates claim this is all a left-wing conspiracy
- Tell his victim to put ice on any wounds from their encounters.
- Consult Barney Frank for advice
("In a third blockbuster scandal, Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank admitted a lengthy relationship with a male hooker who ran a bisexual prostitution service out of Frank's apartment.") - One other thing Mr. Hastert can do: become a Democrat
