The American Spectator

Charlie Rangel’s victory last night in the Democratic primary will make it a lot harder for national Democrats to distance themselves from his ethics problems. Had he lost in the primary, they would likely have tried to dismiss him as an outgoing member of Congress. But now he’s a nominated candidate who is sure to be a re-elected Democratic representative. Currently, the his House ethics trial is expected to take place after the election. While that may remove some of the headlines, the 13 ethics charges against him are still floating out there. This, of course, is on top of the Maxine Waters ethics scandal. It was the “culture of corruption” theme that helped deal the final blow to the Republican majority in 2006, and it could very well make the difference this year as well.