President Barack Obama has not given a good enough answer on the current scandal involving the Justice Department going through phone records of the Associated Press, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., says.
"I don’t think anyone truly believes that the president has given us a sufficient answer for America, much less the press," Rangel said on
CNBC Wednesday.
The Department of Justice has admitted to pouring through AP phone records to determine who leaked information to the newsgathering organization. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the leak put American people at risk.
Rangel said he doesn't agree with comparisons of Obama, who is also fending off criticism over Benghazi and an IRS scandal, to Richard Nixon's Watergate.
"But the president has to come forward and share why he did not alert the press they were going to do this. He has to tell the Americans, including me: What was this national security question?" he said.
"You just can’t raise the flag and expect us just to salute it every time without any reason, and the same thing applies to the IRS.”
Rangel said he was not saying that Obama should be doubted. He added, however, that he needs to give a better answer than he has so far.
"He just can’t use national defense as a shield, or use it as a spear, to protect the White House," Rangel said.