Still seeking to answer the question "Who's going after Charlie Rangel," I found this Washington Post article whose coverage agrees well with most of my carefully-assembled timeline. Glad to see someone's on the story, even if I think they stop before asking the most important question.

From the article (and to fill in those who haven't been following the story):

Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), 78, addressing two visitors in his office near the House chamber, says he won't cave in to Republicans and other critics who demand that he step aside as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee until the ethics cloud surrounding him clears.

"When they call you everything and just repeat every week, every day, accusations, it's discomfortable," Rangel said last week in an interview, in between trips to the House chamber for speeches and votes. "But, hey, I'm not in a nursing home hearing that. I'm on the job, trying to deal with disaster and tax extensions and energy and peace and trying to get the hell out of this fiscal crisis that our country finds itself in."

Rangel's perch at the top has been threatened by a series of disclosures about his finances, real estate dealings and use of official resources for personal ends.

The congressman denies doing anything "morally wrong" and has sought exoneration from the House ethics committee, a bipartisan panel with a reputation for giving little more than wrist slaps in recent years. The flap has embarrassed some Democrats, emboldened GOP opponents and generated calls for Rangel to relinquish the chairmanship from hometown newspapers, the New York Times and the New York Post.

In the interview on Wednesday, the day the ethics panel opened its investigation of Rangel's activities, the congressman blamed "irresponsible" reporters and opportunistic Republicans for most of his troubles.

In his gravelly voice, he said the tumult will pass. At worst, he said, he could be accused of sloppy record-keeping.

"No one would ever be able to say that it's a scandal or that I was corrupt," Rangel said. "They may not be able to remove this from my stainless reputation over 50 years. But they will be able to say that 'Rangel never intentionally violated the spirit of the law, or evaded or avoided federal taxes, or attempted to mislead the ethics committee.' "
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In power circles in New York and Washington, support for Rangel appears steady. A source close to the House leadership said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) backs the congressman, and that he is not in danger of losing his chairmanship. At the annual African American Day Parade in Harlem last Sunday, Rangel was greeted by chants of "Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!" said former New York mayor David N. Dinkins, who rode beside him in a convertible.

Do check out the article for its useful summary of events, including a mention of Rangel's role as a supporter of HRC in the primaries.

I still have found nothing to indicate who or what triggered all of these stories and why, at this particular moment. Which leads to conspiracy theories if one is not careful.

[I often find it useful, when wondering why someone is behaving in a puzzling way, to ask what the consequences of their behavior are: frequently that gives a clue. In this case, a very real consequence is that Rangel has not been able to be his usual outspoken self, as that would just mean giving an opening to drag out the charges in the press again, a distraction from more important things going on. And in my more tinfoil-hatty moments I wonder if that isn't the point of it all.]

I do agree with the assessment of Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute,

"Clearly, he has some explaining to do, and it's clearly an enormous embarrassment," Ornstein said. "But these are pretty trivial things unless there is something more."

I'm still looking into the "Who's going after him" question and will post anything I find that seems reasonably reliable. If I find anything.

And now, back to the bailout...