He is expected to shy away from the public rhetoric that Gingrich used but has the proven ability to move his Christian Coalition agenda through Congress. Perhaps the most frightening thing about Hastert is his close affiliation with House Majority Whip Tom DeLay , with whom Hastert shares both offices and staff. DeLay , a Republican from Texas who owned and operated a pest control business before taking his seat in Congress, is an unwavering conservative who helped author key measures in the Republicans' Contract with America. Like Lott and Hastert, DeLay has a zero rating on NOW's issues . NOW fears that Hastert is little more than DeLay's puppet in Congress, his role being to put a kinder face on DeLay's extremist agenda.
Many pundits agree with that assessment.
Certainly not the new Speaker. The shambling, amiable and popular Republican . . . Hastert, has risen from the ranks by hitching his wagon to . . . Armey also scores a big zero on NOW's evaluation of his voting record in the 105th Congress. While the impeachment crisis finally is over, we are far from happy days.