I Feel Bad For Charlie Rangel

[DemocratSinceBirth]

"To err is human. To forgive is divine."

[dkf]

1. He gets to keep his job.

If he was worried about being humiliated that pic of him snoring outside the pool was worse.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. The Pool Oustide His House In The Dominican Republic

He's not the only portly seventy year old who looks less than comely in a bathing suit.

[dkf]

3. It's not nice to take pics of people when they are sleeping.

[Ter]

16. Got a link?

n/t

[Catherina]

47. Here

[democrat_patriot]

4. He'll be fine. Act Republican for 2-3 months (you know

not caring about being bad)and come back on heavy offense.

[asjr]

5. Has the ethics committee censured

John Ensign yet?

[enid602]

6. "To err is human. To forgive is divine."

But to be judged by a House that will soon be led by a man who used to distribute checks from the tobacco companies on the House floor is priceless.

[golfguru]

21. no, every one needs to pay for misdeeds

that includes scooter libby, charlie rangel, and everybody else who breaks our laws.

[Phx_Dem]

7. I forgive him. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be punished,and we're

not talking about prison time.

[karynnj]

8. Although I see that this is incredibly painful for him, I don't

It is clear that he was in the wrong on many of the charges. My guess is that over time, he did take advantage of who he was to bend rules to enrich himself or to further charities he is passionate about. Having 5 rent controlled apartments absolutely violates the rule that it has to be your primary residence. I assume that there are New Yorkers, paying rent stabilized or completely uncontrolled rents, who see the unfairness of someone having 5 rent controlled apartments. This and other charges are not made up or are things many do and don't get called on. These were also all actions that he had to have consciously done knowing that they were wrong.

I don't minimize how devastating a censure has to be. It is a very public humiliating punishment for a very proud man. However, look at what didn't happen. He was not expelled and he was not repudiated by his district. All of these charges were out there, his constituents knew them and balanced them with the work he did - and re-elected him. So, he has already has already had what had to be a heart warming validation from the people he represents.

The last year has made me think of how politicians can get both more awards, accolades, and praise than the rest of us could ever imagine. But, the down side is that they also are subject to public humiliation and disgrace far more often than us as well. I actually real sorrier for many - whether I particularly like them or not - with people who work decades, then end public life rejected. I think of Gephardt's near tears in 2004 and Dean's less public (to his credit) hurt in getting nothing as the Democrats had unprecedented power. But also, of Chris Dodd, who after a career doing some pretty good things - Family leave, ending his career rather than having the Democrats lose a seat and being labeled by his unwise (but less obviously wrong than some of Rangle's things) Countrywide mortgage.

[Lurks Often]

9. I don't feel bad at all

since there is no doubt in my mind, that as the average citizen, if I had done the same things as he did, I'd be looking at felony charges for tax evasion and probably jail time.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Considering that the GOP gets away with murder (literally), and

never seem to get dragged up to any ethics committee that they ever chaired, Charlie better be glad the Dem led Ethics Committee is going to be able to wrap this up before the Repukes are back in power in January. They actually did Charlie a favor, whether he realizes it or not.

[political_Dem]

23. +1000000

[bigwillq]

33. Whose fault is that?

:shrug:
"Considering that the GOP gets away with murder (literally), and never seem to get dragged up to any ethics committee that they ever chaired"

[FrenchieCat]

35. I guess it is the fault of those who see clearly that Republicans

aided by the media, are able to get away with more....
and yet put them back in power, by either not voting or voting GOP, and criticizing Dems constantly,
thereby rewarding those officials who flaunt the rules, and ignore crimes committed.

[bigwillq]

36. I feel it is an accountability issue.

And those who fail to hold accountable those who break rules are just as guilty.

[FrenchieCat]

38. I see Democrats holding other Democrats accountable....

while they have the power, and are chairing the ethics committee.

I see the reverse when it comes to Republicans. They not only let theirs off
scott-free, but they persecute Democrats of any little infraction.

And so, yes, I see Republicans as those who fail to hold those who break the rules
accountable....and voters who vote the Republicans into power, as the true culprit,
because many know exactly how hypocritical Republicans can be, which makes them,
in voting for those Republicans, hypocrits too.

[bigwillq]

42. Too bad the Democrats

don't always hold the Republicans accountable. That's my issue.

[FrenchieCat]

43. It always is. Have you ever asked yourself why you make it your duty

to only question the accountability of Democrats, and the fact is you do it in a way
that only highlights the negative? Sometimes, it just feels like you are looking for
an excuse to be mad at your own party....and you will easily allow the other party to not
be held accountable, by simply ignoring what they do.

