Bush's (New) Go-To Guy

Once overlooked, DENNIS HASTERT is now seen as key to the President's agenda--and even his survival

Hey, speak, you rented your tux yet?" George W. Bush asked House Speaker Dennis Hastert as he walked into the Oval Office a few hours before the state dinner with Mexico's President last week. Bush couldn't resist firing another one at his guest: "Make sure you don't get one of those powder blue ones."

Hastert chuckled--but only briefly. Hastert and his House Republicans want the President to do more to help the economy, like pass a capital-gains tax cut. "We want to make sure the economy is getting better so people can see it by next summer at the latest," Hastert...

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