Republican candidates in Ohio need all sorts of things right now. A cameo appearance from Bob Ney isn't one of them.
You remember Ney. He's the Ohio Republican who agreed back in mid-September to plead guilty to criminal charges in the Jack Abramoff case. Ney didn't step down from his seat in Congress then, nor did he step down when he actually entered his guilty plea in federal court on Oct. 13. Ney said he had work to do in closing his congressional office -- that he wanted to take care of some staff matters and ensure that his constituents' concerns had all been resolved.
Proving that his sense of timing is every bit as strong as his sense of integrity, Ney tells CQ that he'll finally submit his resignation by the end of the day today -- just four days before the midterm elections. "I have completed the loose ends," Ney said. "I'm done with everything I wanted to complete."
What Ney didn't say: "Thank you, taxpapayers, for the more than $22,000 in salary I've collected since I agreed to plead guilty."
According to one recent poll, Democrat Zack Space holds a 25-point lead over Republican Joy Padgett in the race to start collecting that salary next.
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