Rangel’s Ethics Probe Damaging his Credibility

Nancy Pelosi has enough problems trying to keep her undisciplined caucus in line. She’s doesn’t need the additional headache of stripping Charlie Rangel, the long-serving Harlem Democrat, of his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means committee.

So Rangel ought to do the honorable thing and step down.

Given the continuing lapses in his personal finances, Rangel doesn’t have the credibility to serve as chair of Ways and Means, the committee charged with, among other things, setting tax policy. Over the last few years, Rangel has “forgotten” how much money he has —— several times —- and neglected to account for his wealth in required House financial disclosure forms. He has also failed to pay taxes on quite a bit of that income.

Read more: (Cynthia Tucker, “Rangel has No Credibility as Ways and Means Chairman,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/04/09)