Mike Pence's statement yesterday supporting House Speaker Hastert is drawing a sharp response from our friend Barry Welsh. This is playing in Indiana, where Indy's Channel 13 is running a
full story.
Barry said, "Once again Mr. Pence shows poor judgment in supporting his friends in Congress instead of doing what is morally correct. Now Mr. Pence has positioned himself as a part of the cover-up and an enabler of child predators. That is not only unacceptable, that is shameful."
In an incredible gift to the Welsh campaign, yesterday, Mike Pence issued a joint statement with Congressman Joe Pitts, Mike Pence expressed his "trust" in the House leadership and could only muster reservations about how information about Congressman Foley's predatory behavior "was handled administratively":
"Regardless of our reservations about how this matter was handled administratively, we believe Speaker Hastert is a man of integrity who has led our conference honorably and effectively throughout the past eight years. Speaker Dennis Hastert should not resign. We trust that House leadership will cooperate with law enforcement in this matter." full Pence statement
Barry Welsh, is charging Mike Pence with appallingly bad judgment.
"Hastert's failure to act for three years to protect minors serving the Congress in the House Page program from predatory behavior by Congressman Foley is not just a small `administrative' matter. This was a cover-up of likely criminal behavior. A man of decency would have acted strongly and quickly to protect the children in the House's care. Instead, they covered up in order to protect what they thought was a safe Republican seat in the House. That Mike Pence continues to support Hastert is appalling.
"Like 98 percent of the people in the United States, I don't support Congressman Hastert. These people have been covering up for child predators and it just shows Mr. Pence once again is not using good judgment.
"This whole situation is a damning example of how one party rule in Washington, D.C. has fostered a climate of corruption and criminality. It is time for the American people to rise up and take our country back."
www.barrywelsh.org