"I see no reason why Mr. Rangel should step down."
That's the quote from Nancy Pelosi regarding the flap Charlie Rangel finds himself in over his failure to disclose earnings made on property he owns, or once owned. From the NY Post:
Embattled US Rep. Charles Rangel will not give up his plum leadership position on one of the most powerful committees in Congress, his lawyer said yesterday.
Despite growing calls for him to step aside as chairman of the tax-law-writing Ways and Means Committee - because he failed to report rental income from his Dominican Republic hideaway on his own tax returns - Rangel will stay put as the House Ethics Committee investigates his personal finances.
"Mr. Rangel has not considered, nor has it ever been on the table, that he would step aside from his current position as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee," said the Harlem Democrat's lawyer, Lanny Davis.
"He has no intention of leaving that position, even on a temporary basis."
What's all the hullabaloo about? Oh, not much except the fact that he failed to disclose the following on his financial disclosure forms:
* The congressman's Sunny Isles, Fla., condo was purchased in 2004 for $335,000 and listed as a rental, although he didn't report income on it. He then sold it in 2007 for a $60,000 profit, but didn't list the sale, as is required.
* He never disclosed, as mandated, the sale of his Washington, DC, home in 2000. Property records list the price as $500,000.
* He only sporadically listed rental income for a West 132nd Street home. Then, when he unloaded it in 2004, he didn't report the sale. The home's value was listed as less than $100,000 in 2002; in 2004, Rangel said it was worth $250,000 to $500,000.
* The value of his personal portfolio fluctuated wildly without explanation. The investments he reported grew from $50,001 in 2000 to somewhere between $177,000 and $530,000 in 2001. In 2002, he reported new holdings worth $115,000 to $315,000.
If any one of us pulled this crap, we'd be arrested, tried, convicted, and we'd be in jail for a very long time. What does Rangel get for his crimes? He gets to continue sitting on the Ways and Means committee, as it's chairman, and the Democrats circle the wagons around him to protect him. This is the sort of status quo that ticks off the average American. This is why John McCain and Sarah Palin want to lead this nation. They want to clean up the cesspool of Washington, DC.
The Democrats don't. That's evident because Rangel still has his job. William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson still has his job despite the fact he's under indictment for bribery and corruption. When a Democrat gets caught in a no-no, they don't face the music. They get protection. If Nancy Pelosi really meant what she said when she became Speaker -- that this would be "the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history" -- then Charlie Rangel would be off that committee, and out of the Congress.
HT to JammieWearingFool
Publius II
Embattled US Rep. Charles Rangel will not give up his plum leadership position on one of the most powerful committees in Congress, his lawyer said yesterday.
Despite growing calls for him to step aside as chairman of the tax-law-writing Ways and Means Committee - because he failed to report rental income from his Dominican Republic hideaway on his own tax returns - Rangel will stay put as the House Ethics Committee investigates his personal finances.
"Mr. Rangel has not considered, nor has it ever been on the table, that he would step aside from his current position as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee," said the Harlem Democrat's lawyer, Lanny Davis.
"He has no intention of leaving that position, even on a temporary basis."
What's all the hullabaloo about? Oh, not much except the fact that he failed to disclose the following on his financial disclosure forms:
* The congressman's Sunny Isles, Fla., condo was purchased in 2004 for $335,000 and listed as a rental, although he didn't report income on it. He then sold it in 2007 for a $60,000 profit, but didn't list the sale, as is required.
* He never disclosed, as mandated, the sale of his Washington, DC, home in 2000. Property records list the price as $500,000.
* He only sporadically listed rental income for a West 132nd Street home. Then, when he unloaded it in 2004, he didn't report the sale. The home's value was listed as less than $100,000 in 2002; in 2004, Rangel said it was worth $250,000 to $500,000.
* The value of his personal portfolio fluctuated wildly without explanation. The investments he reported grew from $50,001 in 2000 to somewhere between $177,000 and $530,000 in 2001. In 2002, he reported new holdings worth $115,000 to $315,000.
If any one of us pulled this crap, we'd be arrested, tried, convicted, and we'd be in jail for a very long time. What does Rangel get for his crimes? He gets to continue sitting on the Ways and Means committee, as it's chairman, and the Democrats circle the wagons around him to protect him. This is the sort of status quo that ticks off the average American. This is why John McCain and Sarah Palin want to lead this nation. They want to clean up the cesspool of Washington, DC.
The Democrats don't. That's evident because Rangel still has his job. William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson still has his job despite the fact he's under indictment for bribery and corruption. When a Democrat gets caught in a no-no, they don't face the music. They get protection. If Nancy Pelosi really meant what she said when she became Speaker -- that this would be "the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history" -- then Charlie Rangel would be off that committee, and out of the Congress.
HT to JammieWearingFool
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 10:45 AM
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