House Speaker John Boehner is unimpressed by former federal prisoner Bob Ney's criticism of him.
Boehner, R-West Chester, was lambasted in the former Ohio congressman's new book, Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill. Ney portrayed Boehner as being more interested in fundraising and partying than governing. Ney, a Heath Republican, described his fellow Ohioan as "a chain-smoking, relentless wine drinker who was more interested in the high life -- golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol."
More pointedly, Ney wrote that Boehner had promised in 2006 to help Ney find a new job and to help raise legal-defense fees if Ney resigned -- but then never delivered on those promises.
Boehner, in a Capitol appearance yesterday, brushed off Ney's criticism.
"This is a disgraced congressman who went to jail," he said. "He's made a lot of baseless and false accusations in order to try and sell a book. It's sad."
