Republicans turn up the heat on Charlie Rangel

 

Tax Cheat

Charlie Rangel’s tax problems have been well documented here in the past, I am not going to list them again. The fact that a man with such tax problems is actually the chairman of the committee that writes tax laws, and the fact that Democrats refuse to ask him to step down while he is under investigation, is a serious bone of contention with me. Equally frustrating is the Republican’s apparent lack of a backbone in forcing the Democrats to confront Charlie Rangel and demand he at least step aside until the investigation is over. Republicans with their inaction are just as guilty as the Democrats who have been defending this tax cheat, until now.

  Rep. John Carter has issued Charlie Rangel an ultimatum; either resign by next week or Republicans will introduce a resolution to force his resignation.

Carter’s press release was written with a certain get-out-of-town-by-midnight flair: Carter “says he will give Chairman Rangel until next week to voluntarily resign the chairmanship of Ways and Means, or he will introduce a Privileged Resolution to force his removal,”

  His reasoning:

To allow Mr. Rangel to continue to serve as Chairman is the same as allowing a confessed bank robber to serve as Chairman of the Banking Committee during the trial

  The chances of anything coming from this with the Democrats controlling congress are virtually non existant but at least Republicans are starting to take a stand. By forcing this issue Americans will be able to see where their representatives stand on this issue and vote accordingly in 2010.

  If nothing else comes from this at least it will serve the purpose of exposing those who are willing to overlook Charlie Rangel’s tax hypocrisy. If the House of Representatives is unwilling to take action perhaps the people will in the next election.