Charlie Frigging Rangel. Congressman, New York's 15th District.
New York's 15th District (Upper Manhattan from East 96th Street and West 91st right on up, including a small area of the Bronx and Rikers Island - isn't that some delicious irony). The 15th District is the smallest in geographic size in the USA. The 15th elected Adam Clayton Powell Jr in 1944 and he sat as the district's Rep until unseated by Rangel in 1970. Rangel has served ever since (40 years for anyone who needs help with the math).
Rangel's antics are the stuff of legends. Whether passed out in a chaisse lounge in the Dominican Republic, where he has property which was certainly purchased from funds earned by his stellar representation of his district and hard work; or using a rent-controlled apartment as a campaign office, Charlie has been a stand up guy for the 15th. Just ask them. They just re-elected him with a plurality that most other candidates would be envious of (with a 70% winning margin). He has presided over a modern revival through some well crafted legislation that pushed funds into redeveloping a rotting neighborhood. Benefiting from public funds and the glamore of new residents like the Clinton's (or at least Bill in his choice of office space) and one of the greatest real estate market booms which pushed Gothamites to reach for property in every corner of Manhattan; Rangel has continued to insulate his incumbency while others tripped.
Now he finds himself once again, post election, facing the charges that have dogged him over the years including 11 violations of House rules (using congressional stationery and staff to seek donations for an "academic center" in his name at City College (of NY). He also used a rent-controlled apartment (as mentioned above) as a campaign office and has been accused of failing to report income from his Dominican property for taxation. Ah, yes, and Rangel was the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee (for those of you who do not know this committee's purpose: it is the oldest committee of the United States Congress and is charged with being the chief tax-writing committee for the US of A). So, of course, good old Charlie had no idea of his omissions, mis-steps and generally inexplicable failures to meet the letter of the law in his activities. He actually sought to use his four decades of service (and pocket lining) to "merit a sanction that is in keeping with and no greater than House precedents and also contains a drop of fairness and mercy".
Can you see the smile on my face? Fairness and mercy? How about a day on the floor of the Coliseum with lions and Charlie as chief bait. Charlie says he failed to carry out his responsibilities and made numerous mistakes but he should not be accused of corruption or personal enrichment. Does this ring hollow to anyone else, or care you unable to hear me as you sit in your holiday villas somewhere in the Caribbean?
If this is the guy that the 15th wants to elect, then let them have him. His own party leaders distanced themselves in this last election realizing he was a cancer, and that is doing a disservice to cancer patients. If the 15th is so enamoured of Charlie, they get what they deserve. But I guess I would ask when do we get what deserve? I was thinking of a means to wall off the district - think Snake Pliskin and "Escape from New York". Charlie Rangel as Isaac Hayes (aka "The Duke"). Hmmmm.
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