Defiant Charlie Rangel, Hopeful Vince Morgan

Though his scandals are starting to draw increased attention, Charlie Rangel still claims that he will be running for his 21st term. This could be an example of a politician simply refusing to acknowledge the obstacles facing him, and hoping that his denial leaves his constituency feeling like maybe he isn’t really in that much trouble. Nancy Pelosi has refused to remove him from his powerful Ways and Means position, at least until the ethics panel wraps up the investigation. Though frequently referred to as untouchable, Rangel is starting to look like the negative press might just start sticking to him. Obama has abandoned his defense of Rangel, and four democrats have called for him to step down from the Ways and Means Committee.

Meanwhile, Vincent Morgan has started to ramp up his campaign. The NY Times recently published a profile on Morgan, ratcheting public awareness of Rangel’s democratic challenger. Morgan also released his first campaign commercial, a collection of residents of the 15th Congressional District talking about their differing backgrounds set to a Jay-Z beat.

Still no word on who Hove is endorsing.

“I think people have forgotten what the 15th looks like,” Morgan said, speaking by phone, when asked about the commercial. When asked whether he was trying to reach out to communities who Rangel might have overlooked, Morgan said that he was trying to reach out to the vast majority, and that he believes the vast majority feel overlooked because they don’t come out to vote. “I want them to become a part of the process again because they feel they are part of the process,” he said.

Morgan was a little more animated when talking about Rangel’s admonishment. “New Yorkers are completely fed up with this notion that elected officials get a pass on things that we would get in trouble for. Theres no way that normal citizens would have a pass on things that politicians take for granted,” he said. After the past week, there’s no way to tell which of the many New York state politicians currently enduring a scandal he was referring to, and there’s too little space on the Internet to list all of them.

The lack of participation in the voting process also disturbs Morgan. “One of things that disturbs me, that we’re so apathetic that we don’t come out and vote, then we hem and haw when they get caught…but we don’t vote,” he said.

I asked Morgan how Rangel had managed to keep such a stranglehold on the 15th, and how he hoped to break it. He blamed a combination of voter apathy and Rangel’s being ensconced in the Harlem political machine, as well as a lack of able and willing candidates.

“We’ve never had a candidate that could run against them and not be encumbered by the political machine,” said Morgan. “Now we’re in a different cycle and the stranglehold that the machine has had is being dismantled as we speak.” He was quick to portray himself as an outsider who understood the system because he had worked in it (as an aide for Rangel, no less) but had then broken out of it.

He lambasted politicians who treat political positions as a matter of musical chairs, hopping from one job to the next to increase their power and caring only about their careers. “They’re not running because they have a commitment to the people,” he said.

I pressed Morgan to see if he really thought he had a chance against Rangel. “I do think that we can win this thing, anybody can be beaten. People vote for people, and people vote for people they connect with…What we need to do is get out of this fallacy that rangle wins with 80% of vote. He wins with 80% of the vote that turns out,” he said.

Throughout the conversation, Morgan seemed invigorated and full of energy. Fitting, since Rangel’s admonishment had just been delivered the night before, and as Morgan pointed out, the allegation was only the first of many. If Rangel does follow through with his claims of running for the election, Morgan is still a tremendous underdog, and though he wouldn’t admit it, I think it’s safe to say his best hope is for Rangel to step down.

The Bronx Democratic Family Tree

The Clintons and Kennedys may be the most well known Democratic dynasties, but the Bronx has plenty of its own.

Last week I wrote about José E. Serrano’s efforts to raise money for the Bronx Zoo to do cleanup at the Bronx River.  I noted that his son, New York State Senator José M. Serrano is Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation – and an advocate for the zoo.  That wasn’t to suggest that the Congressman was acting out of nepotism, (he’s got as good of a voting record as you can get on environmental issues).  But in the Bronx it’s always worth considering, because here, politics is a family affair.

Let’s see what other family ties we can find in the Bronx Democratic Party.

José Rivera is a good place to start.  This Democratic Party Boss represents the Kingsbridge Heights and surrounding areas of the Bronx in the New York State Assembly.  He joined the Assembly in 1982 but in 1987 he left to represent a similar slice of the Bronx – the 15th Council District – on the City Council.  That seat went to his son, Joel Rivera, when he returned to the State Assembly in 2000.  But Rivera isn’t lacking for family in the Assembly.  In 2004 his daughter Naomi Rivera was elected to the Assembly to represent the Norwood and Pelham areas of the Bronx.  (Note: Assemblyman Peter Rivera of the Bronx is related to these three Riveras only by party and borough).

