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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Reps. Rangel and Waters in trouble!!!

Well we largely know about Rangel's troubles. I think I posted about his recently, he had to resign his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means committee this year. He could face an ethics trial as well, Democrats are calling for his resignation:
The calls for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign are piling up as the congressman's ethics trial threatens to loom large over campaign season.

The tally of House Democrats calling on Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign his seat in Congress stood at eight as members adjourned for the August recess late Friday. That number includes Rep. Mike Arcuri (D-N.Y.), the first Democrat from Rangel's home state to call for his ouster.
 ...
And so far, every House Democrat who has called for Rangel's ouster faces a viable Republican challenger this fall.

The resignation calls began more than a week ago with Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio), who heads back to her district with the recognition of being the first House Democrat to call on Rangel to resign.

After Sutton, most House Democrats held their fire throughout the course of the week leading up to Thursday's ethics committee hearing. On Wednesday, Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), who represents one of the most conservative districts in the nation, became the second Democrat to call for Rangel's resignation.

Minnick was followed by Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio), John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) and Zack Space (D-Ohio).

"We've heard Charlie in the Ways and Means Committee, and he's addressed these charges. He never denied they happened. He always has an explanation. You can excuse one or two, but not 13," Yarmuth said in an interview with the Lousiville Courier-Journal.
I highly doubt that any member of the Congressional Black Caucus is calling for his ouster. They probably should and hopefully put up a candidate who can take over for Rangel if he may at worst be removed from Congress. Well perhaps I'm a little too optimistic here.

As for Maxine Waters from California:
A second House Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, could face an ethics trial this fall, further complicating the election outlook for the party as it battles to retain its majority.

People familiar with the investigation, who were not authorized to be quoted about charges before they are made public, say the allegations could be announced next week. The House ethics committee declined Friday to make any public statement on the matter.

Waters, 71, has been under investigation for a possible conflict of interest involving a bank that was seeking federal aid. Her husband owned stock in the bank and had served on its board.
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Both Waters and Rangel are prominent members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the trials would be an embarrassment for the group. Dual ethics trials would also be a major political liability for Democrats, forcing them to defend their party's ethical conduct while trying to hold on to their House majority.

While Rangel is a former chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, Waters is a prominent member of the House Financial Services Committee.

Waters came under scrutiny after former Treasury Department officials said she helped arrange a meeting between regulators and executives at Boston-based OneUnited Bank without mentioning her husband's financial ties to the institution.

Her husband, Sidney Williams, held at least $250,000 in the bank's stock and previously had served on its board. Waters' spokesman has said Williams was no longer on the board when the meeting was arranged.

Waters has said the National Bankers Association, a trade group, requested the meeting. She defended her role in assisting minority-owned banks in the midst of the nation's financial meltdown and dismissed suggestions she used her influence to steer government aid to the bank.

"I am confident that as the investigation moves forward the panel will discover that there are no facts to support allegations that I have acted improperly," Waters said in a prior statement.
WOW!!!! This is an AP article and they make the connection! This would be a problem for the Congressional Black Caucus. I just hope that well they won't remain silent for long. Hopefully they'll come out forcefully and not merely just defend their two long time members.

The first article is via Instapundit!

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