Harlem

Rangel Gets Back to Basics Before Slip-Up

Posted by Daniel Gold

As Americans tuned into CNN and C-Span in high numbers to watch the House debate and vote on health care reform, controversy swelled about racial insults hurled at black members of Congress as they made their way in to debate.

In an incident that took place on Saturday, black members of the house allegedly had the N-word shouted  at them by members of the Tea-Party movement. These leaders included Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga. Rep. Lewis had been instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, fighting against the government for equality for blacks. Now, as a member of the institution he once rebelled against, he faced off against racism once more. “I haven’t heard anything like this in 40, 45 years. Since the march to Selma, really,” Rep. Lewis told reporters.

Congressman Rangel, also active in the Civil Rights movement and one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, was quick to respond. As the Fox News Website reported:

You don’t see any black folks in these groups,” said Rangel. “Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.”Rangel suggested that some of the protesters knew Lewis’ story and deliberately went after him.”They knew what he represented.”

Rangel also made sure to make his feelings known during the actual debate. “”No matter how long anybody has been in this body, people will ask which side were you on and, thank God, I’m on the right side,” Rangel said on the floor of the House. on Sunday.

Rangel rose up in Congress fighting for under-represented Blacks and other minorities, as well as poverty-stricken, so, in the wake of recent scandals, it served him well to remind his constituents about the positive things he stood for and the many fights against racial intolerance he fought and won in the past. Instead of merely doing damage control and trying to stay out of the limelight, he was able to make his voice heard again.

Unfortunately, the Rangel campaign made a recent gaffe that the Daily News was able to seize upon. A tax pamphlet was sent out to Rangel’s constituents offering advice on how to do your taxes properly and receive money back from the federal government.

alg_rangel_pamphlet

Considering allegations of tax fraud against Rangel, the Daily News find a few quotable types who were amazed at Rangel’s hubris. From the article:

“Well, I think if anyone is going to tell you how to pay – or not pay – taxes, he’s your guy,” chuckled retiree Ed Hanft, 85. “It’s too much of a reminder to his constituents as to what he did. He shouldn’t talk about taxes at all.”

Reno Brown, 89, agreed. “I’d never take tax advice from that guy,” Brown told the Daily News.

“It’s probably not the best time to put something like that out,” observed Keisha Jones, 40.

A common criticism lobbied at Rangel was that he felt too comfortable in his powerful position and took questionable liberties because of this. Sending out a pamphlet championing your ability to help people do their taxes when you’re in tax trouble yourself probably isn’t the best move if you’re trying to show that you don’t think you’re above the law.

Shakeup in the 15th

Posted by Daniel Gold

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.”