Hastert Asks Ney To Step Down So GOP Can Talk About Lobbying Reform

by Steve

Gee, look what hit the late Friday afternoon news dump. Ohio GOP Representative Bob Ney, chairman of the House Administration Committee, and a man who is up to his neck in the Jack Abramoff scandal, is in discussions with Denny Hastert this afternoon to vacate his chairmanship ahead of a probable federal indictment. At least that is the official story being spread around.

In truth, the National Journal is reporting that Hastert wants Ney to give up the chairmanship so that the House GOP can introduce its own lobbying reform package before the Democrats do, without the disaster of Ney presiding over it as chairman of the committee that hears it, a chairman who is facing indictment.