Washington Wire

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire column looks like it has turned into... a weblog:

Washington Wire : Regularly Updated Political Insight and Analysis From The Wall Street Journal's Capital Bureau January 13, 2006 6:08 p.m.: Speaker's News Scoop: House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office late Friday emailed Washington reporters a news bulletin from Roll Call reporting that Hastert was considering removing the scandal-tarred Rep. Bob Ney as chairman of the House Administration Committee. Some reporters received the email ahead of the Capitol Hill newspaper's own email of the story.

Ney, an Ohio Republican, hasn't been charged with anything but features prominently in the scandal surrounding former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges Jan. 3. Ney's office says the congressman has done nothing wrong, but Hastert's spokesman Ron Bonjean confirmed to Roll Call that the speaker and Ney have had recent discussions about Ney's role at the Administration Committee, which is responsible for the operations of the House. The speaker can't oust Ney from the chairmanship. But he can ask House Republicans to vote to do so when they gather Feb. 2 for a leadership election to replace House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who had to forfeit the second-ranking House post upon his indictment in Texas last September. Amid the scandals embroiling congressional Republicans, both the House and Senate leadership are scrambling to make ethics and lobbying reform a priority. --Jackie Calmes