At first, there was just a lone Democratic voice, that of Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) calling on embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) to step down. And while it's hardly a deafening chorus at this point, the number of fellow Dems who feel Rangel should take one for the team is up to three. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) has now added her two cents, and so has Walt Minnick (D-ID).
"It is regrettable," Sutton said in a statement to The Hill newspaper, "but Charlie Rangel needs to resign from his seat in Congress. This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, this is about preserving the public trust. Our nation is facing extraordinary challenges and we must be focused on building a sustainable economy that will allow our workers and businesses to flourish."
In what comes as a real surprise, many of Rangel's constituents
in Harlem tend to agree that it's time for him to go. The New York Post offers perspective from the street uptown, where the sentiments range from "I'm very disappointed" to "It's long overdue."
Meanwhile, an irony in all of this is that the House ethics committee has recommended that Rangel receive little more than a slap on the wrist, calling for a reprimand, a mild form of punishment similar to that meted out to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich when he was rebuked in 1997.
Whether Rangel opts to do the expedient thing for his party and bow out gracefully or stay the course, he has already done Democrats a great disservice by continuing to make headlines that reflect badly on the party with just three months to go until midterm elections. Many party members would prefer a different topic for the national conversation right now as they attempt to shore up their campaigns and appeals to voters going into a difficult November.
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