Referring to his interview with House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), in which Hastert said he would not resign as speaker over the scandal surrounding former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), Fox News Radio host Griff Jenkins, on the October 5 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson, boasted that Hastert is “on the offensive” and added that "[t]he old wrestling coach ain't down." Jenkins later expressed dismay that Hastert didn't “go into the George Soros stuff and really blame the Democrats” for the Foley scandal during the interview.

Jenkins told Gibson that he “talked to a guy [Hastert] who's got his confidence back and he's fighting back.” Gibson later mentioned that Hastert had “sort of intimated that others had this information [on Foley] -- I suppose political operatives -- before he heard about it" and asked Jenkins: “Has he said any more about what he meant by that?” Jenkins replied: “No,” but then added that he had “hoped” Hastert would “come out and go into the George Soros stuff and really blame the Democrats” for the Foley scandal. Jenkins then claimed that Hastert believes “this is all political[ly] motivated shenanigans” and that House Republicans “can put the Democrats on the defensive by making them answer to that question.”

Neither Gibson nor Jenkins mentioned that ABC News investigative reporter Brian Ross has said that his original sources -- to the extent they had partisan affiliations -- were Republicans, or that The Hill newspaper reported that a House Republican aide provided Foley's alleged emails to the media.

From the October 5 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:

GIBSON: Before Hastert held his news conference today, he spoke with Griff Jenkins of Fox News Talk Radio about the scandal that's threatening his own job. Take a listen.

HASTERT [video clip]: I don't think that it will do good if I fold my tent and the others in the Republican leadership would have to fold their tent too. That wouldn't be a good thing. And, you know, I think we need to turn this thing around, we need to fight.

GIBSON: And Fox News Talk contributor Griff Jenkins joins me now. Griff, is he aware of what Major [Garrett, Fox News correspondent] was just talking about, that there's internal polling that suggests that the Republicans will really suffer if he stays in the job?

JENKINS: John, let me tell you this, when I talked to him today, I talked to a guy who's got his confidence back and he's fighting back. He's on the offensive. The old wrestling coach ain't down. Not only that, at that press conference, you know, he said he would run again for speaker if they hold on to the majority.

[...]

GIBSON: Griff, he [Hastert] also said -- he sort of intimated that others had this information -- I suppose political operatives -- before he heard about it. Has he said any more about what he meant by that?

JENKINS: No, and I pressed him a little bit. I had hoped he'd come out and go into the George Soros stuff and really blame the Democrats, but I think that he does believe that, you know, this is all political motivated shenanigans, and he believes that they can put the Democrats on the defensive by making them answer to that question. And then meanwhile he can focus on the accomplishment in the record that he's set as speaker of the house.

GIBSON: Fox News Talk contributor Griff Jenkins, listen to him on Brian and the Judge, every morning on Fox News Talk Radio. Griff, thanks a lot.