TODAY

RANGEL IN, STARK OUT
Pete Stark (D-CA) was in line to take over the Ways and Means Committee after Rangel's resignation. However, after wielding the gavel one day, he "stepped aside" for Rep. Sander Levin (D-M), older brother of U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI).

The reason was that fellow Democrats because of he "faced a rebellion within the committee and the caucus over his sometimes bizarre behavior and penchant for making offensive comments."

Bizarre doesn't begin to describe Stark. He's the openly atheist in Congress. He was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. His controversial statements constitute a large part of his Wikipedia page. Singling out "Jew colleagues" for blame for the Persian Gulf War, calling a National Guard constituent and telling him off and snarking that moderate Democrats they were "brain dead" for proposing changes to the health care reform bill are only some of his oddness.

Stark, like Rangel, has ethics problems with real estate. He's also 78 years old, which means he is one of those "Walking Dead" House members who think this is their last chance to push for socialized medicine. More than 115 members of Congress are over age 65 and half of those are over age 70. But the demographic isn't kind to Democrats. Half the Democrats are age 70 to 84. Only 26 percent of the Republican senior members are 70 and up.