Ways and Means, Who Wants It?
First it was Charles Rangel. Then it was Pete Stark in charge. A day later, U.S. representative Sander Levin is now the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. This shatters the William Henry Harrison precedent and trudges into the George O'Leary level of "short time holding a prominent position."
They say Stark's step-down was a voluntary resignation, but there were some internal concerns about the California congressman's unplanned outbursts (such as, at a town hall meeting, telling a citizen he "wouldn't dignify you by peeing on your leg, it wouldn't be worth wasting the urine"). I'm not sure if pissing on other congressmen would make Ways and Means meetings less productive, or more. It would at least send a strong message, if not a scent.
So now we turn to Mr. Levin for stability and normalcy. Who's this character, you ask? The brother of U.S. senator Carl Levin, "Sandy" as he's known to his friends has been a Detroit-area representative since 1982. He has, to the best of anyone's knowledge, never threatened to piddle on the opposition. He's a neat guy.
Tune in tomorrow in case the committee goes to their third alternate, which I believe is Mick Shrimpton.
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