Kagen Replies on Rangel

And to say it's bizarre, is an understatement.  This, is the entire statement.

WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. released following statement in response to the announcement that Representative Charles Rangel has temporarily stepped down from his post as chairman Ways and Means Committee:

"I'm working hard to bring jobs back to Wisconsin and responsibility back to Washington, and if that means leadership in the House of Representatives must change - so be it."

Huh?

On the other front I have going related to the Kagen-Rangel money angle, I've only seen a press release out from the Roger Roth campaign related to the Rangel money and Kagen.

However, after Kagen's bizzare statement listed above, the Roth campaign issued a second statement. Here it is from an email I received from the campaign.

Roth: Yes or no please

In response to calls for him to return the campaign contributions from Congressman Charlie Rangel, Congressman Steve Kagen issued the following response:   "I'm working hard to bring jobs back to Wisconsin and responsibility back to Washington, and if that means leadership in the House of Representatives must change - so be it."

Congressman Kagen does not address the campaign contributions nor does he say if he believes Rangel should remain as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.  In response to Kagen’s statement, State Representative Roger Roth, who previously called on Kagen to return donations from Rangel, issued the following statement:

“Congressman Kagen’s non-response to calls to return the $21,000 he’s received from scandal-plagued Congressman Charlie Rangel is exactly why people in Northeast Wisconsin are so frustrated with Kagen and all of Washington.  People are hungry for straight talk and honest answers, and they are sick and tired of politics as usual.  They are tired of politicians like Steve Kagen saying he’s working to reduce government spending the same time he votes to increase the national debt to a record high.  They are tired of politicians like Steve Kagen saying he wants to reform Washington but voting for special-interest earmarks.  They are tired of politicians like Steve Kagen who can’t even answer a simple question.”

“Elect me as your congressman and I can’t promise you’ll always agree with me, but I can promise you’ll know where I stand and my door will always be open.”

“Congressman Kagen should tell us if he plans on keeping Rangel’s contributions and he should tell us if he thinks Rangel should be permanently stripped of his chairmanship of the most powerful committee in Congress.  A simple yes or no answer would suffice.”

The talk up in Packerland was that if they got their heads in the game, the Roth Campaign could be formidable. It is starting to look that way.

UPDATE: The Gannett Wisconsin newspaper report that a later statement by Kagen makes it clear he's not giving a dime back.  They then reach a bunch of liberal or George Soros-financed (in the case of CREW) so-called "Good Government Groups" for a ruling on the what's ethical in terms of Rangel donations.

Knowing these groups stances in the past, it's hard not to laugh at their response.

In a brief statement issued Wednesday, Kagen suggested he has no intention of returning the contributions.

“No amount of money will ever be able to affect my vote, for I only have the best interests of my patients and my constituents in mind,” Kagen said.

The list of Democrats returning Rangel’s money continues to grow, with at least 17 having done so as of Wednesday, according to news reports. [Kevin - I've seen NRCC Communications Ken Spain on Twitter say it's around $353,000 as of tonight at 7 PM ET.]

But campaign finance and ethics experts say they see no reason for Democrats to return the contributions.

“If members want to return Rangel’s money to distance themselves from him, that is one thing. But we don’t think that Rangel’s contributions to other members are ‘tainted’ in any way,” said Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for Common Cause, a campaign finance and ethics watchdog group. “There are no allegations or evidence suggesting that Rangel came by his campaign war chest in unethical ways.”

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that unless the money donated by Rangel’s committees came from ill-gotten gains, there’s no ethical lapse in keeping it. She suggested Republicans are trying to use the contributions for political gain in an election year.

“The money thing is kind of silly, really,” she said.

Funny, I don't recall these groups ever saying anything similar to Republicans in 2006 about donations from Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, or Mark Foley.