EDITORIAL: Rangel to be Trusted as Chairman of the Tax-Writing Committee?

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) should step down or be removed as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Rangel has displayed, at the very least, glaring ineptitude in the conduct of his own affairs, financial and otherwise. At most, he may have displayed a glaring ignorance regarding the kind of attention to ethics that voters clearly had hoped would occur when they gave majority control of the House to Democrats in 2006.

Democrats reportedly are fearful of setting precedent, of removing sitting chairmen before ethics investigations are complete or before they’ve been criminally charged. Others are concerned about Republicans using this as a campaign issue. The problem: Even if Rangel is cleared of any technical wrongdoing (which would surprise us), there’s still the matter of what we already know. And the campaign damage is already done, whether he stays on as chairman or not.

Read more: (Editorial, “Details, Details, Details: If He Can’t Mind His Own Affairs, Why Should Rangel be Trusted as Chairman of the Tax-Writing Committee?,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/17/08)