Bob Ney Rips Away the Veil on Congressional Corruption

by Robert Wilkinson

Bob Ney, convicted felon who was part of the Jack Ambramoff scandal involving Congressional bribery and worse, just released a book where he exposes Speaker of the House John Boener's craven duplicity and more. If you're a political junkie, you'll want to read this.

We have this story courtesy of The National Journal. While many could attack the messenger, I did extensive blogging on this back in 2003-05 when the corruption was in full swing. Bob Ney was in the heart of a far reaching scandal, and I'm sure doesn't even give us the full story in his book. Still, it's a sordid tale of an alcoholic megalomaniac and his duplicitous fellow Republicans, right up to and including Karl Rove and W. From the article:

Ney’s most dramatic accusations are against his fellow Ohioan John Boehner, the man he once saw as his biggest rival to someday being speaker. He describes Boehner as “a bit lazy” and “a man who was all about winning and money. He was a chain-smoking, relentless wine drinker who was more interested in the high life--golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol.” He said Boehner “spent almost all of his time on fundraising, not policy.” He “golfed, drank constantly, and took the easy way legislatively.” Ney recalled Boehner handing out checks on the House floor and said his ties with a tobacco company were so tight that lawmakers could get free cigarettes from Boehner’s office. His golfing, Ney said, was “nonstop” and “paid for by lobbyists.”

Ney wrote: “If the Justice Department were ever to make John produce receipts for his addiction to golf just for the years from 1995 to 2004, he would be hard-pressed to comply. John got away with more than any other Member on the Hill.”

Here's more:

He blasts prosecutor Alice S. Fisher as “undoubtedly the most covert, manipulative, cunning, stealth, vicious, cold-hearted instrument of evil that Karl Rove and the Bush administration had.” He wrote that she “along with Alberto Gonzales, Andy Card, Karl Rove, and President Bush shredded the Constitution of the United States and did as they pleased.”

I haven't read the book, so don't know what isn't in there. I do know that Bob Ney was the fall guy for some really bad stuff beyond just bribery. He and Boener were Congressional Ohioans who were power players during the time when the Ohio Sec of State gave a pass to rigged voting machines owned and programmed by Republican controlled companies (giving W the 2004 election via Ohio) while Ney, Tom Delay, and their allies engaged in major league money laundering via rare coins and more. On the whole that tangled mess was one of the worst periods in American politics ever seen, and only now do we get a glimpse at the inside workings of the most corrupt administration in history.

Anyway, take a look at the article if you're so inclined. For me, it just brings back very bad memories of a time when the Constitution was shredded and we slipped into crypto-fascism as the administration wrapped itself in the flag. Every bad thing going on now can be tracked back to the Bush administration. They incubated and gave birth to the monsters now called American domestic and foreign policy. At least the beast will eventually die due to a lack of sustainability, though there will be wreckage along the way. This book seems to be a story of a tiny piece of that wreckage.

Copyright © 2013 Robert Wilkinson

ADD: Here's the WaPo story that just broke on this: Former Rep. Bob Ney skewers John Boehner: ‘I don’t hate him now’

Comments

[Renee]

Robert: You don't really BELIEVE this rampant corruption is all one-party-sided?

[Raynetoday]

Thanks for writing about this story, Robert; I'd have missed it if you hadn't pointed it out. Seems like forever since Bob Ney was news, doesn't it? Clearly still relevant, though, if he has something to share about Boehner and Rove who are both still wreaking havoc on our democracy.

[Robert]

Hi Renee - Well, a) I never heard of a Democratic Party appointed and controlled SCOTUS appointing a Democrat as President when the Republican won the popular vote (and the Electoral vote as well, had the law actually been followed.) b) I never heard of a Democrat-owned electronic voting machine company where the CEO openly stated his intention was to elect a Democrat by any means possible, or c) Dem-manufactured machines in a dozen states flipping votes away from the Republican candidate to the Dem. d) Never heard of a Dem Secretary of State in a state who stripped voters of their rights. e) Never heard of a Dem in charge of allotting voting machines send too few to Repub precincts and put the vast majority of machines in Dem precincts. f) Never heard of a Congressional Dem sent to prison for manipulating the DPS of a state into an illegal pursuit of Repub legislators to force a vote to do a mid-decennial redistricting in a state to Dem advantage, nor g) a Dem redistricting plan thrown out by Federal judges because it diluted minority voting rights. If you can come up with ANY examples of ANY of these things done deliberately by Dems to Repub or minority voter disadvantage, please post them.

