Space Cadet.

In a fight for his political career, Rep. Zack Space is clinging to a National Journal report that graded him as a moderate.

Jesse at Athens Runaway decided to take a closer look at his votes in 2009 and found that with 88% party unity and 90% presidential support votes, things are far from what they seem. Read his entire post here.

Space's likely opponent, State Senator Bob Gibbs, also released a stinging statement asking why the Congressman hasn't returned the $21,000 he accepted from ethically deficient Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel.

This morning, Congressman Zack Space joined the growing chorus of legislators calling on fellow Democrat Charlie Rangle (D-NY) to step down as Chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Space was quoted in today’s Columbus Dispatch saying it would be “undeniably wrong” for Rangel to remain in that post, now that he has been reprimanded by the House. Rangel’s reprimand was for taking a Corporate-financed trip to the Caribbean, in violation of House Rules, and Space has committed to voting for a Republican measure to force Rangel out from his post if the defiant Congressman doesn’t give up his post soon, according to the Dispatch .

“If Zack Space suddenly considers Charlie Rangel so bad, then why is he hanging on to the $21,000 in campaign cash he’s gotten from Rangel?” Bob Gibbs, Republican candidate to replace Rangel asked. “He ought to do the right thing and return that tainted money,” Gibbs said “simply calling for him to step aside is just another misdirection from Zack Space, who’s entrenched in Nancy Pelosi’s culture in Congress – and we don’t want Charlie Rangel’s cash being used to promote Zack Space’s agenda of Cap and Trade, Government-run Health Care, and more federal spending – all of which is bad for our district.”

Hell, even Kilroy and Sutton have said they are returning the cash they accepted from Rangel. Is Space that desperate?