Chairman Rangel Steps Down

After being admonished for breaking House rules for accepting corporate-financed travel, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), announced today – "In order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter" to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), "asking her to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work."