Congressman Charlie Rangel the N.Y. Rep. of notoriety and house ways and means chairman took trips to the Caribbean in violation of house rules about funding of such trips.  While five other members of the black caucus group have been required to repay the cost of the trips, Rangel apparently has not.

The house ethics committee pressures him to resign the chairmanship.  He repeatedly brushed aside the charges of wrongdoings saying that he didn't know the trips were funded by "hidden financing" of corporate sponsors even though his staff using memos claims he was informed.  He claims he never saw the memos.   Should not the congressman step down at least until violation issues are resolved?  

The Ways and Means Committee is responsible for laws that set tax rates and oversees Medicare and Social Security benefits.  Congress has several expiring tax laws with which to consider this election year.  

This is not the only issue that entangles Rangel in wrongdoing.  Rangel has unreported assets each having values between $30,000 and $500,000 including a Merrill Lynch account, municipal bonds, a federal credit union account and a New York brownstone.  His use of official stationary for a fund raising effort for a college center represents yet another violation.

The Congressman is proposing that the draft be reinstated for all Americans saying that only those that live in poorer neighborhoods and those that are unable to get employment volunteer.  A claim disputed by a Heritage Foundation study.  According to the study 13 percent of recruits are from the poorest neighborhoods and that is less than the national average of people living in those neighborhoods.   Recruits with high school diplomas include 97 percent while the graduation rate is fewer than 80 percent for all Americans.   Blacks make up only 14.5 percent of military recruits, which has a national, average of 12 percent.

Our volunteer military is better educated and better off than the general population.  Today’s military is as patriotic as ever or more patriotic.  Many wounded servicemen recover and choose to return to the Iraq battlefield.  Many rigorously train to accomplish their return.  

After the seven hour plus health care summit the president and Rangel were hand-shaking buddies.  Mr. President, "Is ignoring Chairman Rangel's staggering array of ethics problems really, 'change we can believe in?'"