As a general rule, I don't follow the antics of the various and sundry Congresscritters. There are too damned many of them, and most of them are usually safe to ignore.
Every now and then, though, one of them manages to garner enough attention to catch my interest, and reaffirm my belief that a philosophy of "voting against the incumbent" is probably the safest practice one can make.
Case in point: Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY).
Rangel is the chairman of the incredibly powerful Ways And Means Committee in the House. That is the committee that writes the tax laws.
Well, Mr. Rangel seems a bit underqualified for that position, because he's been accused of violating tax laws -- as well as other regulations -- right and left.
In New York City, rent-controlled apartments are rare prizes. As such, they are tightly controlled -- no one is supposed to have more than one, and they can only use them to live in.
Somehow, Rangel managed to snag four of them, in the same building. He combined three of them into his home, and uses the fourth as a campaign office.
Also, Rangel owns a villa in the Dominican Republic. He rents it out during the year, but he never bothered to report the income. One would think that the guy who is in charge of writing the tax code would know better, but you know you can't expect law MAKERS to follow the same laws they expect us to obey.
Rangel is also taking heat for going on a trip to Antigua and Barbuda, letting lobbyists pick up his tab for him.
Rangel had been undergoing divorce proceedings. On the same day he came clean about the villa, he also pulled those plans. I'm sure that that was a wild coincidence -- the chance that his wife of 42 years might be freed to talk about his shenanigans was most likely the furthest thing from his mind.
You know, when the Democrats took control of Congress back in 2006, Speaker Pelosi promised us "the most ethical Congress in history." She has the authority to remove Rangel from his position of power.
I'm betting she won't.
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Comments (18)
I'm betting she won't.</... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Clay | September 15, 2008 11:21 AM | Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
I'm betting she won't.
You'd win the bet. Despite calls for Charlie to step down from his chairmanship, a spokesman for Pelosi is on record saying that it ain't happening.
Way to clean things up Nancy.
1. Posted by Clay | September 15, 2008 11:21 AM |
Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 11:21
2. Posted by Clay | September 15, 2008 11:25 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
As of an hour ago: http://wcbstv.com/local/charles.rangel.uncle.2.817769.html
2. Posted by Clay | September 15, 2008 11:25 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 11:25
3. Posted by JLawson | September 15, 2008 11:25 AM | Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
Guess it all depends on what your definition of 'ethical' is.
Sure seems party-dependent, doesn't it?
3. Posted by JLawson | September 15, 2008 11:25 AM |
Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 11:25
4. Posted by GarandFan | September 15, 2008 12:00 PM | Score: 16 (16 votes cast)
Gotta give Nancy credit, she also promised the 'most transparet' congress ever. Alot of the crap going on among Democrats sure has been transparent. Jefferson is still there, Rangle is still there, Murtha is still there; evidently 'ethics' only applies to Republicans.
4. Posted by GarandFan | September 15, 2008 12:00 PM |
Score: 16 (16 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:00
5. Posted by hermie | September 15, 2008 12:16 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
The man in charge of tax legislation is telling us peons what we have to pay...Yet HE doesn't think the laws he makes applies to him or at the worst...they are too complicated to figure out.
Like that'll endear him to the voters who need to sweat out a 1099 every year.
5. Posted by hermie | September 15, 2008 12:16 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:16
6. Posted by Parker | September 15, 2008 12:21 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
One note - his wife could still testify, if she wanted to - but it would be much harder to legally COMPEL her to testify.
Generally, you can't compel testimony against a spouse.
6. Posted by Parker | September 15, 2008 12:21 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:21
7. Posted by kbiel
| September 15, 2008 12:29 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
I'm guessing (the now reconfirmed) Mrs. Rangel is sporting a new mink coat, some nice new jewelry, a brand new luxury car, and/or a new post-nup agreement since she can still talk. The law recognizes that a spouse can not be compelled to divulge things told to them in confidence by their spouse, but it does not prevent them from doing so of their own free will.
7. Posted by kbiel
| September 15, 2008 12:29 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:29
8. Posted by drjohn | September 15, 2008 12:56 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Charlie will go the same way as William Jefferson.
The top tax guy in the House doesn't understand the tax laws?
Har.
8. Posted by drjohn | September 15, 2008 12:56 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:56
9. Posted by dooz | September 15, 2008 12:59 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Yup, just another "regular people" Democrat, guarding the interests of the "regular people".
(Anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?)
9. Posted by dooz | September 15, 2008 12:59 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 12:59
10. Posted by SCSIwuzzy
| September 15, 2008 1:45 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
It's been a few hours... where are the blues to play their usual game of distract and defend?
Could it be that even they know there is no defense of Chuckles?
10. Posted by SCSIwuzzy
| September 15, 2008 1:45 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 13:45
11. Posted by Emerson | September 15, 2008 1:48 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Hey, victims of racism are incapable of raci-- I mean tax evasion!
11. Posted by Emerson | September 15, 2008 1:48 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 13:48
12. Posted by Gmac | September 15, 2008 2:06 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"Rangel's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said the move shows Rangel "has nothing to hide and does not believe he has done anything intentionally wrong."
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, as demonstrated constantly by the Democrats in office that violate them all the time.
12. Posted by Gmac | September 15, 2008 2:06 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 14:06
13. Posted by Mac Lorry | September 15, 2008 2:38 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
I think they decided to girlcott Wizbang.
13. Posted by Mac Lorry | September 15, 2008 2:38 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 14:38
14. Posted by moseby | September 15, 2008 3:02 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Well, the msm will go after this rangle fella and expose his shenanigans all over the nightly news and in the papers--front page spread!! And then the Moon will fall out of the sky....
14. Posted by moseby | September 15, 2008 3:02 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 15:02
15. Posted by marc | September 15, 2008 3:19 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Rangel's lawyer, Lanny Davis....
is that The Lanny Davis? Former (and still part-time) shill for Hillary and now so far in the tank for Obama (Party unity doncha know?) he needs a snorkel to sleep at night?
15. Posted by marc | September 15, 2008 3:19 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 15:19
16. Posted by mojo | September 15, 2008 4:18 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The law doesn't say she can't testify agin him, it says she can't be compelled to do so.
16. Posted by mojo | September 15, 2008 4:18 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 16:18
17. Posted by Thomas Jackson | September 15, 2008 9:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Rangel a crook? In Pelosi's honest Congress. Tell me it so!
17. Posted by Thomas Jackson | September 15, 2008 9:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 21:02
18. Posted by COgirl | September 15, 2008 10:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Culture of corruption. . .
18. Posted by COgirl | September 15, 2008 10:25 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 15, 2008 22:25