“Unless they find $90,000 in his freezer, like they did with Jefferson, we’re going to wait [for the outcome of a House ethics probe],” said a Democratic aide familiar with Pelosi’s thinking on the matter.
Staffers say the speaker has been so focused on the health care battle that she simply hasn’t devoted much time to Rangel’s recent troubles – and there’s no push among House Democrats to heed the fire-Rangel cries of Republicans, the New York Times, Washington Post and Buffalo News.“She hasn’t even spoken to the congressman about this latest episode,” said a close Rangel associate, referring to recent published reports that the 78-year-old Rangel underreported his assets by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The speaker is totally behind him, and she told him that the last few times they have spoken,” the person added.
When Pelosi said she wanted "to drain the swamp", she was referring to Republicans, not tax cheats or bribable representatives.
As long as they keep adding bits of unreported income, the Ethics probe will never be completed, and Mr. Rangel can continue doing the people's business unfettered. The bottom line is that everybody loves Charlie. It would be a shame to let the facts of the case spoil such a wonderful success story. Maybe we can suspend ethics rules for congressman over the age of 75. Sounds like a bipartisan deal to me!
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