At 36 years old, the newish Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., is a rising star in the party. He started his political career in 1996 in the New York State Assembly, representing the Soundview section of the Bronx.  His father, Reverend Ruben Diaz Sr., joined the New York State Senate in 2002 to represent the South Bronx, after a year on the City Council.  The Borough President has brothers in the NYPD and New York City Housing Authority as well.

New York State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. is part of the Bronx family, (though it took an investigation by the Bronx District Attorney to get him to spend any time at his residence in the borough).  His brother, Jose Espada, once ran for the State Assembly, but District Leader was the highest office he ever got.   Senator Espada’s son, Pedro G. Espada, on the other hand, had a brief career on the State Senate in the late 1990s.  Last year, after a stint as a City Councilman and a few years working for his father’s controversial Soundview Healthcare Network, the younger Espada got a plush $120 thousand job as Senate Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Relations.  However, he had to quit after a week, when accusations arose that he was hired as favor to his father for returning to the Democratic Party.

The Bronx Rouge’s Gallery – er Family Tree – wouldn’t be complete without the Arroyos.  Carmen E. Arroyo has been serving the 84th Assembly District for the Bronx since 1994.  In 2005 her daughter, Maria del Carmen Arroyo, was elected to represent Pedro G. Espada’s old 17th City Council District in the Bronx.  Last summer, Richard Izquierdo Arroyo – the Assemblywoman’s grandson, and nephew of the City Councilwoman – was charged this summer with embezzling over $200 thousand from a nonprofit, SBCC Management Corporation, that he managed.  Among the charges are that the nonprofit was used as a slush fund for such activities as buying plane tickets to Puerto Rico for the three Arroyos.

And it’s not over yet.  This week former State Senator Efrain Gonzalez’s son, Carlos Gonzalez, said he is raising money to run for office in the Bronx.  The Elder Gonzalez recently withdrew a guilty plea he had offered in another Bronx slush fund case. Depending on what office his is thinking of running for though, he’d be running against either Pedro Espada or Jose Rivera, according to The Daily News. Either way, he’ll be challenging not just a candidate, but also a well-entrenched political family.

“Follow the money,” was the suggestion that Deep Throat gave Woodward and Bernstein for their investigative reporting in Washington D.C.  In the Bronx, he might have said, “Follow the family tree.”

Where Eliot Engel Eats

Eliot Engel sure can eat. In fact, so far in the 2009-2010 cycle, Rep. Engel’s campaign has spent $9,406 on restaurants. Check out the “Dining with Engel” map I made below…


View Dining with Engel in a larger map

Let’s break down some of Engel’s choices. First, his New York eats:

  • Hunan Balcony: The Engel campaign has hit up this downright legendary Riverdale joint 19 times — spending a total of $1,487. That’s not hard to understand. There might be no better eatery within Riverdale’s tree-lined “not quite suburb, not quite city” borders.
  • Hilton Rye Town Hotel: According to OpenSecrets, Engel spent money on food and lodging here. Nothing crazy about that, except that the hotel is only 30-45 minutes from where Engel lives (weird, I know).

Now how about his D.C. area haunts:

  • McCormick and Schmick’s: No big deal, just a couple of dinners at the chain seafood spot…for a whopping $4,825. Those must be some mighty fine lobsters.
  • Charlie Palmer Steaks: Yet another pricey venue, Engel spent $783 on one event here. In fact, I’m noticing a trend….

In this election cycle, Engel has seen just over $45,000 in donations from New York area contributors, while spending $2,752 on restaurants. Meanwhile, he’s spent almost $6,000 in the D.C. metro area, and pulled in $12,400. I’m no scientist, but either his New York contributors eat less, or Engel’s D.C. donors require fancier wooing.

"Big I" Gets Crowley to Speak at Lobbying Week

Big Insurance or “Big I” has been busy. They’ve already lobbied Washington with tons of money against health care reform. On March 4th, insurance agents will shake hands with members of Congress as part of a week long conference at our nation’s capital.

Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) booked Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) for their annual “Big I” Day, where over a thousand members go to Capitol Hill to discuss issues at the “most effective insurance industry legislative event of its kind,” according to the associations press release.

Insurance companies are the leading contributor to Crowley’s campaign, making up $70,000 in 2009-2010, according to Opensecrets.org. Crowley sits on the Ways and Means Committee, so it’s not a surprise for insurance companies to try and court him. The committee is the chief tax-writing group of the House of Representatives, which also has some jurisdiction over social security, medicare and unemployment benefits.

