Pelosi grants Rangel a leave

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday announced she will honor Rep. Charles B. Rangel’s request to take a leave of absence from his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee.

“I commend Chairman Rangel for his decades of leadership on jobs, healthcare and the most significant economic issues of the day,” she said in a statement.

Rangel’s fall from power follows New York Gov. David Paterson’s decision to skip the November election. Both men were tarred by scandals and are the latest blows to the heart of Harlem political power in New York.

For a look at the changing Harlem scene, see this article.

For details on the Rangel story, click here.

-- Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal