Cong OH-7: Conner (D) Speaks on Corrupt Republican Leadership

In my continuing effort to poll Democratic Congressional challengers on the question of whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) should resign his leadership position, I spoke to William Conner (D-Beavercreek) this afternoon.

Asked whether he had a statement to make about Hastert, Conner said that "based on my experience in the U.S. Air Force, I know that when an organization has a guy at the top who's a straight arrow, then the organization is good top to bottom. When there's corruption at the top, then the organization is going to be rotten through and through."

"It's never clear what's going to come up," Conner continued, "but one way or another that is bound to show through, with the cover-ups and everything else. The only way to clean up the organization is to get rid of the leadership at the top."

As to Hastert in particular, Conner said that "if Hastert knew about it [i.e., the inappropriate emails by Rep. Foley to House pages], to any degree, and particularly since he left Foley in the important position of heading a committee dealing with abused children, he has to go."

Conner also commented that the leadership in the White House has led to corruption as well. "We have to change the leadership in the White House," he said. "Of course, we should impeach and convict Dick Cheney first, which we can easily do just based on Halliburton." However, Conner wouldn't want to commence impeachment proceedings if it were going to jeopardize our nation's defense. He called my attention to his campaign web site, which he said "describes in detail what I stand for," particularly detailed proposals to end the war in Iaq and fix the federal budget deficit.

Conner's opponent, Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield), has turned down an offer to debate Conner on television (on Channel 7 in Dayton). However, Conner faced Hobson in an endorsement interview by the Columbus Dispatch recently and at a candidates forum in Beavercreek this morning. Conner said that Hobson did not address the Mark Foley emails or the inadequate response by Republican House leadership in either venue.