But Crowley is still an advocate for health care reform. Back in August, while lobbyists contributed more $1.4 million to try and sway Congress from reform, Crowley started an interactive health care forum on his website. He recently voted for the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act, which repealed antitrust protections from the health insurance industry. It passed by a landslide vote – 406 to 19.

Even with these contributions, Crowley continues to vote for liberal causes. The National Journal ranks him as more liberal than 89 percent of his peers. So, maybe “Big I” donates to Crowley because they see him as a future investment…?

Meeks Meets To Talk About Political Scandal–Just Not His

Photo: Daily News
Photo: Daily News

Greg Meeks attended Al Sharpton’s emergency Paterson summit at Sylvia’s in Harlem yesterday, along with many Black and Latino Democratic leaders and other elected officials.  The event was closed to the press, but Liz Benjamin of the Daily News reports that many sources inside the room say they are in favor of the Governor ending his short campaign for election, but do not feel he should resign.

“(T)he collective wants to put the focus back on policy not politics, including the areas of budget protection, job creation, education reform, health care, and entrepreneurial services,” Sharpton said, adding that the group would be seeking a meeting with both Paterson and “whoever announces that they will run for governor.”

The photo released from the event shows familiar faces of New York City politics looking terrified.  Al Sharpton is flanked by Meeks and Senator Malcolm Smith.  Rep. Charled Rangel is seated at the end, a few days after the House Ways and Means Committee said he broke ethics rules by taking two Caribbean trips paid for by private corporations.

It may not be the best company for Sharpton to be in, but these are his political allies.  Meeks’ missing money from his charity was on the cover of the New York Post today, time telling the story of the Rosedale Jets football team in Rosedale, Queens, who applied for money through the nonprofit but were told their application was “never received.”  First there were Hurricane Katrina victims shafter; now there are kiddie football players who can’t afford the proper equipment, all because Meeks allegedly spent tens of thousands of dollars on office supplies for an office the organization doesn’t have.

The New York Times has an interesting article on the legacy of Harlem politicians now coming to a close with Paterson’s decision.  It seemed like happier times then–not as much scandal.  Meeks has been an ally of David Paterson  for years, both coming out of the same Harlem litany of politicians.  While Paterson inherited his from his father, Basil (he served as State Senator in the same District as his dad), Meeks came into politics on his own.  He didn’t come from a political family, but he was welcomed into the one established in Harlem and southern Queens.

When it was reported that President Obama wanted to let Governor Paterson know he shouldn’t run in the November 2010 election, reports said he sent Greg Meeks as the messenger.  Paterson and Meeks denied it, but it gave a good insight into the relationship between the two politicians.  As more and more information comes out about Paterson and Meeks, it’s a wonder they ever came from a well-respected dynasty.

NOTE:  When I first saw the photograph from the summit, what struck me was Greg Meeks’s outfit.  It’s rare to see a politician in something other than a suit, but it’s hysterical to see that politician in a Coogi sweater. I spent too much time thinking about other famous Coogi fans, and have compiled a link to my favorites:

The Patriarchal Coogi

“I stay Coogi down to the socks”

The Legendary College Basketball Coach Coogi (middle)

A Health Care Reformer

Washington was under a thick blanket of snow this week, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t stop working for a minute. She was trying to shovel in any vote she could get, from fellow Democrats to Non-Democrat fellows.

But there’s one person she doesn’t need to worry about convincing to vote for Obama’s health care overhaul.

With one of the most liberal voting records in the House, Velazquez has voted 99.3 percent of the time with the Democratic Party so far in the 111th Congress.

This is not to say that New York is usually a source of concern for Pelosi, but Massachusetts didn’t used to be one either until recently.

As a Chairwoman of the Small Business Committee and Chairwoman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, most of Velazquez’s effort, time and PR are devoted to either loans for small businesses or Hispanic education and immigrant rights.

This week, however, Velazquez released a statement on health insurance and lowering health care costs for New Yorkers.

Yes, she’s a progressive democrat, committed to small businesses and representing her majority immigrant, working families constituency. Supporting a public option is not a political risk for Velazquez, it’s a given.

On Friday, Velazquez released a statement, on congress’ recent approval of the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act, (H.R. 4626). A legislation that will lower health care costs by promoting competition among providers.

