Written by CA Political News on August 31, 2009, 04:47 PM
Rangel should resign Second brush with financial scandal should end his time in Congress
Buffalo News (NY), 8/31/09
Charlie Rangel always has been an entertaining congressman. And not to damn him with faint praise, an effective one, too. But the New York City representative, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is having a problem with his numbers as they relate to the truth. He now can be neither entertaining nor effective. He needs to go. If he wont, Speaker Nancy Pelosi needs to push him.
Its the same old story for Rangel, who last year reluctantly acknowledged what he described as an inadvertent failure to report $75,000 in rental income for a beachfront property in the Dominican Republic. Then, many critics including this page called on him to step down from his chairmanship, at least until his professed innocence could be established. He didn’t.
Now, it gets worse. Newly-filed disclosures show that Rangel failed to report at least half a million dollars in assets in 2007. They also show that his net worth is between $1 million and $2.5 million, or about twice what he claimed in 2008.
This would be cause for uproar over any elected official, but when that official heads Congress finance and tax committee, it is intolerable. Once could be a mistake; an unlikely one, to be sure, but it is possible. The odds of simple error fall to near zero when it happens twice, and when both times are in your financial favor. Wed feel better about it if he accidentally paid taxes on more than he is worth, rather than less.
This is no longer just a problem for Rangel. Its a problem for Pelosi and all House Democrats, including Brian Higgins of Buffalo and Louise Slaughter of Fairport. Its a management problem now because Rangels shortcomings can and will be used to undermine the Democratic majorities claim to power. And why not? If Democrats are willing to put up with this kind of behavior from one of the chambers most powerful members, they will have asked for an Election Day spanking.
This is Pelos’s sternest test. She should give Rangel a week to do the right thing and then, if he doesn’t, she must.
They do not give a .... anymore. They know you know who they are and it doesn't matter. They are 'street thugs' mixed with fornicators, adulterers, liars, all wearing and looking the best in their $1000 dollar suits...or more. They are sitting mighty....that's what they want. They WILL be torn down when God says they come down....He just wants us to see the spectacle. And...it may be a slow, nasty tumble but It WILL happen.
Barbara Dumler
You never hear any of this on the network news! Most people are too busy with their everyday lives to even know what is going on. I'm sick to my stomach thinking about what is going on and frustrated to not know what to do about it. I'm sure that my emails are not read or if they are, I'm probably put on their list. I don't feel that anyone is listening to their constituents. How do you get the news media to do their jobs and report both sides? Everything that I have been reading and hearing makes me really worried. If you talk about it to a Democrat they dismiss you. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It's our Country, our freedoms, our constitution that is at stake! How do you get people to wake up? P.S. We need to get rid of Pelosi also!!!!!! Thanks for listening.
Connie
Pelosi does not see anything wrong with Rangel, she is just as crooked as he is. Those minor details about fraud are OK as long as it concerns a fellow democrat.
We are truly stuck with the bias of the news outlets that never show the REAL STORY.
Dave
Their "Dirty" little secret is they all protect each other. Not only the political socialist hacks like these two but the media and press. None of them will allow if at all possible any of their fellow marxists to fall. The white house, halls of congress and the press are rife with marxists. They have control now and have given you and I the finger my friends. Tough s... to us they are saying, we will do as we please. The absolutely frustrating and sad thing is there are more socialist thinking dumb nuts voters in this country with their hands out. They all act as though they had a lobotomy. Almost all of them could not quote one full line from the D of I or the Constitution. What a bunch of dumb cluck, nipple sucking idiots we have.
Lynne
I agree with most upstanding, honest people that old phrase "be sure your sins will find you out. We all make mistakes. We hope they are not always the same ones and not on purpose decisions over and over again. They live in a fish bowl that hasn't been cleaned out enough. The water is getting murky, very, very murky. When will they have trouble breathing? They can levy taxes on all their constituents but if you are an Obama leader you get to avoid them, a free pass. Do as I say, not as I do. Be careful though. Congress: be sure you're sins will find you out. Santa Clause is comin' to town. He's makin' a list. Checkin' it twice. Gonna find out whose naughty and nice...he sees your sleepin, awake, bad or good, BE GOOD!!!!
Wiccanwolf
Being Rangle, this is no big surprise! I expect the left not to pay their fair share, to lie, steal and deny anything they have done is wrong.
Daniel Lechliter
Yes, that hipocrite Rangel should resign and that political embarrassment Pelosi should follow him!! Dan L.
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