The death of an ex-appropriations committee chairman who served well into his 80s, and this performance by another, are two reminders that the Village doesn’t hold its local heroes to the same standard as they would hold any doctor, lawyer or teacher.
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BTD
Huh? Rangel is being excoriated by the Village and he has asked for due process.
Rangel wants a trial. This is bad in your mind why?
Do any of you actually understand the BS nature of the Rangel witchhunt?
This is a ridiculous comparison.
sal
I don’t know, seems like they want to do away with retirement for the rest of us as well.
mistermix
@BTD: Charlie wouldn’t be in the pickle he’s in at the moment if he would have retired and then worked on his legacy. That’s my point.
James Hare
@mistermix:
It works for Republicans. Retiring is an implicit acknowledgement the charges have merit. If Rangel truly believes he is innocent and the ethics trial will clear his name, he should avail himself of that opportunity.
BTD
@mistermix:
Leaving in disgrace does nothing for your legacy.
You may not believe this, but Rangel does not like being labelled corrupt. I’m sort of with him on that. I have voiced this view before, but I wish someone could explain to me how exactly Rangel put money in his pocket with his “egregious” conduct.
I think Rangel would have walked away IF he had not been called corrupt and then instead of defending Rangel, the Dems, from Obama on down, decided to dump on him.
He realized that in Washington, if you want a friend, get a dog.
One person will fight for Charlie Rangel’s reputation – and that is Charlie Rangel. And he is going to do it.
And I say good for him.
As for the ridiculous theory that this hurts other Dems, I think if anyone thinks Rangel will be on anyone’s mind when they go to a vote outside of Rangel’s district, then they are delusional.
It’s the economy, stupid.
verberne
Mistermix needs to tell us what the proper retirement age is for themselves and for the general public. At just what age are we all to fade to the background to work on our memoirs?
Mike in NC
Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd are their role models.
mai naem
From the little I have read, Maxine Waters’ stuff is a lot more serious than Rangel’s. I guess Rangel should have used TurboTax to do his taxes and then Obama would have said it was okay a la Geithner. And, yes, I know Rangel’s got stuff beyond the taxes but so did Geithner and the crap he pulled at the NY Fed.
mistermix
@BTD: My point is that Rangel should have walked away before he did his fundraising for his legacy project, which is what triggered this whole thing.
BTD
@mistermix:
What’s your take on the Frank Lautenberg Train Station in Secaucus, New Jersey?
Hugin & Munin
BTD: It sucks: it’s in Jersey.
cleek
@BTD:
right. and no minority party ever uses high-profile instances of corruption to successfully paint the majority with the “culture of corruption” label. never happens. not once.
BTD
@cleek:
Never WORKED. Not once.
BTD
@Hugin & Munin:
I’m just wondering if MisterMix thinks that Lautenberg’s work for getting the money for the train station that bears his name should have waited until after Lautenberg leaves the Senate.
I mean Rangel lobbying for education money for CUNY for a department that will bear his name should have waited according to MisterMix. What’s the difference you think?
Comrade Kevin
@BTD: I think mistermix is fishing for an Andrew Sullivan “Yglesias Award”.
AxelFoley
Hey, GOPers never step down when they fuck up, so why should Dems? I’m glad Reps. Rangle and Waters won’t go away.