The most ethical Congress EVAH … Rangel charged, will face trial
I’m happy that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been able to get through all of the red tape and finally work towards her pledge to fight ensure Congressional ethics. Funny though, she’s been unusually quiet about Rep. Charlie Rangel (D- N.Y.), maybe she should make a big splash by walking down Pennsylvania Avenue with a broom.
Sweep the corruption out of Washington, D.C. madame speaker! That’s it … sweep it all out. That’s the ticket!
Pelosi has not really been completely mute on Rangel. Her spokesman noted “The action today would indicate that the independent, bipartisan ethics committee process is moving forward”. Oh, good.
From the Washington Post, with my emphasis in bold.
A House ethics subcommittee announced Thursday that it found that Rep. Charles B. Rangel violated congressional ethics rules and that it will prepare for a trial, probably beginning in September. The panel is expected to make the details of his alleged violations public next Thursday.
Rangel (D-N.Y.) has been under the House ethics committee’s microscope since early 2008 after it was reported that he may have used his House position to benefit his financial interests. Two of the most serious inquiries have focused on Rangel’s failure to declare $239,000 to $831,000 in assets on his disclosure forms, and on his effort to raise money for a private center named after him at City College of New York using his congressional letterhead. …
… Rangel has spent more than $2 million from his campaign treasury on his legal team, including more than $160,000 this spring, according to federal election reports.
From the New York Post, again with my emphasis in bold.
Among the most serious charges that have been aired against Rangel — first disclosed by The Post — was his failure to report and pay taxes on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic.
The Post later revealed that Rangel also didn’t report hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets and income on the financial-disclosure forms he has filed with Congress each year.
And Rangel has been accused of soliciting large corporate donations for a center named after him at CCNY while heading Ways and Means.
He also was found to be maintaining four rent-regulated apartments in Harlem, as well as preserving a tax shelter for an oil-drilling company, Nabors Industries, whose CEO had donated to the Rangel Center.
Rangel has been Congress for 40 years. That’s about half of his total years on our world. Let’s assume he was doing the normal “growing up” stuff for the first 20 years of his life, what did Rangel do for the first 20 years of his working life?
First of all, he very honorably served in the United States Army, earning the rank of Staff Sargent while serving in the Korean War between 1948 and 1952. Rangel was awarded both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
After the war, he returned to New York, completed high school and college and by 1960 he had earned his JD from St. John’s.
Between 1960 and 1970, Rangel was an attorney, including serving as an Assistant US Attorney in New York and eventually got into politics as early as 1966.
Now go back and read about Rangel’s million dollar legal fees, nearly three-quarters of a million in non-disclosed assets. The Washington big-time political life pays well.
I’m going to have a little fun with the Congressman here, so don’t go all freak-out on me. Here’s a screen shot of the right column on Drudge this morning.
34 Comments
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As a Green , i can see Rangel must go!
But what about Sen.Vitter? Ensign?
all the Reps should fellow the Dem out the door!
Yes, Tim, he needs to resign!
However, the GOPers hang on forever and usually never get deserved punishment.
Remember McCain and the Savings and Loan Scandal?
Sanford-
Ensign-
DeLay-
And the list is too long to continue before more coffee ………..
I agree. Sweep out any corrupt politicians. Was McCain the only person in the S&L scandal? Refresh my memory.
Sanford: resigned.
Ensign? Resigned (for being a pig).
DeLay: lost his leadership position and eventually his seat.
Now let's look at some others:
Ted Kennedy? Left a girl to die in a submerged car while he sobered up and came up with some lawyers.
Tim Geithner: cheated on his taxes. His reward: got appointed to head the Treasury Dept, and, ironically, the IRS.
Democrat House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers: “accepted responsibility” for a series of House rules violations involving the use – and abuse – of his staffers. Wrist slap. Check out the current ethics and bribery violations his wife is accused of (don't check the MSM, they won't have it).
William Jefferson? 'nuff said.
Barney Frank: a prostitution ring run out of his Washington residence. Allegedly his "associate" (pun unintended but I like it anyway) did it.
Gerry Studds: sodomized a young staffer. Welcomed back with a standing ovation (by Dems). Be sure to compare and contrast with what ex rep Larry Craig did and what happened to him.
Patches Kennedy? Trainwreck who finally saw the writing on the wall. No persecutions for assaulting airport inspector, driving impaired etc.
