With the recent death of Rep. John Murtha, fellow Democrat Charles Rangel has a clear path to the title of the most corrupt member of Congress.

Just days after Nancy Pelosi defended Rangel despite serious ethical violations, Rangel has resigned as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

It's a step in the right direction, but it also shows how corrupt Congress has become under the Pelosi regime.

From POLITICO:

Neither power nor popularity could save Charles Rangel from himself.

The affable, quotable and often jovial New York Democrat stepped down from his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee Wednesday because his fellow Democrats feared that ethics investigations into Rangel's personal finances, travel, living arrangements and use of his office posed a grave threat to their chances in November's elections.

Rangel says he's stepping aside only temporarily, but he officially resigned the post in a letter submitted to the House Wednesday morning. Technically, he could be restored by a future House vote, but that's a political long shot given that he was forced aside by ethics troubles.

It was not immediately clear who would take the committee's reins in Rangel's absence, with some insiders predicting it would be the next man in line, California's Pete Stark, and others predicting it would be Sander Levin of Michigan. Under House rules, Stark is chairman unless Democrats act affirmatively to put someone else in his place, according to a House GOP aide familiar with House operations.

Read the full story at the link below:

Charles Rangel gives up gavel - Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com