More rats and scoundrels:
Representative Bob Ney, Republican of Ohio, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to his dealings with the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, lawyers and others with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday.
A guilty plea would make Mr. Ney, a six-term congressman, the first member of Congress to admit to criminal charges in the Abramoff investigation, which has focused on the actions of several current and former Republican lawmakers who had been close to the former lobbyist.
People with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Mr. Ney had entered an in-patient rehabilitation center in recent days for treatment of alcoholism, making it uncertain whether he would appear at a court hearing to announce the plea. Lawyers and others would speak only anonymously because of concern that they would anger prosecutors.
They said the agreement with the Justice Department — and the exact criminal charges, which are expected to include conspiracy and false statement — would be disclosed in Washington as soon as Friday and would probably require Mr. Ney to serve at least some time in prison.
We’ll see if he has the decency to step down from office, and how the rest of the House acts will be very telling.
In another note, if, by November, every voter does not know the names Abramoff, Cunningham, DeLay, and Ney, then the Democrats are just idiots.
HyperIon
obviously the alcohol made him do it.
once he dries out he’ll be the same high-principled guy he was when he got elected.
that he could deny and deny for months and then peddle this crap is amazing.
Punchy
What the fuck is up with Ohio? First, Traficant, now Ney…and a coupla days ago, Noe (with connections to the Evil Party) was also sentenced.
With this much corruption, I say we seal up the borders, and trade Ohio (and pray to God, we throw in Indiana, too) to China in exchange for our trade deficeit. I would further insist they turn OSU’s campus into a (bigger? dump…just like Cleveland.
DougJ
I like the bit from the Times article about the $34,000 he “won” in London on one of these junkets. His credit card debt at the time was exactly $34,000. (My congressman Randy Kuhl’s is over $55,000 — I wonder when he’ll have a big day at a casino.)
jaime
Clinton did it too.
Now that that retarded wingnut talking point is out of the way…
Tsulagi
You got that right.
I sort of expect a tearful Jimmy Swaggert type performance on the House floor from Ney mixed in with a little Rush. Claim you were innocently duped while having one drink too many then fell victim to prosecutorial activism. You know, the standard honor and integrity approach in taking responsibility for your actions by Republicans in the new millennium.
salvage
They seem incapable of capitalizing on any GOP mistake, big or small I have yet to see anything to suggest this election will be any different.
File under depressing but true.
DougJ
That’s right — what about all that money Clinton won gambling to pay off his credit card debt? That’s why he had to kill Vince Foster. And why he was too busy to chase Osama. Not that we should be worried about Osama. Even if he is a modern day Hitler.
Paul L.
Glass Houses, John
Don’t forget about William Jefferson (Democrat-LA), Alan Mollohan (Democrat-WV), Robert Menendez (Democrat-NJ) and Maria Cantwell (Democrat-WA).
Or George Ryan (Democrat-CHICAGO).
I now await the democrats who insist that Delay remain on the ballot to be shown as complete hypocrites when they replace Robert Menendez in NJ.
Zifnab
To paraphrase Nancy Grace, “Hang’m High”.
Keith
Don’t blame him. Blame the Tribble that latched itself to his formerly bald scalp and has been uploading evil thoughts ever since.
Zifnab
In 2002, the GOP blundered several times in policy but had such a strong national backing rhetorically, Democrats had very little political leyway for opposition. The fact that they didn’t even attempt opposition kinda hurt them too.
By 2004, the GOP had blundered even harder, but played a number of masterful strokes against Kerry, relying heavily upon incumbancy and negative attack ads. The Democrats, during the height of “We Hate Bush” fevor, failed to nominate a candidate to the Presidency that could do more than vaguely oppose Bush on policy. They still only lost the Presidential race by a handful of points and leaned heavily on redistricting and other political tricks to maintain their Congressional edge.
Now, in 2006, the GOP has fouled up monstrously. They’re losing support in deep red states like Kansas and Montana. They have no platforms left to run on. We’ve got Howard Dean as DNC chairman, Harry Reid as a pitbull of a minority leader, and a Democratic Caucus in the House chomping at the bit to take over.
I think we’ve got a good shot at this.
*knock on wood*
The Other Steve
I don’t think Republicans fully understand just how badly they’ve failed.
There was a article in today’s WSJ(sorry, I only have access thru work, but this talks about it.), that when questioned on the subject of whether Wal-Mart should be essentially forced by the government to give health benefits and pensions to employees, 52% said yes.