Now Kerry, dodging MA taxes on his $7million yacht by parking it in nearby, tax free Rhode Island.
Feinstein kickbacks to her husband. Dodd (both father and son)?
Now Rangel: will he resign in shame? Doesn't sound like it.
There's more. I have a list.
Bottom line: THROW THE BUMS OUT! All of them, regardless of party.
Democrat or Republican… Every politician like this needs to go, I don't care what letter is next to their name. As far as I can tell this is yet another symptom of the disease. They get in, they make their niche, then they rob us blind.
Two words…
TERM LIMITS!!!!
Oh yeah, Symptom of the disease … someone reading my stuff! I don't think term limits are the solution though, since term limits simply attack a symptom, not the disease itself … which happens to be the huge monstrosity of a federal government we have right now.
I hope he leaves Congress one way or another, but I am not holding my breath.
A perp walk would be epic. I am sure he would put up a fight…
OK Dimsdale let's play Republican morals :
1.Senator John Ensign (R-NV ) confessed to cheating on his wife with a staffer and caught paying hush money to the husband.
2.GOV. Mark Sanford (R-SC) left his state unsupervised for a week to meet his lover.
3.Senator David Vitter (R-LA) found to have been a client of prostitutes.
4. Rep Mark Foley (R-FL) forced to resign found to having inappropriate relations with male pages.
5.Senator Bob Packwood( R-Ore) resigned in 1995 under threat of public senate hearings regarding 10 female staffers accusing him of sexual harassment.
6.Henry Hyde (R- IL ) father of four sons had a 7 year affair which he continued even after the woman's husband begged him to stop
7.Newt Gingrich …while his wife was recovering from cancer was at her bedside with divorce demands.
8.Idaho Senator Larry Craig busted in gay sting operation ………..he really wasn't rubbing the guys feet in the next stall … .he just has a wide stance………..
state and local level
1.CT's own Governor John Rowland convicted of corruption ……………
2.Illinois governor George Ryan convicted of 18 counts of bribery and corruption in April of 2006 six and a half years in prison
I to have a list of over 75 more but don't wanna take up too much space.
Yeah ………..throw them all out and start over …………garbage in garbage out…..
And you know what? President Bill Clinton – while in office – got in front of a jury and flat our perjured himself. You all can go back and forth all you friggin' want … won't due one damn good since these are all SYMPTOMS of the disease.
ohhh, you really don't want to bring presidents into this, do you?
Can't reply with my list of you know who's record, it would certainly violate the TOS.
You seem to deal mostly in immoral non crimes (with some obvious exceptions. I already mentioned several of them. We should really be sticking to crimes, like Rangel. I can raise you, but we will be going back and forth all day.
The bottom line stands: throw out incumbents, unless they have been especially virtuous. And don't let the pols investigate themselves. Let'em throw themselves on the mercy of the public.
"Walk" down Pennsylvania Avenue with a broom? I thought Nancy rode one….. cackling at the American people as she flies, "I've got you now my pretties! and control your healthcare too!!" … oh wait… she does fly… that's on her private jet blowing CO2 as she spends multi millions on sprees to Italy with her cronies (including Larson)….
She reminds me more of the crypt keeper from "Tales from the Crypt"… http://thersic.com/wordpress/wordpress/?p=598
Power corrupts. Rangel is a disease and MUST be purged from Congress.
When D.C. had a total ban on handguns, didn't he chase some neighborhood kids out of his townhouse pool at gun point? He might have taken a shot at them. Result? No punishment at all.
Probably the biggest thing is that Congress continually exempts itself from any law they pass. They –Congress– is above the law. That has to change.
And, yes, throw 'em all out. They have had the easy and "honored" life for all too long.
I want to know how someone with a net worth of under half a million leaves government service as a multi-millionaire? Can't have gotten that honestly . . .
The simplistic answer is: the disease itself … which happens to be the huge monstrosity of a federal government we have right now. This is according to Steve, as if things are better at the state/local level. CT for example is a "poster state" for corruption and elected officials doing/having done time.
Don't forget Massachusetts! We invented gerrymandering, you know! And we have had criminal proceedings against the last three (if I recall correctly) Speakers of the House! We have the Kennedy Crime Family!
I think step one is to just stop believing their BS. I look at the race for CT governor and Senator, and all I see is lots of promises and no details. From both sides.
