Meet Inmate # 28882-016:
Inmate # 28882-016 is 52 years old. He was born in Wheeling, WV, attended OSU, and has been married twice, with two children. He also has some crazy bad hair and a smarmy smile, but that's immaterial. He had a long career he enjoyed; it was profitable, and he was good at it. Sounds pretty average and benign, right?
But then Mr. 28882-016 fell in with the wrong crowd. He made some bad decisions, and eventually they caught up with him. He betrayed everyone who had ever trusted him, betrayed the very purpose of his long and storied career. Today, Mr. 28882-016 reported to federal prison to begin a 30-month sentence on felony charges.
And I'm jumping with joy that this menace is off the streets.
Who is this man, and why do I harbor such a deep dislike for him? This man who has apologized, admitted his guilt, and sought treatment for addiction? The man who, in a farewell letter yesterday to friends, said, with complete disregard of basic grammar rules, the following (emphasis mine)?
as garth brooks said in his song the dance:
and now i'm glad i didn't know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go
our lives are better left to chance,
i could have missed the pain,
but i'd have had to miss, the dance
Bob Ney: Give. Me. A. Break.
First of all, it's called your shift key. You even have two of them. Find one and use it.
Second of all, I'm not going to feel sorry for you. You broke the law, and you're paying the price. You say you understand and accept that, and that's good. You say you want to seek help for your addiction issues, and that's also good. But you made a mockery of our system of representative democracy when you took bribes from Jack Abramoff and his crew. You laughed in the face of every person who'd ever voted for you when you jetted off to Scotland for a free golf game in violation of House rules.
Even worse, you did all of this with such blatant disregard for ethics and honor that - forgive me if I sound harsh - I can't be sure if what you're really sorry for is what you've lost (power, money, status) and not what you did.
That leads into the 'third of all' - the lines I've bolded above from your choice Garth quote makes it sound like I've got you pegged. You'd have "had to miss, the dance [sic]" in order to "have missed the pain"? Translation: couldn't be a politician without getting myself into this mess. That's how it reads to me, anyhow. So yeah, I have my doubts about your sincerity.
Readers of this blog know that I've had little sympathy for Ney as this story has developed. We don't, of course, yet know the extent to which he cooperated with investigators by rolling on co-conspirators; but short of that sort of complete reformation, I don't plan on changing my opinion of him any time soon.
I'll close with some words from Inmate # 28882-016 himself. Enjoy his farewell letter in its glorious entirety (grammatical atrocities are his and his alone):
Text of Ney's last e-mail
hello,
i will not have access to e mail so this will be my last for awhile. i wanted to drop you a short e mail to give you my address:
robert ney
inmate number 28882-016
fci morgantown
446 greenbag road
route 857
morgantown, west virginia 26501
i also wanted to thank you for all you have done for me and my family. your kind words, thoughts, and prayers throughout the last six months have helped all of us quite a lot.
someone asked me the other day, if i wish i had never ran for office. i answered that i am glad that i did. nothing can erase the wonderful memories, thoughts, constituents, and changes that we, working together with the republicans and democrats, have been able to do. working to bring jobs to the district, helping constituents with issues, and trying to change law to help people has been the greatest memory ever.
would i change things if i could, sure. am i sorry for things that happened, absolutely, and i will pay the price. but, i am grateful for many good people in our office that helped the district and grateful for a free nation, the men and women that protect it, and a wonderful constituency in the district that i used to serve.
my family and i have lost everything on an economical basis, house, health care, possesions, but so have other people, people in the district, many, have lost all. and yes , that is painful for anyone that has gone through it, but, i am so fortunate to have my wife and children, we are so rich with family, friends like you, loved ones that are there for us, and full of hope for a good future.
the darkest days are not ahead, i have gained a higher power, the god of my understanding, is with all of us and that allows me to view tomorrow, although as a day of loss of freedom, as a day of enlightenment and of life to come.
as garth brooks said in his song the dance:
and now i'm glad i didn't know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go
our lives are better left to chance,
i could have missed the pain,
but i'd have had to miss, the dance
my family and my life is starting new, thanks for being part of it.
god bless,
bob ney
