When your opponent has taken $28,000 in campaign contributions from a veteran Democratic Party congressman who has just been charged with multiple “No-No’s” by the House Ethics Committee, I suppose it’s not beyond the range reasonableness for the GOP challenger to call her out.

Especially when the incumbent, in this case Melissa Bean, refuses to donate the money to charity.

Especially, when the jury the man she endorsed for governor is now considering his corruption charges.

Of course, Bean could return it to New York City’s Charlie Rangel the way Rod Blagojevich returned $500 to the mob-run M & M Amusements (think video poker). That way Rangel could use the $28,000 to help pay for his legal defense.

At any rate, here is Joe Walsh’s press release:

Melissa Bean:  Witness for the Defense?

With the House Ethics trial of deposed House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel set to begin Thursday set to begin Thursday, one wonders if three-term incumbent Rep. Melissa Bean will be called as a witness for the defense?

After all, Bean is the proud recipient of $28,000 in illicit campaign cash from Rangel, money she steadfastly has refused to return or donate to charity even as the numbers of her House Democrat colleagues choosing to do continues to pile up.

This week, Joe Walsh reiterated his call for Melissa Bean to separate herself from the Rangel cash by donating it to local charities.  “It is stunning to me that with the cultures of corruption in Washington and Illinois, Melissa Bean is so adamant about keeping ill-gotten proceeds from her ill-advised relationship with Charlie Rangel,” said Walsh.  “Melissa Bean apparently has adopted the Rod Blagojevich attitude towards public service-her constituents be damned, she’s only concerned about enriching herself.”

Back in March, Illinois Congressional Democrat candidates Bill Foster and Dan Seals returned the money they received from Rangel after the House Ethics Committee announced its investigation into Rangel.

This week, a number of other Democrats announced they would also donate to charity money they received from Rangel including: Pennsylvania Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-3) and Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-8), the Democrat nominee for US Senate in Indiana.

Democrat Rep. Pat Murphy from Pennsylvania went even further this week calling for Rangel to resign saying, “as the facts came out, it was pretty clear what his conduct was. I believe that it’s a discredit for the institution.”

As for Melissa Bean, she has said nothing about the Rangel affair or his upcoming ethics trial since she said through a spokesman back in March that she would not return the Rangel campaign cash because the money “has already been spent”.

Democrat Rep. and U.S. Senate nominee in Pennsylvania Joe Sestak also announced he would donate the Rangel money to charity .   A spokesman for Sestak said that in light of the details of the alleged ethical misconduct by Rangel, Sestak decided that donating the money “was the right thing to do.”

That’s where

• Joe Sestak
• Dan Seals
• Bill Foster
• Kathy Dahlkemper
• Brad Ellsworth and
• Pat Murphy

among of host of other Democrats, disagree with Melissa Bean.

Charlie Rangel has a great friend in Melissa Bean, perhaps even a character witness.

The question is, what do 8th district families have in Melissa Bean as their Congressional representative?