When I first heard that "…most ethical congress…" I thought she was setting the bar so low, none of the snakes could slither under it. The question isn't, "Who is more corrupt? (R) or (D)? but "Politicians or politicians?
EXACTLY! As I have said previously, it isn't R vs. D.; it is the pols vs. the voters.
Get educated, get voting and get 'em out! Put them on notice that we are MAD AS HELL, AND WE AREN'T TAKING IT ANYMORE! (thank you, Mr. Beale).
Ok Dimsdale …….crimes:
1.July 30.2008 Republican Senator Ted Stevens was indicted on 7 felony accounts for failure to disclose gifts from Veco Oil …including over 250,000 dollars a Land Rover and home improvements..
2.William Frist R-Tenn subpoenaed by the SEC currently faces three counts of criminal indictment for fraud and insider trading.
3.Tom Delay R Texas …alleged felony money laundering and conspiracy counts.
I have over 75 more but in keeping with the terms of use I defer …………..yes it is a symptom but the individuals on both sides of the aisle are amoral and extremely corrupt.Very few politicians say no to the lobby juggernaut.
And where are they now?
Seriously? This tit-for-tat stuff does nothing to change the fact that the majority of politicians are corrupt and morally bankrupt individuals. Just remember to show up in November, have your voice heard & leave your behind (and theirs) in the past!
I sure would like to see a formal definition of this bunch of people called the "political class". If I close my eyes, I can imagine the members of this class being politicians and their families, union leadership (but not the rank and file), lifetime civil servants (perhaps), and others who make their livings by dint of the strength, reach, and breadth of government.
The Rasmussen polls constantly refer to this class of people, yet don't provide a definition. All I can really tell is that they are not "populists" or members of the "mainstream". If you listen to Rasmussen, this "political class" attracts approximately 7% support when asked the question "Who do you trust?".
It would seem fitting to me that this "political class" would be comprised of Democrats, Republicans, and political people of all parties. It seems clear to me that it is this "political class" that we need to sweep out of power — they're all equally corrupt. But the problem is that we would necessarily have to replace our leadership, thereby creating yet another iteration of the "political class". This current crop of creeps is certainly corrupt; I can only imagine that a future vintage would grow equally so. Perhaps there's an argument in here — somewhere — for term limits; but I think there's a better argument lurking in here for serious criminal penalties for abuse of trust.
I'm about to violate TOU. Better get outta here before I wax way too long. But the point I want to make before I leave is that party handles don't mean anything when it comes to slimy people. The best we can do as electors is (a) make sure our votes count, and (b) look deeply into every character for whom you'd cast a vote.
You are absolutely correct. I yield my time to you to avoid TOU violations. 😉
You can look into someone's character before you vote with a magnifying glass. The "sense of entitlement"occurs, as an ex pol told me, in the third term.
Could Wrangel be a sacrificial lamb? Could he be a diversion from carbon credit corruption, Blago, poll numbers, unemployment… He's due for the glue factory, so maybe his curtain call is to serve as a "martyr" for the greater good of the Democrat party? For all they overlook and pad with window dressing, we've got to question this very unusual situation where they nail Charlie Wrangel to a cross!
I keep reading that all politicians are "corrupt" and that we should get educated, show up to vote and throw them out. WHO are we voting in? People from other planets?
Haha, 2 thumbs up Sammy!
Laughing your way right into a depression at worst, and a prolonged, jobless recession at best. I guess I am just too optimistic, along with "childish and pathetic" per chris.
I guess your idea is continue with what we have, because there isn't anyone better, from either party? How fatalistic. We can't educate people on the candidate's positions, make them sign pledges to do what they promise, and teach them to ignore the usual soundbite approach to politics?
Maybe you should stop enjoying the view from Saturn, and come back to Earth.
OMG
Cam we just get over this??
After you mock me with every post I submit?
Boy, you "righties "have such thin skins-you can certainly dish it out…but can't take it.
Yes, we can do all the things you are suggesting, Dims. Haven't we been doing that all along? According to me, not all politicians are corrupt. But asking for them to sign pledges (and keep them) or ignore the soundbite approach is wishful thinking. I am watching what is going on from Earth.
So you ridicule me and others for things you say we have been doing all along? Okay. Tell it to the people that voted for Alvin Greene.
Far from me to ridicule anybody. I applaud your and "the other people's" efforts.
Rep. Rangel is an example of the phrase: "money talks".
Thread closed.