'I Think It Would Be Helpful If Charles Rangel Stepped Down'

Nancy Pelosi obviously doesn't have the guts to say this, but surprisingly enough, another Democrat does.

Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said Sunday that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) should step down from his chairmanship while an ethics investigation takes place.

Questioned by host Tom Brokaw on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, Udall initially cited the ethics process and demurred.

When pressed, though, he said that it would be “helpful” if Rangel stepped down.

“I think it would be helpful if Charles Rangel stepped down,” Udall said. “But he’s served the country well. We need his expertise, and I know, whatever happens, Tom, he will do right by the country.”

Udall tempered his comments, though, praising Rangel for his military service in the Korean War and his knowledge of tax issues.

Heh. His knowledge of tax issues? Like how to avoid paying them?

Udall is looking to win a Senate seat in Colorado, and obviously Rangel has become an issue, as well he should.

Udall is running against former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.) for Colorado’s open Senate seat, and both appeared on the Sunday morning program as a part of the program’s Senate debate series.

Schaffer suggested Udall should have been more forceful in denouncing Rangel.

“If you’re a member of the House, and the head of your tax-writing committee admits he doesn’t pay taxes, you’ve got to have the courage to stand up and say he needs to go,” Schaffer said.

Personally, I think it would be helpful if Rangel were held accountable for his crimes. But he's a Democrat, so he has special privileges.