Nancy Pelosi Stabs Charlie Rangel in the Back

Rhetorically speaking, of course. After House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) introduced the Democrats' plan to hike taxes by a trillion dollars last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) came out during a presser on Thursday to say that she supported Rangel's plan. That is, until her office released the transcript of the statement, where they inserted a few extra words to change the meaning of her support for the Representative's specific proposal to her support for tax reform in general! From The Hill:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  (D-Calif.) is finessing her support of Rep. Charles Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) controversial new tax bill, highlighting Democrats’ concern about how Republicans plan to use it in the 2008 elections.

Following the unveiling of arguably the most politically explosive domestic policy bill of the 110th Congress last Thursday, Pelosi seemed to wholeheartedly support the tax overhaul authored by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rangel.

“I certainly support his plan,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said to the assembled reporters.
But when the transcript of the briefing came out, words were inserted — highlighted by brackets — clarifying that she supported his goal, if not his specific proposals.

The final transcript read: “I certainly support his plan [to begin tax reform.]”

I'm sure that this is going over well with Charlie Rangel. If his plan wasn't DOA last week, it certainly is now. He can thank Nancy Pelosi for that. More importantly, one has to ask of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives that if the leader of your party - the Speaker of the House - will play games like this and won't stand by her members publicly, then what good is she?

Alot - to the Republicans. I wonder when Steny Hoyer is taking over?