Charlie Rangel (D-NY) does the right thing ... at least temporarily:
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday that he would temporarily step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, days after being admonished for breaking House rules by accepting corporate-financed travel.
The longtime incumbent from Harlem, who was facing a growing wave of opposition from within his party, said he didn't want the ethics probe into his activities to affect fellow Democrats running in next fall's House elections.
"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," Rangel said.
And avoiding having colleagues not defending him was also an issue, as a number of Democrats had announced that they would be unable to back him if a Republican-led resolution to remove him came up for a vote.