Analysis: Hastert Learned From Wrestling

House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Ill. meets with reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington in this Feb. 3, 2006 file photo. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook, File) (Dennis Cook - AP)

To some extent, Hastert cashed in a huge pile of political chips he collected over years of steadfast loyalty to the White House, the sort of stalwart partnership earlier presidents learned to expect from another Illinois Republican, Bob Michel.

So when the beefy, affable speaker lumbered to the microphones in his hometown of Batavia, Ill., Thursday, to confront the issue head-on in the most public setting imaginable, he admitted, "The buck stops here."

That was a day after telling the Chicago Tribune he thought his problems mostly were result of a conspiracy by opportunistic Democrats led by Bill Clinton and millionaire fundraiser George Soros.

The Thursday news conference was vintage Hastert: substantive but not flashy. He doesn't live in the sort of comfort zone that former Speaker Tip O'Neill developed in front of the cameras.

The strongest hit he could put on those pesky Democrats?

"Maybe they're resolving to, another way, to, to another political tactic," he said, and then the news conference was over.

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EDITOR'S NOTE _ Laurie Kellman has covered Congress for The Associated Press since 1997.