Saving face: “Representative Number One” in the Abramoff indictment also happens to be the chairman of the House committee that will be charged with “reforming” the lobbying corruption. Even for Republicans, this was too much:
Rep. Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican implicated in a lobbying corruption investigation, said Sunday he will step aside temporarily as chairman of the House Administration Committee.
“Unfortunately it has become clear to me in recent days that the false allegations made against me have become a distraction to the important work of the House Republican Conference and the important work that remains ahead for the House Administration Committee,” Ney said in a written statement.
Maybe this is sort of like the way Rep. Tom DeLay “temporarily” gave up his position as majority leader.