I don’t agree with that notion. However, I can see where the sentiment comes from… the breaking down the social contract that once existed between employees and employers. It breeds distrust, resentment, and in turn calls for Govt action.
The sad thing is, companies which hold faithful to the social contract do better. Companies that don’t, waste resources fighting pointless battles that add no value.
Pb
In a just world, I think they should either do that, or they should reimburse the gov’t and the people for–at the least–the amount that we’ve funded their lack of benefits.
RSA
Nice comment on the linked blog, TOS. I wonder how many readers will nod their heads in agreement.
On Wal-Mart, I think there’s the perception, whether true or not, that the company is gaming the system by having the state handle the health care needs of its employees, and that the 52% of people are saying, “Well, force ’em to do the right thing. They can afford it.”
Paul L.
I know you are disingenuous spinner The Other Steve. But the above post proves it to all.
Here is what your linked article says
So “subject to more scrutiny” equals “essentially forced by the government”
DougJ
Is Paul L. for real? Can anyone be that much of a Bushbot?
Andrew J. Lazarus
Paul L. is so out of it he didn’t notice that convicted ex-Gov. George Ryan of Illinois is a Republican.
Andrew J. Lazarus
(close tag left open )
jaime
None of the Democrats he named have been charged with anything and only Jefferson is under any formal investigation.
BUT OH MY GOD!!!! IF DEMOCRATS WERE IN CHARGE IT WOULD BE A DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tsulagi
The righteous fervor of Bushbots never fails to make me laugh. I followed a link above to a redstates post that cried their crocodile tears over a Sen. Maria Cantwell earmark. They were indignant.
Let’s see, a quick check shows that the nearly $10m in earmarks were pushed by both senators from WA to build a small dam to provide drinking water for some growing Seattle suburbs. What an evil project. Drinking water. Almost $10m for that vile purpose. What waste.
Those two senators need to follow the examples put forth by the great senators from AK and Don Young, an AK congressman. Now those three Republicans are the grownups. You think TardTubes Stevens’ hundreds of millions for bridges to nowhere really went to nowhere? Dem idiots.
This WSJ piece would set you straight. Those bridges led to undeveloped property owned by family and friends of the AK delegation. Now that is honor and integrity shown by true fiscal conservatives.
The Other Steve
Take your partisan insults and shove it up your ass.
Government scrutiny = force
Any real conservative could tell you that.
Assistant Village Idiot
Away for so long, and on my first visit it is the same as when I left. Name-calling and the clever putdown substitute for argument.
If government scrutiny really does mean essentially forced, then why not use the real words in your original comment. Hmm. Must mean you wanted to give a stronger impression than the actual data would dictate.
Yes, both Republicans and Democrats are going to be on the hook for this one, and a good thing, too. It might give both parties some cover, and hence some courage. The Democrats had most of the experience with corruption for a long time (still do in the cities, Republicans tend to go interstate and get their corruption from sectors instead of geography), but the Republicans have done a heckuva job catching up since 1994.
mrmobi
AVI: welcome back. Heckuva job indeed. If the Party of Torture doesn’t lose one or both houses in the election, we can all expect some rule changes making it kosher to stay in office when indicted, maybe even from prison.
Paul L: I completely understand your mistake about George Ryan. The Chicago media almost never indicate that Ryan is a Republican. Must be that liberal media bias.
I think that the Party of Torture’s corruption is good for Dems, but the public will tire of endless whining. Anyone could do better than this bunch, but it’s just not going to cut it to try and complain our way into office. Remember, too, that the newest swiftboating is about to begin. They have been very effective with distracting people with bullshit in the past, no reason to think anyone out there has gotten any smarter.
I’m really liking what’s happening right now with Lindsey Graham and others in the Senate. It appears that JAGs were forced to sit in a five-hour meeting until they signed off on the Bush POW interrogation guidelines. I’m sure there was no coercion involved. Graham and Kennedy want an investigation. See, bipartisanship is possible, it just doesn’t happen very often. Despite the fact that Graham was heavily involved in the Clinton impeachment proceedings, he has been solid in his anti-torture stance. Good on him.
Birkel
I’m voting in favor of the Dems being idiots.
Wha? That wasn’t your point?
Kimmitt
Aren’t most talking heads still pushing the “Abramoff directed contributions to both parties” line?
The Other Steve
Well certainly the dishonest ones.
Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke come to mind.
J. King
Newsflash–the Democrats ARE just idiots. They are also lazy, spineless, disorganized, stupid, and goddam near as corrupt as the power-mad Republicans.
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