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From the diaries -- kos)
Fifty years from now, when historians write about the social problem of sexual predators in early 21st Century America, they will put a photo of Cardinal Bernard Law next to a photo of Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
These are men who had the chance to protect our children, but chose to protect a predator instead.
They did more than just fail as leaders--they endangered our families.
Like Cardinal Law, Hastert was the most powerful man in his Archdiocese--in this case, the United States Congress.
Like Cardinal Law, Hastert learned that a sexual predator was working for him--in this case a Congressman from Florida, not a parish priest.
And like Cardinal Law, Hastert chose to help the predator to protect the image of his organization instead of exposing the predator to protect America's children.
Protecting a sexual predator instead of protecting our children is a failure of leadership and a threat to the safety of America's families.
For Cardinal Law, this failure led to his resignation.
For Dennis Hastert the result must be the same.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives--the third most powerful person in our federal government--cannot keep his job now that America sees he knowingly protected a sexual predator.
Hastert protected his predator. And now that America knows--America must protect itself from Hastert.
The United States House of Representive simply cannot survive with a leader who chose to protect a sexual predator rather than protect our children.
No more debate.
No more distraction.
Dennis Hastert must step down.
Update [2006-10-1 11:55:30 by Jeffrey Feldman]:
Want to do something to help right now--right this very minute? Head over to the John Laesch campaign site and give him some support.
I met John at YearlkyKos. He is a great guy, he's running a great Progressive campaign, and this is his big break.
John speaks for all of us, so show him how much of a difference we can make in a short stretch of time!
P.S. Don't make John spend his whole war chest on daycare for your donated first born children! Raise the kids yourself. Pony up some greenbacks to take back the House!! ; )
Update [2006-10-1 13:39:4 by Jeffrey Feldman]:
OK, folks: let's grow this story. Everyone send an email to KO and tell him about the pics, plus whatever other information you think he needs to get. The email is: countdown@msnbc.com (link will launch your email browser").
Update [2006-10-1 17:32:3 by Jeffrey Feldman]:
Adding up the numbers in the poll it shows more than $10K raised for the Laesch campaign (plus 47 first borns). Way to go Kossacks!! Keep those donations rolling in--this is a huge, huge opportunity for one of the hardest working Progressive candidates in the country...