“In New York State, the two biggest health insurance companies control 46 percent of the market, and premiums for families increased by 97 percent between 2000 and 2009. Subjecting the health insurance industry to the same anti-trust laws as other industries will help prevent price fixing and monopolizing of the market. H.R. 4626 passed the House by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 406-19 and must now be considered by the U.S. Senate.”

The Daily Gotham reported that Velazquez wasn’t always committed to the Obama’s health care reform, but since she joined her party’s stance, Velazquez made a fairly convincing performance last July

Nadler Keeps Bush-Era Fights Alive

Some in Washington might see the Bush years shrinking to a dot on the political horizon behind them. This week, however, Congressman Nadler helped magnify two specific issues that remain from that time period.

The first was the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act. A particular bugbear for many liberals (and some libertarians), a number of provisions of the act were set to expire. The House and Senate approved, and President Obama signed into law, an extension. Nadler was one of 97 House members who voted against the renewal.

From his speech on the House floor during debate:

[W]e are punting to the next Congress, which for all practical purposes means that we are extending the PATRIOT Act unchanged for the indefinite future. I believe that our Nation and our liberties will suffer as a result of this.

The second issue involved two former Bush Administration lawyers, John Yoo and Jay Bybee. Considered authors of memos authorizing torture methods such as water boarding, both were recently found to have engaged in professional misconduct, but the official report was overturned by top Department of Justice officials.

In a defiant move, Nadler has sent the details of the report to the state bar associations Yoo and Bybee are registered under. Last year, Nadler was part of a push to impeach Bybee, who is now a federal judge, over the memos. His hope, however unlikely, is that Yoo and Bybee will be disbarred.

While so much of the activity these days is focused on the big current issues such as health care or jobs, it’s interesting, if not surprising, to see Nadler continue to focus on correcting (or attacking, depending on your feelings) some of the more controversial practices from the Bush years. His position as chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties provides him the perfect opportunity to focus on these issues.

His track record on other liberal and progressive agenda items, such as repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, indicates he has the political backing and security to pursue this agenda without electoral consequences, despite Congress’s trajectory. It’s jobs and health care now, even as Nadler fights like it’s 2005.

Mikey in the middle

gop_balancing_act23 There is now proof that the congressman from Staten Island is not the partisan hack his critics have tarred him as.

According to a report by National Journal, Congressman Mike McMahon was rated the 211th most conservative member of the House and 219 among liberals — right smack in the middle of the 435-member chamber.

His campaign has seized on the news, touting it on their Web site and Facebook account. But they still have work to do.

The campaign, fledgling as it may be (the elections is eight months away) has to create a narrative. They need to sell McMahon as something Islanders can embrace and root for. He needs to be “one of them.”

In case no one has noticed, Staten Island is uniquely isolated from the rest of New York City, and for that matter, the entire state. There are three bridges connecting the island to New Jersey but only one that leads to Brooklyn; and Manhattan, you need to take the ferry to go there.

People there are distrustful of outsiders (sorry Allegretti), independent in the traditional sense, and, maybe at times, a little paranoid.

“Staten Island is a conservative place, we could take care of ourselves,” Warren Crapo owner of Crapo Realty told me back in September when I interviewed business owners in anticipation of the House health care vote.

I haven’t heard too much from the campaign. I know they are busy, and let’s be honest, this isn’t the New York Times here, but most major publications will treat this race as a peripheral issue, a sidebar from the ‘other borough.’

So here’s my own narrative. A portrait of a non-partisan centrist:

Mike McMahon has rejected the scorched earth policy of D.C. and has devoted his Congressional career to working with other members of the House on issues vital to Staten Islanders. Mike is not concerned with latching himself to the latest political trend or being a lackey of the current Democratic regime. He has, and always will, put locals issues (small businesses, modernizing transportation, combating terrorism) in their proper place above nonsensical partisan point-scoring.

Maybe McMahon will get similar advice for the editorial pages of the Staten Island Advance: but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Paterson Out of Race, Clarke Off the Hook – Thanks to the Media?

Is the media to blame for Gov. Paterson dropping out of race for New York governor?

If you ask Rep. Yvette Clarke, the answer would likely be a strong “Yes!”

Earlier this month, Paterson officially announced his candidacy despite low approval ratings from within his party and the public. Clarke, a Brooklyn representative, voiced her support for the governor – but with an unusual approach: She attacked political reporters.

Clarke said political reporting has not been truthful about the work Gov. Paterson has performed.

“The type of news reporting in our political arena has really degraded to one of rumor, innuendo and speculation,” said Clarke behind a podium bearing a Gillibrand-for-Senate sign at a campaign stop.

