Comes today word that House Ways And Means chairman Charlie Rangel, one of the more notable crooks in American politics today, has stepped down on a “temporary” basis while the multiple charges of ethics violations against him play out…

“My chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press, and in order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter” asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work.”

Whether Rangel’s leave of absence is more than just a laying-low so he’s not a poster boy for Democrat sleaze in advance of this fall’s elections remains to be seen; Human Events reports that the GOP has some Democrat support for a measure which would permanently remove Rangel from his post. It also remains to be seen whether there are any legal implications for the scores of tax evasion counts of which he’s accused.

But he’s gone, for now. And while his replacement is likely to be just as far-left as he is (Politico.com reports that the five contenders for the job are Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) or Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)), at least the ignominy of the head tax collector in Congress being a tax cheat can be retired for the time being.