[bigwillq]

46. I originally responded

to this statement of yours

"Considering that the GOP gets away with murder (literally), and
never seem to get dragged up to any ethics committee that they ever chaired"

And I wondered why that was the case.
I AM mad at Democrats who don't hold Repukes accountable. We know from experience that Repukes will do very little to hold their own accountable if they commit wrongdoing. When that happens, it's left to the Democrats to do so, and I wondered why Democrats don't do more to hold Repukes accountable.

I WANT the other party to be held accountable. I question why some in OUR party don't do more to make that a reality.

[FrenchieCat]

51. Maybe you should look in the mirror, and understand that the

action that you seek should start with you.

[bigwillq]

52. So I have the power

to hold congressional hearings? :shrug:

[vaberella]

11. Don't feel bad. The man needs to retire---he needed to retire 5 years ago. n/t

[Jennicut]

25. He is your rep, isn't he?

He did need to retire. Nice guy and all but he made a lot of mistakes. Of course, Repubs never retire over something like this. They just stick around and flaunt the system.

[AtomicKitten]

12. He was defiant until convicted. That doesn't exactly scream contrition. nt

[Sheepshank]

13. I don't feel bad for him one iota

he had the opportunity to step down gracefully. He KNEW there were ethical issues that were questionalbly gray areas (in the least), and completely indefensible (at the other end). He Chose to make a useless stand, and drag so many dems through the muck because of it. His earlier retirement would have been a huge win-win for everyone, including himself.

[emilyg]

14. When he pays back what

he owes then I'll feel bad for him, too.

[proteus_lives]

15. Why feel bad for a crooked politician?

[Inchworm]

17. I wish I could've walked out of a hearing saying "Dang, I need time..."

to do other things. That sorta blew my mind.

G'head! I'm outty! I need to umm.. find a lawyer.. yea that's the ticket.

[great white snark]

18. I don't feel bad. He screwed up and needs to pay. (nt)

[Renew Deal]

19. I do too.

Not sure why. Probably because "he didn't enrich himself." He's an older man now and he's taking it hard. You can see his sadness.

I think the committee did what they needed to do.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. I'm Not Saying He Didn't Do Anything Wrong. I Just Feel Bad For Him. That's All

~

[boppers]

41. How is direct payment of money, tax free, to yourself, not enrichment?

I don't understand this line of logic.

[okieinpain]

20. forget charlie rangel, for him out of all people to let his shit

get blown in the wind like that is unforgivable. he should retire, and the same goes for maxine waters.

[sally cat]

22. Me too.

[whistler162]

24. Not in politics!

[Teaser]

double post

delete

[Teaser]

27. I Feel Nothing For Charlie Rangel

corrupt fool.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

28. He just being censured and fined. It could have been much worse. He could have been

expelled!! But yes, he needs to retire...

[craigmatic]

29. I don't. He should've used better judgement.

[TobileStack]

30. re: Rangel

Rangel has done good work but to be a leader you can't just say the right things, or even vote for the right things. You have to do what's right also, and set an example.

[Codeine]

31. Why? He straight fucked up.

Then he played the defiance card. Double loser.

[bigwillq]

34. Yup.

How I look at it.

[hack89]

32. I don't. nt

[JVS]

37. I don't. And I hope this detracts from his stupid efforts to bring back the draft.

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. I don't. He totally validates my belief that every politician, given enough time in office,

sooner or later sticks his/her hand in the cookie jar. Whether they get caught or not is irrelevent. Give ANYONE twenty terms in Congress and expect them to be as pure as the driven snow? Daft.

I don't care what he did for his constituents, he betrayed the trust placed in him. He knew it, and he kept at it right up until the moment he got caught.

[Umbral]

40. I don't,,,,

He lost all my trust when he tried to shoehorn free-trade agreements into place without proper public disclosure. He's every bit the 'Globalist' that Biden and Richardson are. They can talk pretty and make nice, but he and they always kowtow to their taskmasters first, and pretend with the rest of us, always.

[EFerrari]

44. Rangel is being humiliated as part of the new "ethics" system start up.

Overseen by the likes of ex-CIA hitman and fixer, Porter Goss.

What he did was very small potatoes compared to Boner handing out checks on the House floor.

Maxine will be next and she did nada.

[Catherina]

48. Rangel has been under investigation for years and this isn't his first mess up

When he was 30, he took at a special mortgage from the city that was only supposed to be used for developing low income house. Rangel used it to renovate his family home instead and then turned that home into an apartment complex that he rented out for profit. Democrats were outraged about it whedn he ran for Congress.

He's been in and out of trouble.

Failing to report income from his Yacht Club villa in the DR is just the latest straw. You can't sit there and write tax laws for Americans, while you buy a $250,000 villa in a luxury club that's booked year round and reporting you only got $5000 in rental income. The following year he got even more brazen and report $0. The problem for him is that the Ethics Committee has copies of the wire transfers that prove he received lots of money in income.

It's not just the villa or the 4 rent-stabilized apartments in NYC, Rangel has properties in Jersey he'd conveniently forgotten about and to give you an example, in 2007, he failed to report over $650,000 worth of assets and income.

