Sometimes, it’s helpful to take a step back and see the forest for the trees. Consider, for example, what we’ve seen from Republican members of Congress today<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Rep. [tag]Bob Ney[\/tag] (R-Ohio) pleaded guilty<\/a> today to corruption charges stemming from his role in the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a written statement, Ney said, “I never acted to enrich myself or get things I shouldn’t, but over time allowed myself to get too comfortable with the way things have been done in Washington for too long.” It was a bizarre defense — particularly in light of the voluminous evidence<\/a> that shows that he did<\/em> act to enrich himself and get things he shouldn’t have taken.<\/p>\n Rep. [tag]Jim Kolbe[\/tag] (R-Ariz.) became the subject of a federal criminal investigation<\/a> stemming from a camping trip the congressman took 10 years ago that included two teenage congressional pages.<\/p>\n Sen. [tag]George Allen[\/tag]’s (R-Va.) name has been discovered<\/a> in 1974 court documents in Virginia, possibly stemming from an unreported arrest. According to Greg Sargent, who spoke with the clerk at the Albemarle Circuit Court, the reason for the record could be anything from an unpaid parking ticket to an arrest warrant.<\/p>\n Rep. [tag]Chris Shays[\/tag] (R-Conn.) inexplicably announced his belief that the abuse at Abu Ghraib did not count as torture<\/a>.<\/p>\n