Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel present an interesting challenge to the Democrats. Regardless of the merit of the charges, and they are very real; the damage to the party could be substantial.

It appears that the two will not leave quietly. With a mere three months till the elections, the Democrats will suffer a very public hearing of the corruption they ran so heavily against.  But worse, the fact that both charges of ethics violations are against popular black officials leaves them to suffer the arrows  of racism that they used so indiscriminately against their opponents.

The Democrats are already facing a reinvigorated Republicans party and they are also heavily losing the support of the independent voters that figured so heavily in their 2008 victories. In order for their losses in 2010 NOT to become a major routing they must figure on tapping into their true base. If black and extremely liberal voters start feeling that the prosecution of their leaders has racial overtones, they will not switch their votes to the Republicans, but it may hinder the turnout that the Democrats now desperately need.

Even if they are acquitted of any wrong doing, which is not likely, they will suffer the accusations of racism for even bringing the charges and corruption for not acting strongly enough against them.

It is hard to see a winning solution for the Democrats for these ethics violations.  There is some sort of perverse justice that the party that has so abused the charges of racism against their opponents may be undone by the very same charge.

Henry Oliner

www.rebelyid.com