If Rangel is a millionaire today, lack of ethics had alot to do with it.

53% of voters have no confidence in the Democratic Party because you don't have to be a genius to recognize lip service when you see it. If we condone or excuse this type of corruption, the lip service to the poor will never change.

AMY GOODMAN: Cornel West, can you talk about your reaction to the House Ethics Committee convicting Congressman Charles Rangel of nearly a dozen violations of congressional rules? In a dramatic moment yesterday, Congressman Rangel, both angry, also wept. Congress member John Lewis came in as a character witness and said he marched with Charles Rangel from Selma to Montgomery some 40 years ago. Your response?

CORNEL WEST: I think every Congressman or woman deserves a fair procedure looking at the evidence. Charles Rangel is my brother and I pray for his well-being. At the same time, we know Congress has become very much a kind of sight of legalized bribery and normalized corruption. So any time you enter Congress, there are the seductions and temptations of that corruption and that bribery, and many do fall prey to it. If the evidence says, in fact, you fell prey, you have to deal with the consequences. It seems in this particular case that we have another example, unfortunately, because I do have a deep love for my dear brother Charles Rangel. He has been there for, what, 40 years now? In some ways one could argue he stayed even too long. But the level of bribery and corruption in Congress cuts across the board, it’s just not Charles Rangel, it’s just not primarily black congressman and women, it is white and red and others and unfortunately, it is a sign of the degree that our political system is so broken. The degree to which the banks and corporations have got such a stranglehold on Congress. It is no accident that so many fellow citizens have little confidence in the ability of Congress to do the people’s work. It’s a sad moment, though, sister Amy.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Cornel West, along those lines Salon.com columnist Joe Conason has an article titled "Why Mitch McConnell is Worse than Charles Rangel." In it he writes, "On the same day the House Ethics Committee convicted Representative Charles Rangel of nearly a dozen violations of congressional rules, Senator Mitch McConnell announced that under pressure from fellow Republicans, he will surrender his beloved earmarks. This is a notable coincidence because, like Randall, McConnell has rewarded corporate donors to an academic center named after him and he used earmarks for that purpose. The top corporate recipient of earmarks from the Kentucky Republican in the 2010 budget no only happens to be a donor to the McConnell Center for Political Leadership at the University of Louisville, but one of the largest and most corrupt defense contractors in the world. Topping the list of Rangel’s transgressions was the misuse of his congressional clout to raise money for a vanity academic center named after him at the City University of New York from private donors. Yet somehow, McConnell got away with the same kind of dubious dealings at the University of Louisville and was allowed to reward BAE Systems, the donor of $500,000 to the McConnell Center with $17 million worth of defense earmarks," Joe Conason writes. Cornel West, your response?

CORNEL WEST: No, I think it makes a lot of sense to me. This is precisely what I’m talking about in terms of the degree to which the legalized bribery and normalized corruption cuts across the board. Both parties, all colors, all cultures, caught within the Congress circumscribed by big banks, big finance, big corporations, big business. And it’s a very sad affair, but we know this has become part and parcel of American Life, and one reason why so many fellow citizens are so disgusted with the system with which we find ourselves. What was it in the last election, 53% of the voters had no confidence in the Democratic Party? 52% of the voters had no confidence in the Republican Party? I think in some ways what we’re seeing is the slow demise of the two-party system. The Tea Party movement on the right is going to end up just as disappointed with the Republican establishment as progressives like myself are disappointed with the Obama administration. And you’re beginning to see possibilities of new kinds of motion, momentum and maybe movement against the two-party system because the two parties themselves are so corrupt. Mean-spirited, coldhearted Republicans and milquetoast, spineless Democrats. What about poor people? What about working people? They deserve better. We deserve better.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/19/cornel_west_on_charles_rangel_bush

[Irishonly]

50. I agree

It seem to me that democrats will police their own and at times come down too hard on them. Republicans circle the wagons and protect them. I am not saying there was no wrong doing.

[MadMaddie]

45. So do any of you know how Charlie Rangel got his seat?

In 1961 he unseated Mr. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_B._Rangel

<snip>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clayton_Powell,_Jr.
However, by the mid-1960s, Powell was increasingly being criticized for mismanaging his committee's budget, taking trips abroad at public expense, and missing sittings of his committee. He was also under attack in his District, where his refusal to pay a slander judgment made him subject to arrest. He spent increasing amounts of time in Florida.


In January 1967, the House Democratic Caucus stripped Powell of his committee chairmanship.

In June 1970, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Charles B. Rangel
<snip>

Rangel won Powells seat due to Powells misdeeds. The same type of stuff Rangel was charged with doing.

So I don't feel sorry for him because of this history.

[Catherina]

49. Same here. And he's been warned and investigated before. n/t