Do (unelected) aides run the country?

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=918692


Executive Summary:


Charlie Rangel (D-NY), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee (which writes tax code), has been found guilty by the House Ethics committee of several ethics violations, including taking trips paid for by corporate sponsors.


Rangel maintains his innocence and claims that he did not know the trips were sponsored by lobbyists. He says he did not see letters and memos from house staffers that tried to make him aware of this fact. He refuses to relinquish his committee chairmanship.


Opinion:
Nice try, Charlie. True, I do think that legislative aides wield far too much power. I have heard that far too much of our legislation is actually written by them and not even read or edited by our elected representatives prior to voting. During a town hall meeting, I personally witnessed my own state legislator having to ask her aide to show her how to "make the slides big" on Powerpoint because she didn't know where the "slide show" button was. But I don't think you can blame this one on your aides, because you went on the trip. Do you really expect us to believe that you didn't ask who paid for it? Do us all a favor and retire now.

Update:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35678683/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

Rangel has stepped down "temporarily" until the ethics committee completes its investigation. Given that it has already taken them almost 2 years just to release the report admonishing him for taking corporate-funded trips and has not officially dealt with his clear-cut tax evasion, hoarding of rent-controlled apartments, etc., the voters will have to throw him out of office before he leaves voluntarily. Too bad he lives in a district where that is unlikely to happen.