Stabbed in the Back!

Loyalty. Doesn’t it mean anything anymore?

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) has gone out of his way to make life better for his chosen successor, Joy Padgett. When he announced that he would not seek reelection, he endorsed the Ohio state senator to follow in his footsteps. And when he agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts last Wednesday, he delayed the announcement delayed until Friday so as not to affect Padgett’s chances in the special election to replace him as the Republican nominee in his district. (Padgett won handily.)

But how does Padgett reward Ney? With this statement:

Congressman Ney’s admission of guilt to serious charges requires his immediate resignation. That being said, it was my expectation that Congressman Ney would have by now resigned his office in the United States Congress. I am calling on him to do so immediately. Failing that, Congress should take action to expel Congressman Ney as soon as possible.

Now, according to unnamed Republican Congressional aides, all Ney wants to do is draw a pay check. He doesn’t want to cause any more trouble. He just wants to stick around a little longer to pay his legal bills.

But Joy Padgett’s political instincts appear stronger than her loyalty to the man who gave her a shot at the big time. How fickle is a friendship that vanishes because of a few bribes?