Pelosi Privately Tries Pushing Rangel Overboard

Considering his immense girth, the worst Speaker of the House in American history may need a forklift to help toss this guy overboard.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday privately pushed Rep. Charlie Rangel to give up his chairmanship of the influential House tax-rules committee amid explosive revelations that his personal tax filings were riddled with errors and omissions, a well placed source said.

Rangel, the Democratic chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, has been resisting growing calls to step down from the high-profile leadership role since The Post reported the Harlem congressman failed to disclose rental income from his Dominican Republic beach home.

Rangel subsequently admitted owing at least $10,000 in back taxes and became a target of Republican political attacks.

One member of the New York congressional delegation who supported Pelosi's decision said, "You have to have one standard - you can't have one for [Republicans] and one for us."

Rangel himself remained mum on his sitdown with Pelosi after exiting a later, separate meeting with fellow Democratic committee members.

"I am unable to say anything," he said before bizarrely rattling off his name, rank and serial number from his Korean War days. "Do to me what you want, I'm not talking."

Sounds like he's losing it. A nice long rest on the Dominican beach may be just what the doctor ordered.

If the Republicans are smart, and that's often a big if, they start an ad blitz with Rangel as the poster boy for Democrat corruption.

Considering New York State may well be in play in the presidential race, it can't hurt to try.

Pelosi now claims she's undecided on Rangel's fate. Just a hunch, but I say he'll be gone by week's end.

Previously.

Instapundit links. Thanks! Thanks also to Hot Air for the link.

Update: Looks like Pelosi will let Rangel slide and will instead conduct a Wall Street witch hunt instead. How convenient.