Support for Charles Rangel within his home state delegation is showing signs of strain — with upstate New York Democrats grumbling about the impact of Rangel’s ethics woes on their already tenuous reelection chances.
Politically vulnerable junior Democrats have been agitating with more senior counterparts to intervene — either with Rangel or with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — in an attempt to ease Rangel out as Ways and Means chairman until the House ethics committee completes its review of the allegations against him, members tell POLITICO.
“The past month it’s escalated,” said one of the lawmakers, noting that Rangel’s restatement of his personal finances in August “put additional pressure on those members” from northern swing districts.
“There’s concern. There’s rumblings,” said another New York member about the dean of the state delegation. “Is it palpable? No. But there is talk.”
Several members of the delegation said Democratic Reps. Eric Massa and Michael Arcuri, both elected by the barest of margins, have been the most rattled.
A top House Democrat said the complaints don’t pose an immediate threat to the Ways and Means chairman but “are significant” because they reflect growing impatience among Democrats from all over the country disgusted with the slow pace of the yearlong Rangel investigation.
A major crack in the pro-Rangel facade appeared last week when Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate for the western New York seat vacated by Republican John McHugh, essentially endorsed a GOP effort to strip Rangel of his committee post. - Politico Story
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