From CNN Ticker Producer Alex Mooney

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, should stop 'dodging tough questions' about his handling of former Rep. Mark Foley's questionable emails with a House page.

"It's disgraceful that Speaker Hastert and the Republican leadership didn't stand up for our children and do the right thing when they learned about the problem years ago, rather than a week after it became public," Dean said in a statement responding to Hastert's press conference. "They chose to protect Congressman Foley and their party instead of the victims. Americans don't want to see finger pointing from the Republican leadership; they don't want to see the Speaker dodging tough questions. They want to see the people involved unequivocally stand up, take responsibility for their failures and investigate immediately."