The Shame of Edolphus Towns (D-NY)

To the sullied names of Democratic Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad, we can now add the name of New York Democratic Representative Edolphus Towns.

Towns has refused to take a vote in his committee to investigate Countrywide Financial's "Friends of Angelo" VIP mortgage loan program.

Of course, Towns' own two mortgages from Countrywide have no bearing on the matter, do they?

Not at all. Not in Frisco Nan's new House of Responsibility and Transparency.

California Republican Representative Darrell Issa is pressing for this investigation, and even Illinois Democrat (and Rahm Emmanuel replacement) Congressman Mike Quigley favors taking the vote and even publishing the names of any Congressional Members who accepted favors from Countrywide and Mozillo.

But Towns still refuses to either recuse himself or take that vote.

Apparently, a recent committee meeting at which the vote was again skipped saw the Democratic Representatives slinking out the back door of the meeting room.

Towns is a disgrace to his state and the nation. He openly supports tax cheat and fellow Black Caucus and New York Representative Charlie Rangel, too.

It's corrupt representation like this that weakens our Republic. And, hopefully, will lead to a change of party majority in the House next year.