More From Republican Smear Machine

lifted from Kevin Drum.

Josh Marshall links today to the latest smear from House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Lloyd Grove reports:

"You know, I don't know where George Soros gets his money. I don't know where — if it comes overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from," Hastert mused. An astonished Chris Wallace asked: "Excuse me?" The Speaker went on: "Well, that's what he's been for a number years — George Soros has been for legalizing drugs in this country. So, I mean, he's got a lot of ancillary interests out there." Wallace: "You think he may be getting money from the drug cartel? "Hastert: "I'm saying I don't know where groups - could be people who support this type of thing. I'm saying we don't know."

And I think maybe George Bush got tossed out of the National Guard because he crashed a plane while he was high on coke and then spent the next five months in Alabama in a rehab center. I mean, we just don't know, do we?

As Kevin aptly points out, Hastert is not an overweight filmmaker or an anonymous blogger. He's the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the third highest ranking Republican official in the country. In fact, he is the third highest ranking official of the government, period.

This is what the leadership of the Republican party has become.

And as I've said before, find me an example of a member of the Democratic leadership doing things like this and I'll post it here and denounce it.