To be candid, I believe the entire system is busted, and that everyone elected to national office has been bought and sold, one way or another. The game is rigged that way. The difference is that most corrupt Dems seem to be in it only for the money and perks; most corrupt Repubs seem to be in it for the money and perks, but also the power to strip us of our rights. And there are more corrupt Repubs than corrupt Dems by that measure.

Dems are not demanding vaginal probes, trying to deny women hormone medicines, stripping voter rolls illegally, or trying to roll back access to cheaper health care. Dems are not trying to eliminate Social Security and Medicare while enriching those who are already obscenely wealthy. Dems do not want to cut social programs while giving even more to the Pentagon and the war machine. And Congressional Dems have NEVER put "the full faith and credit of the United States" at risk to hurt us so other nations could take advantage of US economic weakness. That's quasi-treasonous.

So while there may be corruption in both parties, only one cares about governing the entire country while the other is torn between one wing that wants to destroy the US government and the other wing that wants to make the rich even richer and could not care less about the poor, infirm, and elderly.

Hi Rayne - My favorite political Sag!! (Well, other than Mark Twain, William Blake, and Jimi Hendrix!) Yes, Bob Ney went off the radar screen pdq after he was thrown under the bus by Rove, Cheney, et al. Glad you checked in. As you can see, I'm still at it occasionally, even though I find that O's policies are too much like W's for me to like at all. I am afraid the permanent government got to our president (as they would anyone elected to that office) and so he's going along to get along. ps - I'd love it if you'd email via the link on the lower left side. Tried to find you a while back, but you're a hard one to keep up with....

[Renee]

Dear Robert: Unfortunately, this political conundrum is not as clear-cut as you present it to be. What with all the rhetoric, propaganda, and lobbying on BOTH sides, one remains lost with no other alternative but to choose sides. All that I am saying, is that realistically speaking, neither side is exempt from despicable wrong-doing. And, I might add, to the appalling expense of the American people.

[Robert]

Hi Renee - So what part of how Dems and Repubs are different is incorrect and "not as clear cut" as I present it? Do you have any examples? I'm really not into the false equivalence that "both parties are to blame" for America's problems. That just isn't so.

I have been politically active for over 45 years, and know the political process inside out from my many years as a political consultant on both local and national levels, as well as my years in a bipartisan DC think tank. I know just how bad the problem has been and is through that experience. I have been a Republican, a Democrat, a Green, and an Independent. First and foremost, I'm probably an "environmentalist," in that if we screw up the Earth too much more, there will be a monstrous price to pay for the human race. And Republicans just want to "drill, baby, drill." That's suicide. We REALLY need a viable third, and even fourth party. That's why I've been on record for years that we need to double the number of Representatives and cut their salaries in half. That would be the quickest way to dilute the influence of lobbyists.

Plus remember - this is Republican Bob Ney busting his old colleagues. This is not partisan. This is an ultimate insider busting his corrupt cronies. This gets filed under "payback is a _____"

[Renee]

Robert: The system as we once knew it, is gone. Just awaiting a truckload of fresh dirt to cover and bury it. I do not mean to question your experience and knowledge of the government and political environment. I care to just simply convey my feelings of dismay and hopelessness as I prepare to "hand the baton" over to the next generation. I had hoped that at this stage of my life, I could proudly say that as an American citizen, we leave a better world behind.

[Robert]

Hi Renee - I agree that we're in uncharted political waters with rampant corruption and a privileged political class that doesn't care about much other than protecting its own perks. I also thought once we got rid of Nixon and ended Vietnam it would change, but then we got Reagan and the virus of the proto-neocons who mutated into the monster neocons in the late 90s that threw our world into unending war.

I may be dismayed, but I am not hopeless. Times change, as do political and social necessities. Soon we will enter an era of destabilization that will compel the politicians to follow the will and needs of the people or be swept away in a vast tide of global necessity. I also hoped that by now, well into my 60s, we would have a saner government.

Personally, I mark three great watersheds in the slipping away of the dream: the political assassinations of 1968 that brought us Nixon; the ruthlessness of the Reagan campaign/cabal that said it would never do deals with terrorists while cozying up to the Iranian Mullahs and Saddam Hussein and arming the death squads of Central America and the Mujahideen in Af-Pak; and the stealing of election 2000 by Papa Bush's appointees on SCOTUS that brought us into a time of perpetual war, rampant pollution and shredding of the Constitution, and impoverishment of the people. We can do better than this.....

