Heroic Washington cronyism

Remember when Marilyn Musgrave defended Tom DeLay?

Musgrave issued a statement, calling DeLay "a talented leader (who takes on) Washington's unwillingness to reform." "I support Tom DeLay because of his success and stewardship in creating change, which, as a result, have made him a prime target for several slanderous claims," the statement read. "Instead of debating the merits of substantive policies that are helping Americans in their daily lives, MoveOn is playing a game of distraction by creating ever-changing accusations about Leader DeLay."

No joke.

Now another one of her cronies, Bob Ney, is out of a job. Here's how John Boehner convinces these people to do what he wants:

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) met with Ney last week to urge him to step aside, reminding him that with a son in college and a daughter nearing college age, he will need money, according to several congressional Republican aides. If he lost his House seat for the party, Boehner is said to have cautioned, Ney could not expect a lucrative career on K Street to pay those tuition bills, along with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees piling up.

Wow! Now that's standing up for the integrity of the institution! Heroic leadership! I wonder how he gets Marilyn to say "yes."

Oh yeah, and Marilyn Musgrave only took $5,000 from Bob Ney.