Target Dems Refuse to Relinquish Ringleaders’ Tainted Cash

August 11, 2010

FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following incumbent and challenger districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04); John Barrow (GA-12); Melissa Bean (IL-08); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); John Boccieri (OH-16); Leonard Boswell (IA-03); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Bruce Braley (IA-01); Dennis Cardoza (CA-18); Ben Chandler (KY-06); Jim Costa (CA-20); Lincoln Davis (TN-04); Chet Edwards (TX-17); Bob Etheridge (NC-02); Joe Garcia (FL-25); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL); Brian Higgins (NY-27); Baron Hill (IN-09); Tim Holden (PA-17); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Ron Kind (WI-03); Larry Kissell (NC-08); Rick Larsen (WA-02); Dan Maffei (NY-25); Jim Marshall (GA-08); Jim Matheson (UT-02); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Michael Michaud (ME-02); Walt Minnick (ID-01); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Ed Perlmutter (CO-07); Gary Peters (MI-09); Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); Mike Ross (AR-04); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Dan Seals (IL-10); Heath Shuler (NC-11); John Spratt (SC-05); Katrina Swett (NH-02); Harry Teague (NM-02) and David Wu (OR-01).

Edwards Refuses to Relinquish Ringleaders’ Tainted Cash
Texas Dem Fully Engaged in Three-Ring Circus Led by Embattled Benefactors Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters

Washington– Embattled Democrat Charlie Rangel took to the House floor yesterday in a dramatic attempt to defend himself against an array of charges brought by a House Ethics panel. And as he and his colleague Maxine Waters – who is facing her own charges – gear up for a potential trial, Democrats like Chet Edwards who have taken money from the duo are being thrust into the spotlight of their three-ring circus. As the theatrics continue and the Democrat caucus is thrown into further disarray, Edwards is quickly becoming part of the main show. And it’s no wonder Edwards feels he owes his embattled friends so much, according to Charlie Rangel’s own admission: Rangel is the guy that “was raising money in Republican districts to get you here.”

“By refusing to relinquish Charlie Rangel’s and Maxine Waters’ tainted cash, Chet Edwards is quickly becoming swept up by the corruption that has engulfed the Democrat caucus,” said NRCC Communications Ken Spain. “As the embattled duo continues to make a mockery of the ethical standards and the constituents they were elected to represent, Edwards’ refusal to give up the dirty cash proves he is part of the Democrats’ culture of corruption. With November’s elections looming, Texas voters will remember that Edwards pushed integrity to the wayside to stand with his corrupt friends.”

“On the macro level, the high profile nature of the charges against Rangel and his spirited defense create a potential hypocrisy problem for House Democrats in the eyes of voters. When Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) took over as Speaker of the House following the 2006 election, she famously promised to ‘drain the swamp’…And so, while it’s a near-certainty that most voters have never heard of Charlie Rangel outside of New York state, he can be used symbolically by Republicans to make the case that Democrats made promises they have not kept in office.

“There are few things that voters dislike more than politicians acting like politicians — saying one thing and then doing another. That’s particularly true in an election cycle like this one where voters are broadly skeptical of the status quo and openly disdainful of Washington broadly and Congress specifically.” (Chris Cillizza, “Charlie Rangel vows to stay and fight,” Washington Post, 8/10/2010)

With November’s Midterm elections looming, Charlie Rangel’s and Maxine Waters’ refusal to resign threatens to derail the Democrats’ fragile majority:

“In a defiant, dramatic and highly unusual speech, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) defended himself Tuesday against ethics charges by lashing out at the committee holding his trial, poking fun at President Obama, ridiculing conservative House Democrats and refusing to go away quietly…‘I am not going away. I am here,’ Rangel, 80, said in a rambling speech from the well of the House, during which he dared his colleagues to expel him.” (Paul Kane and Ben Pershing, “Despite charges, Rep. Charles B. Rangel says he won’t resign,” Washington Post, 8/10/2010)

“The committee announced Aug. 2 that an investigative subcommittee found reason to believe Waters had broken House rules and she would face an ethics trial. Waters appealed to have the charges dismissed, but her motion was denied. ‘I have not violated any House rules,’ Waters said in a statement. ‘Therefore, I simply will not be forced to admit to something I did not do and instead have chosen to respond to charges made by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in a public hearing.'” (John Parkinson, “Rep. Maxine Waters Faces Heat of Ethics Charges,” ABC News, 8/10/2010)

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