What's the short version on the Rangel ethics charges. Anything to this?

[Lil Missy]

Does it have legs?

[Scuba]

1. Couldn't Charles get in on the real scams? ....

... Seems like most Congress-Critters steal hundreds of millions, not tens of thousands?

Is this the best Justice can do?

[Lil Missy]

2. Sorry if it's old news, but I've been busy!

Alright then. I was just curious. *sigh*

[old mark]

3. The GOP LOVES to nail the occasional high ranking Democrat from time to time

for relatively minor ethics violations taht are extremely widespread in Congress. It makse the 'publicans appear "moral" and the democrats slimy and evil, and occasionally removes long term Democratic leaders from Congress.

It could go either way, but Rangel is a tough guy and knows how this game is played.
He will NOT just lay down like some "Democrats" in congress.


mark

[Lil Missy]

4. Thank you. Although I thought this was Democrat initiated. Anyway,

who had it in for Rangel so bad that they would seek to end his long and distinguished career like this?

I've always liked Charlie. He once described the "trickle down theory" as Republicans expecting people to be happy with what comes out the business end of the elephant after they are finishe with it.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Charlie Got Sloppy

He intermingled funds...and also messed up on taxes. The counsel in his hearing yesterday said that he didn't do anything illegal but it surely was unethical. For example, the reason he didn't have any lawyers representing him yesterday is Charlie was paying them from a campaign committee fund shared by others...not from his own bank account or campaign fund.

While I've always like Charlie going back to when he was on the Nixon impeachment panel in the Judiciary Committee, he screwed up. I don't think he'll be kicked out of the House but deserves a censure. The irony is the man who held that Harlem seat before Charlie was Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (no not the dude from U2) who was both censured and then kicked out of the House, but that was due to some real felonies he had been convicted of.

Charlie's ego is also on trial here...and that's the painful thing to see. I wish this would conclude...the longer it drags on, the worse it makes him look.

[Lil Missy]

6. Thank you, and what a damned shame that he brought this upon himself.

Was it known to Rangel before the hearing started that he had to find a new attorney for the hearing? It seem so arrogsant and egregious of him to show up ready for business with clearly improper counsel. That sounds like the kind of hubris so familiar of Delay or Abrahamson (? the convicted lobbyist)

But I agree that he needs to accept the penalty and he is setting a very poor example.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Yep, He Knew

That's what made this so painful...instead of putting this thing behind, he's just prolonged this as both a personal and partisan situation. His statement talking about how his 50 year career was at risk speaks to how he's still letting his ego be his worst enemy. These problems have been known for a long time and Charlie's spent a lot of money defending charges...but here's another case of pride before the fall.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Real sloppy, but as you said there is no evidence of self enrichment etc

That he used improper funds to cover his legal bills is going to haunt him too. I expect strong censure but no effort to remove him. He will be forced to pay back the funds he "borrowed" and I expect will be required, formally or informally, to have some sort of required accounting *help* for a while to clean things up.

Maxine Waters is next on the list. She may have more of a problem if you believe what the RW part of the M$M is saying.