SAY NOE TO NEY

Way back on May 28, I posted my first Coingate blog, "GOP COIN THIEVES IN OHIO... AND SOCIAL SECURITY" and a few days later, on June 3, followed up with one called WHAT'S KEEPING OHIO'S BOB NEY OUT OF PRISON? I've tried to keep everyone up on the GOP's-- and specifically Ohio GOP's-- mind-boggling culture of corruption. I was really excited today to find out that the worst, and most corrupt, of Ohio's dreadful Congressional delegation, Bob Ney, is now facing a serious Democratic challenger: Chillicothe Mayor Joe Sulzer.

After DeLay, Ney is probably the closer to indicted GOP criminal Jack Abramoff than any other congressman, and certainly one of the primary beneficiaries of the ill-gotten money Abramoff has been strong-arming people for (as part of DeLay's "Pay-for-Play" Congress). Like fellow right-wing extremist Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Ney is awash in bribes, not just from Thomas Noe but from corporate sources far and wide. His own website brags that he "is currently ranked the 11th Most Powerful Member of Congress" and he uses that power to enrich himself.

Joe confirmed on Wednesday what progressives and clean-government types all over Ohio's 18th Congressional District had been hoping for; he's in the race. Joe's going to be running on 3 main themes: fiscal responsibility, getting U.S. troops out of Iraq and ethics in Congress. A Vietnam veteran, Joe has a temporary website up already-- www.joesulzer.com/-- and a message about why he's running, as well as a couple of words about his disgraced opponent: "Bob Ney has spent far too long doing the bidding of his special interest donors and his party leadership has forgotten that he works for and speaks for us. At a time when Washington and Columbus is swept up in ethical charges and investigations, we need a congressman who will bring more integrity to Congress – one who will be getting headlines for providing better health care or better jobs for our district, not for ethics scandals and investigations."

Go, Joe, go! If you want to send him a donation: Joe Sulzer for Congress
P.O. Box 165
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601