House Democrats face a dilemma with Rangel trial.

The Washington Post ^ | July 27, 2010 | Paul Kane

[no dems]

House Democrats continued to struggle with how to handle the pending ethics trial of Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), returning to the Capitol on Monday as unclear on the matter as when they left last week.

"People will wait and see how that plays out," Pelosi said. "The committee has made its announcement and [outlined] its timetable, and I think that we just have to wait to see how that plays out.Because none of us, not any of us except those on the committee, has any knowledge of" what the charges are.

The indecision over how to handle the matter comes as some party strategists are privately hoping that Rangel will reach a settlement or announce his resignation before Thursday, to avoid public scrutiny of a messy trial: It would resume in mid-September, just weeks before the November midterm elections. Aides were bracing to see whether more Democrats in vulnerable districts would call for his resignation, as Rep. Betty Sutton (Ohio) did Friday night.

Rangel could reach a settlement before Thursday's preliminary hearing, but his legal team's efforts at such a deal broke down last week and led to the committee's scheduling of the trial. His only other option for avoiding a trial is to resign.

[denydenydeny]

Note that the focus of the story isn't about Rangel and his criminal activity - it's about how to limit the damage it will cause Democrats in November. Washington Post at its best.

Great observation.

[imskylark]

“I want to see how many braindead idiots vote for him anyway”

I only took a quick look at an article earlier but I believe Rangel is still getting strong support in his district.

[Candor7]

I am up on the history. I would love to see DeLay back in the House. The case is being used by McCain and his crowd to keep DeLay out.

Mccain and the RINOs could not best DeLay, and so they got together with the Dems to get up a bogus indictment, which will never lead to a conviction.

I want to see McCain gone! DeLay is a fighter and a conservative, we need him now.

[okie01]

I only took a quick look at an article earlier but I believe Rangel is still getting strong support in his district.

Remember Adam Clayton Powell?

Powell was expelled from the House for corruption. The district re-elected him by a landslide the very next cycle.

Rangel is "serving" the same district as Powell did.

[esoxmagnum]

I think they get to keep them. Even if they go to jail, or maybe I keep reading they keep them because they’ve cut deals, I dunno.

[barkeep]

Candor7; I think you are reaching. McCain? They didn’t need McCain’s help!

Delay won’t be back and he knows it. He’ll make enough off a book deal to live “happily ever after”. A bit overused, but sometimes “it is what it is”.

If it is any comfort, Ronnie Earle now resides on the “ashheap of history”.