BREAKING NEWS-Stark Loses Ways and Means Chair-Replaced by Sandy Levin

Apparently Nancy Pelosi's choice of Pete Stark as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee was greeted with a unanimous "WHAT! Are you Freaking Crazy?" After announcing the Pete Stark appointment less than 24 hours before, Pelosi has booted Stark and replaced him with Sandy Levin.

Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) said Pelosi (D-Calif.) made the announcement at a meeting of the caucus this morning.

Etheridge said Ways and Means members gave their unanimous backing to Levin, a Michigan Democrat who has been chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade.

"Pelosi announced it in the caucus, and the Ways and Means Committee just unanimously approved it," Etheridge said.

The startling announcement comes a day after Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) appeared ready to take the reins of the committee from Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). Stark was the next in line for the post in terms of seniority, but some panel members recoiled at the idea of his leading the committee.

Stark said he the move was made because wanted to remain as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health.

"I worked my whole career on this, and I don't want to do that [become chairman of Ways and Means]," he told The Hill. "So Sandy moves up."

More likely the move was made because of Stark's reputation as being on the crazy side. Truth is this guy is more than CRAZY, he has thin-skin and is constantly exploding publicly into racial epithets, strange allegories, or every cuss word you can imagine. Not the best temperament for this prime position.