Today Charlie Rangel has decided to step down from his Chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee.

From the New York Times:

He was one of five members of the black caucus who accepted trips to attend business seminars in Antigua and Barbuda and in St. Maarten organized by the Carib News Foundation, a charity affiliated with a Caribbean-focused newspaper in New York. The conferences had been underwritten, however, by corporations like AT&T and Verizon.

The ethics committee admonished Mr. Rangel, even though it said it did not have proof he knew of the corporate sponsorships. But two members of his staff knew, and the panel said he should be held accountable.

Mr. Rangel and the other lawmakers who attended the seminars were told to repay the cost of the trips, about $11,800.

But the erosion of support for him among Democrats most likely stems from the investigations into more serious accusations, including that Mr. Rangel had failed to pay federal income taxes on a vacation property he owns in the Dominican Republic.

The ethics inquiry about Mr. Rangel started in September 2008 after reports that included assertions that he was renting four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem at a price well below market value, despite rules forbidding House members from accepting gifts worth more than $50.

So why does it matter? Some might say that trips to the Caribbean are “no big deal.” That owning a vacation home in the Dominican Republic is “not a big deal.” That living in inexpensive housing is “not a big deal.” However, Mr. Rangel has been in congress for 40 years, long enough to know better, and certainly long enough to know whose pocket to pick to make those 40 years pay for themselves.

Of course AT&T and Verizon benefit from Mr. Rangel being in his position and if he doesn’t get to experience such junkets he might decide he has had enough time in Congress. One has to wonder if Mr. Rangel is in Washington, who is renting his vacation property to create income that he needs to report. Could it be that other lobbyists or corporate contacts rent his property? What kind of favorable treatment have the owners of the rent controlled apartments received? How much more of this is going on that we have not discovered?

All of this comes after we have all ready opened an investigation into Governor Peterson’s activities peddling influence and we begin to see a pattern. One has to wonder why the media has not dug into this story after the way Governor Palin was run out of office with similar charges.

Then one of the most unusual statements. From the New York Times:

“Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat of California, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, issued a statement warning that Mr. Rangel’s decision to step aside could set a “precedent” that would pressure House members facing ethics investigations.”

“We regret that Chairman Charles Rangel is taking a temporary leave of absence during this very critical time in our efforts to turn the economy around,” Ms. Lee said. “We recognize that Chairman Rangel did not want this matter to be distractions from our efforts to create jobs and revitalize our economy. However, we remain concerned about the precedent this sets for the House of Representatives that the political climate is such that a member would feel the need to step aside, even temporarily, during an ongoing proceeding.”

It seems to me that no one is above the fray. San Diego Congressman Duke Cunningham sits in jail today for similar activities. Speaker Tom Delay stepped down because of similar comments, though latter no charges were ever filed. Governor Palin spends her time now on Fox News instead of the Governor’s Mansion in Alaska. This is a sword that should cut both ways, if serious accusations are being filed and the ethics committee finds merit in them you should lose your chairmanship. You should be asked to resign and return to the private sector and you should be asked to obey the law. After all Mr. Rangel ran for the job and has been elected for 40 years. If he doesn’t know the rules, shame on him. If he doesn’t like the rules, don’t serve. If you cannot keep your fingers out of the cookie jar, then you should be prosecuted.