Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has proven yet again that you too can be a "C" student and rise to a position of power in American politics.

This time Hastert has decided that one judicial beatdown is not enough and that he's considering going back to the woodshed to be spanked again to defend the idea that Congressional offices are safe havens for felonious behavior.

Hastert said he believed Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was "in big trouble" and that the House would not be joining in support of Jefferson himself. But he said the House separately might seek to make clear its position that the Justice Department cannot randomly and wantonly search lawmakers' offices.

"The gentleman from Louisiana is in big trouble, as far as I'm concerned. And we're not trying to protect him," said Hastert, R-Ill.

"But there has to be a procedure for the Justice Department to come in and start just searching any congressman's office," he said. "We may take a fine line depending on how the negotiations are. There is a constitutional division there that we have to protect."

Well, if the Justice Department had "come in and start just searching any congressman's office," then Hastert might have a point. Unfortnately for Hastert, the Justice Department went to a judge and got a search warrant -- after the crook from Louisiana had ignored a subpoena.

Hastert would be wise to drop this issue and shut his mouth. In the wake of the "Dirty Duke" Cunningham scandal, this really isn't a position he should be pushing.