Her issue, specifically, seemed to be with the type of articles by The New York Times that had some experts predicting would be the end of Paterson’s campaign. As recently as Wednesday, Ben Smith from Politico reported a Times article about the governor’s intervention in a domestic violence case “appears likely to end the governor’s tottering political career.”

While Clarke never specifically addressed which parts of news stories were untrue about the governor – or which reporters or media outlets failed to report truthful stories – she did urge those who know the “truth,” like herself, to speak up: “I can talk about the truth of what Governor Paterson has done for the state of New York.”

Not to discount her concerns, Clarke has a strong and valid point about journalism and political reporting. Rick Klein, senior political reporter for ABC News, agreed, saying journalists need to be careful against “the easy stories that involve the kinds of storylines” around gossip and unsubstantiated speculation.

But Clarke seemed to have failed in recognizing that the very stories she was attacking were not about what Paterson has done for New York as governor, but instead what he has done for himself and others around him while governor.

Klein suggested that if the political reporting isn’t original investigation, look to see who is feeding the reporter information.

“Just about all campaigns engage in the ‘dark arts’ of opposition research, and eagerly trade gossip with reporters, even while decrying the fact that journalists play these games,” said Klein in an e-mail.

Now that Paterson officially withdrew from the race amid the allegations against him, Clarke and more than 70 percent of the public may likely blame the media for it – though that’s speculation, too, based on a Rasmussen poll last month that showed a majority of the public thinks the media has too much influence on picking candidates for office.

But one thing is certain: Clarke’s decision to support Paterson right through the end was strategic for her own campaign. She no longer has to choose against the unpopular but only black Democratic candidate for governor of New York.

She can now easily slide into a supportive role for Cuomo’s campaign along, at least, a party line basis – without the possibility of alienating her large number of black constituents this election year.

Shakeup in the 15th

One silver lining to Charlie Rangel’s recent trouble is that it came on the same night as the revelations of David Paterson’s long rumored transgressions. Otherwise, things are looking pretty downhill for Rangel, who was formally admonished by the House ethics committee for accepting corporate sponsorships to vacation in the Caribbean.

There are still more allegations being investigated, including the allegations that he improperly has 4 rent-controlled apartments and unreported assets that could total more than $1,000,000. Compared to those, the Caribbean trip is a relatively minor offense. If found guilty of those, Rangel will be in a much more precarious position. There’s already talk of what to do with him as chairman of the Ways and Means committee and the challenge facing Nancy Pelosi if she wants to oust Rangel. Rangel still counts the Congressional Black Caucus, of which he is a founding member, among his allies who will rally to his defense, but there are definitely some in the Democratic party who see him as something the Republicans can use to cast the Democrats in a negative, unethical light. Rangel will surely resign from the key tax-writing post he holds, whether voluntary or “voluntary,” according to Democrats who spoke with Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic.

“Once promised to be the ‘most ethical Congress in history,’ the Democratic majority now has a serious ethics scandal on its hands,” said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. A similar uproar occurred when William Jefferson, another senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, was found with $90,000 of ill-gotten money in his freezer. What followed was what the Salon article refers to as
weeks of maneuvering” that culminated in a House vote. The other members of the CBC, along with a host of other Democrats totaling 60 still voted against throwing out Jefferson. Keep in mind, Jefferson did not have nearly the same sort of support and power that Rangel had.

The scandal comes just as Obama is asking Congress to make another push for health care reform, a push that is going to require everything the Democrats have got. It’s a particularly tough time to have a scandal like Rangel’s sitting out in the open for Republicans to cherry-pick for attacks. Republicans have been going after Rangel since the first day the scandals were reported, and will likely be looking to intensify their attacks and calls for his resignation.

Even if Rangel isn’t forced out, there’s a chance he might not seek re-election. He threatened to retire in 2006 if the Democrats didn’t win the house, and he’ll be 80 years old by the time of next election. Additionally, if he’s forced out of the Ways and Means Committee, there’s a good chance he might not want to go back to being a much weaker player in Congress.

This is, of course, is great news for Democratic challenger Vince Morgan. Speaking by phone, Morgan was hesitant to express any sense of excitement or pleasure in Rangel’s troubles.

“If you’re sitting back hoping for something, you’re wasting time…We’re going to run the strongest race that we can and its going to be enough to beat him on the issues,” he said. “I don’t wish him any ill will, but I do think its time for him to step aside.”