Monday, December 01, 2008
Amid the promise and youthful vigor of a new administration, Congress faces an old problem — and one that, till recently, has dogged Republicans far more than Democrats.
Unfortunately, Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is fast proving an embarrassment to the very party that, in the past two elections, has soared to victory partially on calls for public integrity.
The hard truth is that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her lieutenants had better address the matter quickly or risk inaugurating a new era of double standards.
For the past several years, we’ve called as we’ve seen it when it came to the utter corruption and conflicts of interest displayed by Republicans in charge, involving everything from prostitution and lewd behavior to kickbacks to the most abysmal abuses of power.
Voters’ verdict: Well-earned exile for Republicans, beginning with their loss of both chambers of Congress in 2006, followed by their impending departure from the White House.
Now Rangel promises to represent the same problem for Democrats. Funny business includes his villa in the Dominican Republic, for which he paid no federal taxes despite $75,000 of rental income. Also serious: Allegations he reversed himself as a lawmaker to aid the high-powered CEO of Nabors Industries who pledged $1 million to a New York City school of public service to be named for — who else? — Charlie Rangel.
The Senate was originally poised to junk an offshore tax shelter for several companies, including Nabors Industries, only for Rangel’s committee to sink the move, reportedly saving Nabors tens of millions of dollars and shorting the federal treasury more than a billion dollars over a decade.
Rangel, 78, protests his innocence, but the evidence appears damning. Pelosi insists any action regarding the longtime congressman — a pillar in the Democratic Party — be postponed till an ethics committee concludes its work early next year.
Wise? Hardly. Specifically letting Rangel keep chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee — and at a time when the integrity of lawmakers is absolutely vital in the thick of the ongoing financial crisis — is not only foolhardy, it’s hypocritical.
Comments
By mec
Dec 2, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
"Or Ted Kennedy blocking off-shore wind projects...."
Hey! That's the only good thing Ready Teddy has ever done. Those wind mills do nothing but ugly up the countryside and make it look like the set of a bad 1950s science fiction movie. The power they produce comes no where near their cost in fossil fuels and depletion of raw materials. They convert scenery and wildlife habitat in to giant junkyards. Too bad the Hero of Chappaquiddic doesn't live in northwest texas.
By Joe Deegan
Dec 1, 2008 9:20 PM | Link to this
Problem is Republican voters hold their politicians to a higher standard than Democrat voters. Many stay home when their candidates misbehave. If the Democrats would follow our lead, we might get better government.
Don't expect this anytime soon.
Joe
By Art
Dec 1, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this
Sheesh, give Rangel a break....it's not like he has admitted to doing drugs on a regular basis, nor hung out with domestic terrorists!
By Mwalimu Daudi
Dec 1, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
I wonder if the Waco Tribune-Herald is suffering a growing case of buyers remourse.
Barney Frank is not the only snake in the Washington grass. What about the corruption of Mr. Obama, who was in the pocket of a slumlord named Tony Rezko? Or Nancy Pelosi using her influence to divert public funds into her husband's businesses? Or Chris Dodd's sweetheart deals with housing lenders? Or the pants-down Presidency of William Jefferson Clinton? Or Ted Kennedy blocking off-shore wind projects because they will mess up his ocean view? Or Al Gore consuming enough electricity to run a small industrialized country?
How many years do these Democrat scandals have to stew before even the Waco Tribune-Herald will sit up and take notice? Or do they have to switch to the GOP to start the investigative juices flowing?
By Mike Kelley
Dec 1, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this
The (liberal) media have a rule about these things. If a Republican is accused of something bad, his party is trumpeted in the headline. If a Democrat is so accused, his party is only mentioned in the body of the article, if at all.
One of the most obvious instances of press bias I have seen lately was coverage of the House seat formerly held by Mark Foley in Florida. Foley was held out as poster child for the Republican Party before the 2006 elections when news came out about his pathetic emails to a page. Foley's successor, after running on a "family values" platform, was caught up in a messy sex scandal before the recent election. Did anyone but Fox News even mention it? With help like this, it is amazing the Democrats ever lose an election. Luckily, the public is getting so jaded about media bias that it will be harder and harder for the press to sell their lies.
By Steve
Dec 1, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
Democrats' albatross? Perhaps back in the day when we had a national media that didn't let the approved narrative determine which facts were suitable for public view. If that day ever really existed.
By mrbill
Dec 1, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
Well, along with William Jefferson, Chris Dodd, Kent Conrad, Barney Frank ...et al
By LogicalUS
Dec 1, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
Republicans are only more noticeable because they are forced to resign. In the Democratic party corruption, scandal and shady connections are resume enhancements. Nancy Pelosi has funneled billions of dollars to her husband defense firms, Harry Reid has used his positions to make public lands private which amazingly end up in the hands of his relatives, Barney Frank badgered as a racist every auditor whom attempted to bring the light the crisis at his boyfriends, Freddie Mac and had a gay brothel being run out of his DC condo by his then gay boyfriend, and William Jefferson had $90K in marked bribes found in his freezer.
ALL are not only still serving but have are in key leadership positions, with server tasked with oversight of messes which they helped cause.
Hell, the "messiah" himself rode corrupt slumlords to power in Illinois and used them to acquire his present home.
Democrats are the corruption we can believe in.
By Spinoneone
Dec 1, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
"No man's life, liberty, nor property is safe while the legislature is in session."
Mark Twain
Seems like nothing has changed in 200+ years!
By David
Dec 1, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
"Problems of integrity......has dogged Republicans far more than Democrats." ????? The Republicans with miniscule to major problems crash and burn with every help from the Democrats who douse them with napalm. Meanwhile, Democrats drown, assault pages, cause banks to crash, leak defense secrets, house gay escort services, rob Freddie of millions, keep unions away from their grapes, etc. and the Democrats circle the wagons and protects them like William Jefferson is the Prince of New Orleans.
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