Dennis Hastert, Ex-House Speaker, Dies at 84

Pro-establishment narrative

Hastert's abuse was monstrous, his prison term deserved and the apology, while given far too late, was owed. Still, a life can hold both real public service and private disgrace without one erasing the other. His long career of steady leadership steered the House through the terror attacks and delivered a prescription drug benefit millions still rely on, and that record deserves honest accounting alongside the complex and problematic aspects of his legacy.