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July 31, 2010 in Nation/World
Democrats urge Rangel to resign from House
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., waves as he gets into an elevator on his way to a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington on Friday.
(Full-size photo)
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Friday called ethics charges against Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel “very troubling” and said he hopes the longtime lawmaker can end his career with dignity. Several House Democrats went further, urging the New York congressman to resign.
“He’s somebody who’s at the end of his career,” Obama said in an interview that aired Friday on “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.” “I’m sure that what he wants is to be able to end his career with dignity. And my hope is that it happens.”
Obama praised the 20-term Rangel for serving his constituents well but called the more than one-dozen tax and disclosure charges against him “very troubling.”
It was hardly an endorsement for the veteran lawmaker, but fell short of the calls for resignation Rangel received on the eve of the House’s August recess. As House Democrats headed home, they wrestled with how to handle the matter in their districts ahead of the midterm elections.
Republicans, meanwhile, raced ahead with plans to make Rangel the face of corrupt Washington under the rule of Democrats who had vowed to clean up Congress.
A House panel on Thursday made public for the first time 13 charges of misusing his office and tax and disclosure violations against Rangel, 80. If Rangel and the ethics committee do not settle the case, it goes to a public trial this fall, at the height of an election season.
Democrats calling for Rangel’s resignation included Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho.
Democratic leaders are urging their members to cast the election as one about a choice between their party, which under Obama has overhauled health care and Wall Street, and a GOP-tea party combination that wants to roll back these accomplishments.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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liarsinnews on July 31 at 6:53 a.m.
The republicans better look at their own crooks as well.
misjustice on July 31 at 10:01 a.m.
It’s time for Charlie to go…step down big guy and enjoy your retirement.
It’s laughable that the Rs want to run on this, as if they are the righteous party that does NO WRONG…does no one remember Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramhoff, Tom Delay (who still has not faced a judge, jury, or trial but danced his fancy pants off on Dancing With the Stars) ? Or how about David Vitter, still in government service down in the Cajun State, the guy that likes to have hookers change his diapers? Or how about Mr. Wide Stance, Larry Craig, from Ideeho, which after toe tapping in a public restroom looking for S-E-X was permitted to serve out the rest of his term (and preserve his retirement/pension)?
At least the Ds investigated Charlie, are going to conduct a trial and most likely more people in leadership positions are going to try and persuade him to step down…just because Ds said they were going to try and “drain the swamp” did not mean that no corruption would occur, just that when suspected would be investigated and tried; which is what has happened with Rangel.