Bob Ney to stay the course

Mephisto

Philosopher
Mephisto
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Apr 10, 2005
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Congressman Pleads Guilty but Won’t Resign for Now

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 — Representative Bob Ney, the first member of Congress to confess to crimes in dealings with the lobbyist Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty to corruption charges Friday but said he would not immediately resign.

Mr. Ney, Republican of Ohio, announced last month that he intended to plead guilty, admitting that in return for official acts, he had accepted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from Mr. Abramoff that included lavish trips, meals and tickets to concerts and sporting events. He faces a prison term of more than two years.

But what had not been expected at Friday’s court hearing was Mr. Ney’s disclosure that he intended to remain in Congress for now. The announcement appeared to surprise and infuriate House Republican leaders, who are trying to tamp down other scandals that are threatening to damage the party in next month’s Congressional elections.

After learning that Mr. Ney would not step down immediately and would continue to draw his $165,200-a-year salary, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders said they would move to expel him as soon as Congress returns next month for a postelection session.

“Bob Ney must be punished for the criminal actions he has acknowledged,” they said in a statement. “He betrayed his oath of office and violated the trust of those he represented in the House. There is no place for him in this Congress.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/14/us/politics/14ney.html
 
I guess this ISN'T a good example of how "staying the course" might not be a good idea? ;)
 
An honest Republican (essentially, yes I did it and I will hold out for a chance to do it again!!! ) at last!!!!!
 
The really sad thing is that he will still be able to collect his pension.
 
What does he have to lose by not resigning? Maybe he plans on taking a few more bribes and using that money to buy smokes in prison?
 
$165K a year, and that's not enough? Damn, people are greedy.

I'd be perfectly satisfied with $165K a year. To prove it, we should conduct a test. You send me the money, and I'll send you nothing, and after a year we'll see who's happier about it.
 
Questioninggeller said:
What does he have to lose by not resigning? Maybe he plans on taking a few more bribes and using that money to buy smokes in prison?
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Better save up for condoms - he's never going to have to worry about a "Governmental" probe again. ;)
 
TragicMonkey said:
$165K a year, and that's not enough? Damn, people are greedy.

I'd be perfectly satisfied with $165K a year. To prove it, we should conduct a test. You send me the money, and I'll send you nothing, and after a year we'll see who's happier about it.
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As I understand it, he wants to stay in as long as he can because he needs the money to pay legal bills. Since Congress is out of session, it won't have much effect on anything.

But I'm going to go a little out of line here and disagree with the SadSimian and others. Congressmen don't make enough. They don't make nearly enough. Heck, they don't make a fraction of what top (or even medium) corporate executives make. How can we expect to attract top talent to the job when they can make so much more in the private sector.

Let's face it, being a Congressman is a job that puts you in the spotlight all the time, and roughly half the people in the country hate you. (Actually, a lot more than that, since typically people hate all Congressmen except the ones they voted for.)

So who the hell wants to run for Congress? I see that it attracts two major types.
1) Power addicts
2) Crooks
And of course, the combination.

My plan to combat this is to pay Congressmen a million dollars a year. They don't get pensions or health care (they can afford it with that salary), but most of all, they are not allowed to take any campaign contributions from any individual or group larger than, oh say, $200. Nada, zip, zilch. This makes it incredibly easy to track campaign wrongdoings. If you got any significant money, it's illegal.

Campaigns would be limited to two weeks before the election so you wouldn't have to waste money.

Yeah, I know it's only a pipe dream, but it seems like it would kill several birds with one stone. And let's face it. $700 million (or so) for honest government is a bargain.
 
Tricky said:
Not to give in to negativism, but I'm guessing the population of those who remember Spiro's sound bites is fairly small here. I was disappointed to learn recently that he didn't think them up himself.
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:) I'm sure I'm showing my age if I say that Agnew's sound bites were far less damaging that his golf swing. ;)
 
Mephisto said:
:) I'm sure I'm showing my age if I say that Agnew's sound bites were far less damaging that his golf swing. ;)
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Yep. You're old old old. You probably remember when Jerry Lewis was funny and Phyllis Diller was pretty.

But of course, Gerald Ford came along and made almost everybody forget about Spiro's fairway follies.

But of course, Cheney has set the bar way high for dangerous vice-presidents.
 
Tricky said:
So who the hell wants to run for Congress? I see that it attracts two major types.
1) Power addicts
2) Crooks
And of course, the combination.

.
Click to expand...

I think it also attracts the sincere optimist filled with integrity. Unfortunately, after that person arrives in Washington and sees how laws are made and understands how expensive re-election campaigns are, he falls into the two categories that you describe.
 
Tricky said:
You probably remember when Jerry Lewis was funny . . . snip . . .
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Jerry Lewis was NEVER funny - his timing was just right; his idiocy was just funnier than say . . . all out nuclear war. :)

To be fair, he's at least as funny as Gallagher who is a whole lot funnier than leprosy. ;)
 
Tricky said:
Not to give in to negativism, but I'm guessing the population of those who remember Spiro's sound bites is fairly small here. I was disappointed to learn recently that he didn't think them up himself.
Click to expand...

It is too bad NYT doesn't have any more like Safire. Maybe I just like him because he also coined the phrase of "congenital liar" for Hillary Clinton. :D

Another era passes away...


eta: no, I don't mean Safire passed away, just the era
 
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Tricky said:
Yep. You're old old old. You probably remember when Jerry Lewis was funny and Phyllis Diller was pretty.

But of course, Gerald Ford came along and made almost everybody forget about Spiro's fairway follies.

But of course, Cheney has set the bar way high for dangerous vice-presidents.
Click to expand...

LOL good one. I almost hit the "Nominate" button.
To quote Dickens: "Too full of adventure to be briefly described"
 
Mephisto said:
:) I'm sure I'm showing my age if I say that Agnew's sound bites were far less damaging that his golf swing. ;)
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IIRC, he developed a hook to ensure he only hit people on the left

Ba-dah-bump, tschh!!

I'll be here till Tuesday, remember to tip your bartender. :D

I too am old enough to recall the wit and wisdom of that wiley old tax dodger, and his excoriation of pusillanimous pussyfooters.

DR
 
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