Dennis the Menace

Via Kos (with hat tip to constant reader wilfred)

It's quite a feat, to say the least, but Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R., Illinois), has managed to become the most hated man in New York City in record time. This from the ultra-conservative New York Post:

New Yorkers yesterday slammed House Speaker Dennis Hastert for claiming the Big Apple was guilty of an "unseemly scramble" for cash after Sept. 11 — and one city councilman demanded he return his FDNY cap.

"I want to let Hastert know we want our FDNY cap back," fumed Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., referring to the baseball cap given to Hastert three years ago when the powerful Illinois lawmaker toured Ground Zero shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

Vallone, along with a slew of other officials and residents, blasted the Republican leader's claims in his new book, "Speaker," which were reported on the front page of yesterday's Post.

Hastert wrote that at the time of the attacks, it was impossible to calculate the cost, continuing, "but already we heard voices asking, 'Who's going to pay for this? How much will it cost?' "

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-Bronx) labeled Hastert's remarks "really sad."

"Hastert is not complaining about the cost of rebuilding Iraq, yet he complains about rebuilding New York?" Serrano said.

More on this (including Hastert's response) from The New York Times:

John Feehery, a spokesman for Mr. Hastert, disputed the Post article, saying that the speaker's views had been mischaracterized. "I don't think he was being critical at all," Mr. Feehery said. "He was just talking about the tragic situation surrounding 9/11."

"There's been no better friend to New York than Speaker Hastert," he said.

With friends like him...

Hastert will be speaking at the convention next week. I couldn't find what time, but I'll bet ya he won't get much more than a Bronx cheer from the NY delegation.

Comments

[sidereal]

Of course his spokesman should defend him, but this:

""There's been no better friend to New York than Speaker Hastert," he said."

just sounds ignorant and won't win him any favors.

[Gromit]

I'd wait to see a direct quote from the book before passing judgment.

[Edward]

Gromit,

You're so mature and sensible. Don't ever run for NYC city council...you'd feel lonely.

[Slartibartfast]

I think Hastert needs some comportment lessons. Noting that NYC residents and officials can be grumpy is probably not far off base, but noting it in connection with 9/11 is just not smart. Doing it in a book is even less smart.

That out of the way, did NYC really imagine it wasn't going to get Federal help on this? I mean, Charley was almost immediately declared a disaster, and the damage to life and property was rather smaller, I think.

[wilfred]

You know just how high a pile Hastert stepped in yesterday when Rupert's rag had the headline "Speaker is a Louse" just days before the convention starts. I thought hell indeed hath frozen over, if only for a moment.