Their trouble with Charlie
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/07/22/art.rangel.file8.gi.jpg caption =" Ten House Democrats have called for embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel to resign."]Washington (CNN) - The ethical complaints against Rep. Charlie Rangel have caused enough anxiety among House Democrats that ten caucus members have called for his resignation.
Although those ten members come from red states, blue states and swing states, the similarities among them are striking. While Rangel is popular on Capitol Hill, his history with these representatives is short - all rode into Congress on the 2006 and 2008 Democratic tidal waves. Six were elected in 2006, in the wake of Abramoff, DeLay and Foley Republican scandals with the Democratic House leader, future Speaker Nancy Pelosi, promising to "drain the swamp" of corruption.
The four members of the 2008 class came to Congress on the coattails of President Obama, who bragged repeatedly during the campaign about his work to pass "the toughest ethics reform legislation since Watergate" with promises of "transparency and accountability."
But beyond those campaign promises, or perhaps because of those promises, the looming Rangel trial in the fall weighs heavily on their electoral fortunes. According to the CNN 100 list of embattled House seats, eight of the ten members are in electoral trouble. Five were ranked as "Most Vulnerable." Those incumbents include: Rep. Mike Arcuri (New York), Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio), Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (Arizona), Rep. Walt Minnick (ID) and Rep. Zack Space (Ohio). Two others, Reps. Debbie Halvorson (Illinois) and Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania), are on the less perilous "Races to Watch" bottom half of the list.
Additionally, Rep. Paul Hodes (New Hampshire) is in a tight race to fill retiring Republican Senator Judd Gregg's seat.
Only two of the Democratic representatives calling for Rangel's head won re-election in 2008 with large margins and do not appear on CNN's list. They are Reps. Betty Sutton (Ohio) and John Yarmuth (Kentucky).
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...resignation and jail time are both warranted.
This nation needs senate and congressman term limits.....period....just pass this into law....get rid of old junk from senate and congress....keep fresh blood....and young...
The guy is a crook. Should be in jail with Bernie Madoff but is protected by the insitution called Congress !!!!
The trouble with Charlie is he's a Liberal idiot. Get rid of him.
What a disgrace! Charlie Rangel abused the powers of his elected office for decades. It's time for him to go, along with all the Democrats.
Wake up people! In November, vote American, vote Republican.
me too
what a greaseball
As a proud Democrat I have to say that it is time for Rangel to go.
Corrupt politicians must be purged from congress...regardless of party affiliation!
Go ahead people, break the law. Politicians do it. Illegals do it.
We seem to have reverse discrimination going on all over the place, so you might as well break the law.
DUMocRATS don't care, as long as you vote for them.
Now that Robert Byrd has passed on, Charlie Rangel is now the person who most represents the lack of values, ethics, fairness, and desire to advance this nation for all that the Democrat party stands for.
Ruben Navarette is an annoying beaner. Please tell him to gather his tacos and GTFO of my country if he doesn't like it.
But beyond those campaign promises, or perhaps because of those promises, the looming Rangel trial in the fall weighs heavily on their electoral fortunes
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WOW, so you're spinning this into it being Obama's fault?
Really?
I read your articles, as I do everything else, very carefully CNN, and your choice of 'irritant' words such as "the President bragged" serve but ONE purpose. You are helping to create, foster, and entrench this rightwing view that the President personifies any number of negative character traits.
When we had Chummy the Dummy for President YOU CNN knew how to act and maintain a sense of decorum and unbiased reporting. Not the case nowadays. The dumbest President to date took our country and our economy and used it to wipe himself, yeah, Bush again, and YOU CNN stayed classy. No so with this President.
It is quite one thing for the dirtbag, desperate, dictatorial Republicans to assume this stance towards him and our country, but for you to follow suit any chance you get is despicably irresponsible.
God knows if you'll print my previous post, but in regards to Rangel he needs to quit. Old geezer!
Resignation isn't good enough.....throw the crook in jail and enough of this do as I say, not as I do. Enough of the tax evaders.
He's a corrupt as they come. I'm surprised it took this long to bring allegations against this snake.
Why can't liberals man up like republicans when they are caught dirty and just resign. Corrupt crooks like Rangel and Waters are going to blame it on others. Another liberal trait.
If Rangel is still in Congress in 2010, it will speak volumes about the total lack of morality and ethical standards of President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress.
Democrats historically and consistently have been the party of Tax & Spend; they are now blossoming into the party of Steal, Cheat, Lie, and then Tax and Spend to sweep it all under the rug.
I have an ethical complaint about that haircut.
Drain the swamp Nancy drain the swamp.
Rangel has to go. He has violated the ethics rules. Plain and simple. Make him resign.
Any politician of any party that uses and abuses the system to his own gain should be fired immediately. There should be no buddy buddy system and all that crap.
"President Obama, who bragged repeatedly during the campaign about his work to pass "the toughest ethics reform legislation since Watergate" with promises of "transparency and accountability."
Oh... Wow... that's rich.... uhhhh... hurt my side laughing at that one
Kirkpatrick from Michigan is now gone, lost her primary. The ones who voted for nobama's spending are slowly but surely being shown the door and that goes for both parties.
Not a single Democrat should participate in the "bipartisan" criticism of Charlie Rangel.
There should not be any "bipartisan" anything until the Republicans either convert to democracy or dissolve their anti-American political party in favor of some semblance of what we want our political parties to stand for and our country to be.
The worst of Charlie Rangel is better than the best of the Republican Party.
He is a crook and should resin. He will surely hide behind the cloak of racism though. It should be no time until Jesse and Al come to the rescue.
If I were the Rethugs I would tread very, very lightly on this. After all, there is still time for another Republican to put his/her foot in it. So by all means, hold the man's feet to the fire, but be as fair as you would want the Liberals to be if Charlie Rangel was a Republican.
Yes times up Charlie. Thank you for your service in the Korean War and in Congress. But it's time for some new blood without the baggage.