[Renee]

Robert: I have not and will not spar this discussion point for point. I think we can both agree that this country is unrecognizable from the times that we both were born and educated. The blame game will not correct or help our present situation. I do, however, see your talking points as one sided and I refrain from tossing my own counter-points into the ring. Please do not read this as a lack of knowledge or substance as to my point of view. Let us pray that by the end of this Pluto in Capricorn transit, the United States as we now know it will begin to heal and grow proudly in the direction that was once the great leader and guardian of the entire world.

[Robert]

Hi Renee - I abhor false equivalencies. To equate both parties' behaviors as somehow both equal in messing up our country is a false equivalence. While there is corruption, one wing of the Republican party are anarchists who want to destroy government. That's seditious on the face of it. There are no Dems who are seditious. So if you consider my "talking points" - that gives you away right there - "one sided," then it is you who are viewing things through a predetermined lens, not me. I don't have talking points. I have facts. Disprove them if you can, but I doubt you can. If you have substantial knowledge that can serve as a counterpoint to what I have posted, then bring it on. I always welcome facts. Just realize that I know my history better than most, and my studies in "dependent origination" have served my critical thinking skills in the political arena. We'll never be "the great leader and guardian of the entire world." We never were, and the coming era is way outside that paradigm.

[debbie]

To me, this is Very pluto in cap and neptune in pisces, plus saturn in scorp forcing it to be revealed, all masks will fall to reveal the truth, nothing is possible to be denied, "the truth will out" with jupiter in gemini leading from the back and saturn will hold anyone unethical accountable and sadly this manipulation of the truth is present in the majority of organised groups to be in control, to me, thank goodness for uranus in aries, hopefully triggering some brilliant new ways for this world, the corruption in so many facets of human existence has been growing over many generations to the point that most believe it is the good and right way no matter what dogma they follow to me, training in one way or another to believe it is good, sadly reality bites and people will dispair, but only acknowledging and naming a problem or addiction,gives any chance of breaking it or changing it. Those who have been unfairly blamed or scspegoats will be cleared, those who avoided responsibility and had others cop the blame, likewise.

The warnings have been there and coming for over 25 years to do something but most who stuck their heads in the sand are finding that to do so the only result is suffocation.

To me it is very sad that it has come to this and no matter who and how the affect I feel nothing but compassion for the choices made, there is no way to fix it any more, the only solution is to deconstruct and rebuild and as nature requires humans to function as part of the global ecosystem in the way nature needs us to, its time we got over ourselves and recognise we are not in charge.

Just my venting as down here in Aus, it is no better just been better at projecting a false image of bravado to the rest of the world in my opinion, this B/S balloon is about to burst here too. Recently our state premiere finally settled wage negotiations with nurses after a long dispute, stating he was doing so because he had to, it was about people...its time he and all politicians woke up and realised this is not a game, this is not a dress rehearsal, this is about life, IT IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE.

[Beth in SoCal]

Thanks Robert.... posted to my Twitter feed: Watchdogsniffer;

[Sunshyne99]

I find many are leaving the system altogether, branching out into living off the grid. With whatever is really left. I do see for self,and is many such likened minds, and hearts, it is both sides, and won't deter from that,which sits quite clearly in mind. I did not vote, will not vote for any of this ever again. It is over. What else really is there to hold onto in such a system? Will a new "Party" really solve any of it. Yes, it certainly is about People. Will not Agree to just Agree either.

[caliban]

Enjoying this conversation. I remember a Ralph Nader interview when he said the people who don't vote because they think there is no difference between dems and reps are not paying attention. I am in a state that went to all rep rule last election. Legislation being passed is devastatingly different. More guns, refusal of federal dollars for mass transit, refusal of federal dollars for health care reform, cuts to education, eradication of workers rights laws, filling of wetlands, deregulating mining. The gov's argument is that we don't want federal money for social programs because we won't be able to pay for it in the future. Well, the environmental assaults . . . who will pay for that? I suppose my main achey about this is that govt officials are lazy. They like to throw money at things and pretend like it works instead of improving the systems. Health care is a current problem. Financial Bigs are a current problem. Why can't they man up and make it work? Oh right that would involve regulations, and yes there is obviously a reason they don't like rules.

The trickle down from the state level is verily visible in the behavior of local govt officials and the who's whos. It's as if they have been sanctioned to do whatever they want to the citizenry. Not pretty. [But some of them are starting to eat their own kind. Tee hee.]

I was really really upset about all this in the past, until I came to grips with 'this is the historic time I live in'. It isn't always easy.