Rangel steps aside

Rep. Charles Rangel reluctantly relinquished his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday after being admonished for violating House ethics rules by accepting trips paid for by corporations.

Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had pledged a scandal-free Congress when Democrats took control after the 2006 elections, had minimized Rangel's offense, his support in the party caucus crumbled amid rising Republican criticism.

The trips for which Rangel -- and four other black caucus members -- were cited are relatively minor infractions. The ethics committee said it had no proof Rangel knew of the corporate sponsorships, but two members of his staff knew and the committee said he should be held accountable.

But Rangel, the most powerful black in Congress, faces more serious allegations, including fundraising, his failure to pay income tax on property he owns in the Dominican Republic and reports that he was renting rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem at a price below market value.

The ethics committee investigation of those matters has dragged on for years. While the charges remain unproven, the fact that the chairman of the House tax-writing committee would become entangled in questions about unpaid taxes and sweetheart deals is discomforting.

Such concerns, though, hardly fazed Rangel, a wheeler and dealer and key player in the Democratic leadership, especially on taxes and health-care reform. He claimed to be stepping aside temporarily, a contention at variance with House rules.

While Rangel's departure as chairman complicates House Democrats' agenda, his exit was necessary unless the party wants to further boost Republicans' electoral chances by handing them an ethics scandal as an issue.