Democrats blame economy for ignoring ethics

Washington Times:

A renewed ethics probe of Rep. Charles B. Rangel of New York poses an embarrassing distraction for House Democrats, as the Ways and Means Committee that he leads will oversee House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plans for an $825 billion economic rescue and a tax increase on wealthy Americans.

The slow-moving investigation of Mr. Rangel's home finances, unpaid taxes and dodgy fundraising is now in the hands of Rep. Zoe Lofgren, California Democrat and the new chairman of the Committee on Standards and Ethical Conduct.

She has not signaled whether the committee will take up the probe begun last year or start anew. Either way, the inquiry overshadows Mr. Rangel as he takes a key position, as head of the House's tax-writing panel, in tackling the recession and a looming battle over tax increases.

"It is more of a distraction because of the economic shape we are in, and so much of it is before his committee," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

...

Ethics are a distraction?????

Democrats are becoming pretty brazen in using the economy as an excuse for bad policy, but they are also using it as an excuse to ignore bad or illegal conduct by Rangel and others.

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