The Daily Background

Almost a week after Republican Congressman Bob Ney’s secret agreement to plead guilty to multiple felony counts related to Jack Abramoff’s corruption (he is expected to actually formally plead in court in mid October), some Republicans are slowly calling for his resignation. But it’s not as clear-cut as it should be. At all. AP reports:

“He betrayed his constituents, he betrayed the body and there’s no place for him in the Congress,” said Rep. Deborah Pryce, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House.

House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, cautioned that Ney hasn’t formally pleaded guilty and could change his mind before his scheduled court appearance. He has said repeatedly that resignation is a decision for Ney and his family to make.

“Until he has his day in court, I don’t think it’s up to me to comment what he should or shouldn’t do.”

Are you kidding me? Oh my god. This is so illustrative of how the Democratic and Republican reaction to blatant corruption differs. Democrats have called for fellow Democrat William Jefferson to resign and have already stripped him of his positions even before he’s been indicted (which he will be– and eventually convicted–I am sure of this).

Meanwhile Republicans continue to shelter their own even after they’ve indicated they’ll plead guilty. I am appalled at this. That idiot Republican Majority Leader Boehner seems to think that the only way a House member can leave is by resigning. What in the hell is he thinking? The only people that should make the decision of whether or not Ney should remain in Congress are him and his family?! Boehner should jump be jumping up and down, swinging from the rafters of the capitol eager to rail against admitted corruption and be kicking the son of a bitch out of town.

I simply cannot believe that Boehner is making such a stupid stupid stupid move, obviously in the hopes of keeping Ney around for some last minute close votes– instead of throwing the bastard out like he ought to be, and holding a vote of no confidence (can you do this with a non-leader?), or impeaching him, or something. It looks terrible to be paying a salary to an alcoholic who has agreed to plead guilty to three felonies in an Abramoff related case– while the son of a bitch is in rehab!

In addition, what the hell is he talking about Ney “changing his mind” before October when he’ll plead? As I understand it, Ney has signed a contract with federal prosecutors agreeing to plead (the papers were filed in court last Friday), and there’s no backing out of it now.

I seriously hop Democrats jump on Boehner for this idiocy and make a huge deal out of it. What the hell is he even thinking? If this had happened a year ago when DeLay was still in charge of the House, I bet even he would have had his resignation in hand moments after he agreed to plea.

Filed under: Bob Ney, Abramoff Scandal, Z-TDB Blog