Rep. Ney: 'If I'm indicted, I'm running'

The Hill ^ | January 19, 2006 | Jackie Kucinich

[Clintonfatigued]

Embattled Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) said Thursday he will run for re-election even if he is indicted for his connections to disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

[ken5050]

What he shoudl do, if he's indicted, is resign from Congress and then open his own lobbying firm..

[Clintonfatigued]

The arrogance and entitlement in his statement reflects badly on all politicians. I hope Ney loses even if he ins't indicted.

There are plenty of good conservative public officials who would make good replacements.

[eyespysomething]

LOL, I thought he meant running from the law....

[kindred]

Way I see it; the pubs have allowed the dems to destroy good men like Ney and Delay and for doing nothing that was illegal. You would have to build a fence and watchtowers with armed guards around the D.C. capital building if all the politicians who did EXACTLY THE SAME THING were indicted for taking moneys from the lobby's. I don't know if there would not be one politician not guilty of this same immoral act of accepting bribes; it is entrenhed amongst politicians and the worst are the dems by far and away.
What I hate about the Pubs is they lie and cheat same as the dems.

[Jack Ian]

Hey if DEM rep Alcee Hastings (FLA) can be impeached from a Federal Judgeship and still win a Congressional seat, why not NEY?

[AuH2ORepublican]

Ï think Republicans in the 18th District better start considering a primary challenge. The district gave President Bush 55% in 2000 and 57% in 2004, so the only way we'll lose it is if our nominee is tarnished by scandal.

[Reily]

What I don't understand is why these clowns when approached by lobbyists don't ask themselves the following questions:

1. Does it pass the 'Smell Test' ?
(Next is very important set of questions & you would think a politician would be sensitive to this !)

2. How will this interaction with a lobbyist play in the Washington Post? (Very important for GOP'ers given the Post's latent hostility!)

3. How will this interaction with a lobbyist play in the with the folks & the media back in my district?

I just think its plain arrogance ! They get here in DC, they stay too long and start to really believe they are a form of 'entitled nobility'. Its particularly true for democrats because of the 'I am morally & intellectually superior to the common person' mentality that is latent in liberalism. Also many democrats have no other life then that of professional politician. Legality unfortunately is irrelevant ! Appearance is ! Why put yourself in the bullseye !

Term Limits ! The GOP dropped the ball on this, lets not let them do it again ! 2 consecutive terms for Senate & 6 for the House ! Go back to your district get a job or at least be mayor, governor or county commissioner before you return to Congress. Another thing that would help is to past a federal election law to dramatically shorten the campaign season. No electioneering, money raising etc until 90 to 120 days before the election. Also end Congressional franking privileges! (Yes this would make incumbents harder to beat! BUT it would cut down the grubby money hunt which is what gets these clowns in trouble!) I think Term Limits is the optimal solution.

[Rudder]

I live outside of Cambridge...know of any viable candidates?

[Torie]

Ping

[Liberty Valance]

Let's see these politically fueled indictments first. Right now all we have is rhetoric.

[Kuksool]

Did you hear that Bob McEwen is going to challenge Jean Schmindt again in the upcoming OH-02 primary. If McEwen is such a great fighter for conservativism, then why does he run in the OH-06? After all, McEwen lost to Strickland in 1992. Winning the OH-06 would be a sort of vindication for him. But then, McEwen must miss all the perks that Congress offers and is seeking an easy way to obtain those perks via a Deep Red House District.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I'm not from Ohio, but these GOP state senators all represent part of Ney's CD:

John Carey (Jackson County)
http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/bios/sd_17.html

Jay Hottinger (Licking County)
http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/bios/sd_31.html

Joy Padgett (Coshocton County; she represents Cambridge)
http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/bios/sd_20.html

[AuH2ORepublican]

I think that the only part of the current 6th CD that McEwen used to represent is the eastern part of Scioto County that is in the district; remember, the 6th CD before 1992 was mostly the exurban turf between Cinci, Portsmouth and Columbus. During 1992 redistricting, the 6th was combined with much of the Ironton-to-Zanesville 10th CD, and was numbered as the new 6th CD. 2002 redistricting removed most of what was left from the 1980s 6th CD.

I think McEwen should concentrate on more productive pursuits than running divisive primaries against fellow conservative Republicans. I still find it highly suspicious that Hackett won such huge margins against Schmidt in the part of the 2nd CD that used to be represented by McEwen; I wouldn't be surprised if McEwen had been running interference in order to defeat Schmidt and be able to retake the seat in 2006.

[Clintonfatigued]

All three of those state legislators are eyeing the race.

[Republican Wildcat]

Can we get a primary opponent up there? This could be a disaster.

[Clintonfatigued]

There's still a couple of months. The Chairman of the Ohio GOP said that if Ney is indicted, the party would not support him in a primary.

The district has three Republican state Senators, all of whom are considering a primary challenge to Ney.

[Rudder]

Thank you.

[conservative_2001]

I think McEwen should concentrate on more productive pursuits than running divisive primaries against fellow conservative Republicans.

McEwen isn't running against a fellow conservative, he's running against Jean Schmidt. Mean Jean voted to raise Ohio's Sales Tax by 20%. She voted to raise Ohio's Gas Tax by 30% - you think gas prices are too low? She sponsored legislation to raise hotel taxes in Hamilton County and Cincinnati. She was a rubber stamp for Bob Taft's failed agenda. Bob Taft is no conservative. Jean Schmidt is exactly the kind of Taft-and-spend RINO who needs to be taken out.

I still find it highly suspicious that Hackett won such huge margins against Schmidt in the part of the 2nd CD that used to be represented by McEwen; I wouldn't be surprised if McEwen had been running interference in order to defeat Schmidt and be able to retake the seat in 2006.

McEwen actually campaigned for Schmidt. Mean Jean and her RINO supporters need to understand that she nearly lost a Safe R district because of Mean Jean, nobody else. She voted for Bob Taft's tax increases, she took gifts from lobbyists and failed to report them - the same crime that made Bob Taft a criminal, she voted for Bob Taft's failed agenda, and she ran a terrible campaign. We should not give someone so incompetent another chance to blow a safe seat.

[fieldmarshaldj]

While it sounds like Schmidt has a poor record on taxes, she certainly arrived in Congress with a bang, and standing up to that disgusting anti-American PIG Murtha took guts. However, McEwen isn't in much of a better position to be critical. McEwen is now little more than a gadfly since his inexcusable loss to Strickland in '92 in the first place (a seat that should never have gone 'Rat), and was one of those in the check-kiting scandal of the time (166 overdrafts). Desperately trying to get back a Congressional seat ever since is not terribly impressive. Like others have said, if McEwen truly wanted to help, he could try to get his old 6th seat back rather than trying to sandbag Jean Schmidt.