This has come not a moment too soon for the conservative right - they are desperately in need of any kind of distraction to get voters' minds off of the devastation caused by eight years of Bush, as well as the more recent financial markets turmoil.

Rangel's reported transgressions seem rather small for a longtime, senior congressman. Maybe he didn't think much about what he or staff was doing. Rangel's position and transgressions seem sort of akin to a federal employee taking writing supplies home (pens and notepads) without thinking about it much (One's work and personal lives become sort of mushed together such that what's proper use of government supplies becomes sort of not worthy of thought). A university professor probably mushes the use of college resources for both business and personal matters.

I am a conservative person but I just am not getting that irritated with Rangel's transgressions. Now if it involved sexual escapades, well then we could really talking transgressions.

So let me get this straight...

A Democrat cheats on his taxes and it's either a "distraction" or akin to stealing Post-It™ Notes from the supply closet, but a Republican cheats on her taxes and it's fire and brimstone, and the four horsemen?

I'm sure everyone would be just as understanding if the chairman of the Ways and Means committee would have done the same in a republican-controlled House.

Back in reality, the diminishing of this as a distraction or a "rather small" transgression on some right-wing claptrap radio show would be hoisted up the flagpole by the same posters, should Charlie Rangel have a (R) posted after his name rather than a (D).

Get some objectivity. If an ordinary guy made a mistake like this, do you think the IRS would adopt an "aww shucks it's just a tiny mistake" attitude, or do you think that said ordinary guy would find himself with a very large wage garnishment?

Rangel is no ordinary guy, by the way. He's a United States Congressman, who happens to be the chairman of the committee who writes the friggin tax laws. If anyone should know, it's him.

I was going to write something similar to Mr. Clark above - how $75k in rental income over 20 years is no big deal, etc, etc. Then I read the related story, where Rangel failed to disclose (profits from the ?) the sale of a DC home in 2003, and another $75k in profits from the sale of a FL condo in 2006. And he doesn't know if he paid taxes on the condo profit? Indefensible.

He's not just "some Democrat" or a random member of Congress.

He's the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee: they WRITE our tax laws.

And blaming the current bear market on Bush is like blaming Governor Kulongoski for OHSU's budget problems. Just because you serve at the highest levels of government doesn't mean you control the economy or the business cycle.