Spin Cycle

Out to prove that Congressional Democrats in the Age of Obama will display the same ethical decreptitude that stalwarts like Tom DeLay brought to the table, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has apparently decided she doesn't need to hear from her own committee to greenlight Charlie Rangel's non payment of taxes and alleged servicing of a fatcat donor with a tax loophole.

Various aspects of Rangel's ethical slovenliness -- which has also featured maintainence of multiple rent-controlled apartments, including one (illegally) as a workspace, enjoyment of tax benefits by claiming two difference cities as primary residences, and using his Congressional letterhead to raise money for a private foundation -- is theoretically being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. But, reports the NYPost:

"Rep. Charles Rangel said yesterday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised him he will keep his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee as long as he wants - even though investigators haven't completed their report on ethical allegations facing the Harlem Democrat.

" 'She told me I am her chairman of the Ways and Means Committee as long as I want to be,' Rangel boasted to reporters at a ribbon-cutting for the new East Harlem School.

"The surprising comments came as other members of Congress raised questions about whether Pelosi had improperly communicated with the House Ethics Committee despite strict rules against such contact.......

"Pelosi said in a press release last week that she 'had been assured the report will be completed by the end of this session of Congress,' despite rules baring the ethics panel or any staff for the panel from discussing an ongoing investigation......

".....In Manhattan Monday night, Pelosi was asked if Rangel would keep his chairmanship and she said 'that's up to [House] Ethics,' before adding, 'He'll be OK.' "

Maybe when she takes a break from ignoring her own committee and the rules that she is supposed to be enforcing, she'll have time to explain to the rest of us why we should have to pay our taxes when her tax-writing pal doesn't pay his.

It's not, after all, a private club where Nancy Pelosi reigns as Queen. It's supposed to be our House of Representatives, isn't it?

It would be interesting to find where our stalwart and courageous LI representatives stand on all this. Do Steve Israel and Tim Bishop and Peter King and Carolyn McCarthy think it's fine for their leaders to only report the income they feel like reporting?