Our own interests in Turkey might be harmed. The request from the White House was perfectly justifiable in terms of Realpolitik, if only in terms of Realpolitik. Henry Kissinger would understand. As for Speaker Hastert, he stood at attention and saluted. He shelved the resolution at once after word had arrived from his commander in chief.
Orders are orders.
The speaker did more than requested. He told the rest of us to shut up, too. Dennis Hastert's is a new and interesting definition of patriotism, at least for Americans. There was a time when the essence of being an American was that we could stand tall, look anybody in the eye, and say what we thought. Without worrying about how to hold our mouths just right.