Republicans Renew Calls To Return Rangel Money

House Republicans have embraced their new friends on the New York Times editorial board to put more political pressure on Democrats to return campaign donations from Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.).

The National Republican Congressional Committee blasted out press releases Monday in 83 congressional districts calling on Democratic lawmakers and candidates to return campaign contributions from the chairman of the powerful tax-writing panel, citing an editorial in today's New York Times calling on Rangel to relinquish his post until the ethics committee has ruled on three separate inquiries.

“When the ultra-liberal New York Times has lost all faith in the ability of a liberal to lead, you know the jig is up,” NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said in one version of the release.

Rangel has come under fire most recently for failing to pay taxes on pooled rental income from a beachfront vacation home in the Dominican Republic. Republicans are hoping this pressure will prompt one candidate to return Rangel's money, upping the ante for others to return some portion of the millions in campaign contributions the chairman has made to Democrats all over the country.