DC Dems Move To Save Rangel

House Democrats are willing to rally around Rep. Charles Rangel in his latest spate of tax missteps -- but only as long as no more embarrassing revelations come to light, sources told The Post.

The head of the powerful Ways and Means Committee last week amended six years' worth of financial disclosure forms and revealed he'd earned $1.3 million in previously unreported income. That's on top of ongoing House Ethics Committee probes into four other areas of Rangel's financial past -- including failure to properly report income taxes on a Caribbean villa he owns.

But unless the Ethics Committee probes hit Rangel with something more than a slap on the wrist -- or a bigger scandal arises -- Democrats are unlikely to push him off the Ways and Means Committee, a Washington insider said.

"He doesn't strike me as someone who would go quietly, and he's not afraid to play the race card on his own party," the DC source said.

Friends like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the New York delegation are committed to keeping Rangel in place, sources said.

"Unless he's done something absolutely insane that hasn't come out yet, he's protected," said a Democratic official.

Rangel filed his amended forms during Congress' August break, just three days ahead of his extended deadline.

"He was smart to get this new information out now, before we are back in session and working on the health-care bill," said a Republican lawmaker close to the issue.

"If he'd waited two more weeks, a lot more Republicans would be there to demand he step down," the Republican said.
NYPost