Bill Kristol: Republicans Should ‘Just Shut Up’ About Charlie Rangel (Tax-cheat Charlie agrees?)

Mediaite.com ^ | 8/01/10 | Glynnis MacNicol

[Libloather]

Bill Kristol: Republicans Should ‘Just Shut Up’ About Charlie Rangel
by Glynnis MacNicol | 1:02 pm, August 1st, 2010

I’m not entirely sure this is the sort of support Charlie Rangel is ideally hoping for, but one imagines that after the President not-so-gently makes it clear he would like you to quietly exit stage left, this may be the best you can expect. On Fox News Sunday today Bill Kristol declared that the Republicans should leave Charlie Rangel alone.

I think Republicans would be foolish [to go on about Rangel]. They should just shut up. There’s a bipartisan effort, let the process go forward. They don’t need to jump on this. Believe me there are plenty of congressmen in both parties that have been imperial an arrogant….Demcrats are going to lose the house and suffer the loss of a lot of Senate seats because of their policies, just like Republicans did in ‘05 and ‘06. And I think the idea that Republicans should just go around throwing stones at Charlie Rangel is just foolish.

Meanwhile, on This Week, George Will speculated that the reason Rangel is getting so much more attention than the equally embattled Mark Ensign is because Rangel is more important. Sort of a double Catch-22. Watch Kristol’s segment below.

[Libloather]

RUSH: There you have it: 13 charges, ethics violations against Charlie Rangel. Here is -- between 2008 and the present -- the sum total of Rangel's responses to these allegations to date.

RANGEL: What are you talking about? You just trying to make copy? It's a dumb question.

RANGEL: Why don't you mind your own God (bleep)ed business?

RANGEL: Where I live and how I live? It's nobody's damn business where I live.

RANGEL: I don't pay too much attention to irresponsible reporters who report inaccuracies. False accusations have been made by a reporter.

RANGEL: Common sense dictates that members of Congress should not held responsible for wrongdoing.

RANGEL: I have to now deal with my lawyer as to what the hell do they mean.

RANGEL: Sixty years ago I survived a Chinese, uh, attack in North Korea and as a result -- having survived that -- I haven't had a bad day since. Today I have to reassess that.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_073010/content/01125112.guest.html

[bigbob]

If shutting-up gets him gone, let’s shut up.

I don’t see many Dems being willing to risk going under the bus themselves by supporting the guy just so he can survive to lie, cheat, and steal another day.

[Jeff Chandler]

Why shouldn’t the Republicans make hay out of this? They should attack the Democrat brand at every turn.

[donna]

Yeah, Republicans are so guilty themselves that they don’t dare speak against corruption.

[G Larry]

Obama wants Charlie gone, because he wants the issues off of the table.
Kristol want Charlie to stay to keep the issue ON the table.

[Balding_Eagle]

Kristols view is an example of why the (wanna be) Ruling Elites shouldn’t be trusted.

They are most intersested in protecting their own, or, (in this case) trying to gain favor with Those Who Rule.

[Brilliant]

The GOP has done a very bad job of making this an issue. They should follow the lead of the Dems back in 2006. It worked for them.

For example, I see the liberal media always bring up Delay, Stevens, Cunningham, Gingrich, etc. and say “The GOP has also had it’s problems with ethics.” The Republican interviewees invariably agree.

But they should point out that the key difference between those guys and Rangel is the word “former.” Those guys were all forced to resign shortly after there actions became known. The Rangel investigation began 3 years ago. No charges until now, and even those are just ethics charges. Where are the criminal charges?

The Dems certainly do not hold each other to the high standards that the GOP holds its members.

[chris_bdba]

I want the republicans to turn the tables on the dems about the “culture of coruption” in a more general fashion. Not just target one or two, apint them all with the same brush. From Nancy’s flower budget a month to Charlie and his cohrts ethics troubles. I think gerneralizing the problem causes far more damge than targeting Rangles does.

[GoMonster]

I agree don’t take bait about Charlie Rangle or Maxine Waters...it will be “white republicans” attacking “black a.k.a Marion Berry” thus will pump up black turnout for 2010..let it lie.

[Perdogg]

what was the context?

[Sacajaweau]

Imagine all the secrets Rangel has...aka...”stuff on everyone else”

[KansasGirl]

Kristol was defending Rangel on the Special Report panel the other day too. He wants Rangel to get a slap on the wrist.

[Libloather]

...what was the context?

Of what?

[Carry_Okie]

Believe me there are plenty of congressmen in both parties that have been imperial an arrogant….

And just why does Kristol believe that we should shut to protect corrupt Republicans? The media will expose them at the most inopportune moment anyway. One reason we have a primary process is to expose replace them with superior candidates.

[HearMe]

On the contrary.

Kristol wants it an issue front and center up to the election.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

More Liberal RINO nonsense from Bill Kristol. He is one Fox News because he is a Liberal (note none of MS Fox News special correspondents are really conservatives....you cannot call any of them “Conservative”)

GOP needs to bring up Rangel AND Mad Maxine every second they get. Every GOP campaign ad needs to throw in a mention of the Black KKK Caucus Crooked Racists

Kristol is the one that needs to shut his Liberal trap. BIPARTISANSHIP is LIBERALISM....the GOP will never learn will they...if they listen to Kristol

[Bryan24]

BIll Kristol is one of the many perfect examples of what is wrong with the GOP, and government in general.

[b4its2late]

I can see this whole thing really hurting the dems this fall. I don't think the pubbies should shut up, but they can pull on the rope a little to tighten the noose. They know they have their own issues, but look at what the dems did with the Foley fiasco. They could capitalize. Maybe they should leak stuff out. What the hell... the dems do it all the time to stoke the fire.

They should call out the NY dems in the House that have not condemned what Rangel did and ask why. I know my socialist loving congress critter has uttered a peep about it and normally you can't get him away from a mic or a camera.

[b4its2late]

I know my socialist loving congress critter has hasn't uttered a peep about it and normally you can't get him away from a mic or a camera.

[Frantzie]

The stupid public who watches TV empowers them. Keep watching sheeple. TV controls the idiot sheep.