Censure, then Dinner and Back to Work
The formal resolution of censure of Charles Rangel read by Nancy Pelosi was, at best, anti-climatic. Through the course of the build-up to same, one would have thought Rangel faced having pins shoved under his fingernails, or his feet placed in a bucket of water with wires affixed to the more sensitive parts of his anatomy.
Bobby Scott (D-VA) argued that censure for Rangel was “rough and unfair, because it was based on the accumulation of offenses and not the character or intent of the offenses.” I admit to not fully comprehending the legitimacy of such an argument.
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said Rangel’s offenses demanded a reprimand, not censure. He argued that the House has set in place an Ethics Committee to hold its members to a high standard, and that standard in this case demanded a reprimand. (A reprimand for not paying taxes on a property for 17 years — we should all be so privileged.) G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) based his call for a reprimand on Rangel himself having called for the trial. (Recall Rangel’s call for a trial was hubris, a dare to the Ethics Committee.)
Another House member speaking in support of a reprimand as opposed to censure referenced Rangel’s age, as if censure would result in a prison sentence without hope of parole. And the dramatic prose award went to Peter King (R-NY), who stated emphatically: “I implore you today to pause for a moment and step back. … If expulsion is the equivalent of the death penalty, then censure is like life in prison.”
There was talk of Rangel’s military service in the Korean War, and his being wounded. How many serving prison sentences today for crimes less serious than Rangel’s are Purple Heart vets?
It was a nauseating display of ruling class obfuscation, a prime example of why Congress now receives such a low public approval rating.
Rangel broke the law. He used his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee to solicit money from lobbyists for the Charles B. Rangel Center at the City College of New York. He sidestepped the law by, having helped write the tax code, knowing what language to employ to avoid legal ramifications. He misused congressional perks. He failed to pay taxes on an income property for 17 years. He failed to report assets properly for a decade. He misused a rent-stabilized apartment as a campaign office. And he had an unreported $500,000-$600,000 in a checking account he claimed to have forgotten about, prior to blaming his wife for it.
To her credit, and to my surprise, Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) made it clear that Rangel had numerous choices to “handle the matter differently,” and he chose not to. He had been offered a deal that would have settled for a reprimand, but he chose instead to dare the Committee to try him: “It’s important to hold members to high standards,” Lofgren said. “It’s a sad day, but a necessary day … It’s an important vote for this institution and how we are seen by our employers, the American voters.”
Rangel argued that in none of the offenses did he think that he was enriching himself or doing “violence to the honesty that’s expected of all of us in [the] House.” He spoke of having thought back to his infantry days during the Korean War — the sub-zero temperatures, the fighting, and his leading 40 men to safety. He spoke of his wondering if he would survive to return home. He spoke of the casualties.
My cousin served in Korea. One of the only times I ever heard him mention his being there was to say he and his military brothers had to use urine to cool whatever kind of guns they where shooting.
When he returned home, he didn’t break the law.
Rangel said: “I tell you that story not for sympathy, but to let you know that at that time in every sense, I made up my mind that I could never complain to God for any event that occurred in my life.” And he shouldn’t — God allowed him to return home, and blessed him to be able to serve others. Instead, he used his position and blessings to loot, extort, and pillage.
After all the theater, pleas, and indignation, the vote for censure passed 333-79 with 23 not voting.
After that, what happened? What was the terrible fate that awaited him?
A somber, ashen-faced Nancy Pelosi read the following:
House Resolution 1737 would resolve that: Representative Charles B. Rangel of New York be censured. Representative Charles B. Rangel forthwith present himself in the well of the House for pronouncement of censure. Representative Charles B. Rangel be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker — and representative Rangel pay restitution to the appropriate taxing authorities or the U.S. Treasury for any unpaid estimated tax so outlined in Exhibit 066 on income received from his property in the Dominican Republic and provide proof of payment to the Committee.
That was it, and back to work.
Another reason why Congress doesn’t work.
Congress is working just fine……their work is to protect each other. If they had really given him the PUNISHMENT he deserved, then each and every one of them could be PUNISHED for their own misdeeds later. They had to let him go….or they all could be sent to prison later on. There’s no PRIVATE CLUB in America with the benefits that Congress has.
just another f you to “we the people”. if one of us ignorant masses did this we would be rotting in jail for years. the masters live above the law of the lowly peasants
One might hope that with a censure on his record, Mr. Rangel would be barred from casting a vote on any subject contained in the particulars of the resolution.
It simply wouldn’t be proper for a Representative who had by his misconduct brought dishonor upon the House and necessitated a public act of discipline from his colleagues, to be allowed to vote on the very issues that he had run afoul of.
In the future, the House needn’t seek Mr. Rangel’s counsel on any matters of taxation, (at the very least).
If the voters of his district see fit to retain him as their Representative, then they should know that by so doing, their voices will not be heard in these matters.
This is what censure meant for Joseph McCarthy,(another war veteran, BTW)…it turned the man into a “living ghost”, and that’s what it should mean for Mr.Rangel.
One would like to see a list of those who voted against censure made public. There’s the Tea party’s 2012 agenda.
I have looked, can’t seem to locate..I know they’re out there..
also, he should not have a vote on anything to do with laws, taxes etc.
I’m still paying penalties for not filing taxes ontime, the year my house burned to the ground and destroyed all my business records.
Not just “restitution” ie: taxes due, but HUGE penalties and interest.
Rangel gets a pass, though.
A formal resolution of censure of Charles Rangel read by Nancy Pelosi. Big deal. If you or I tried to do half the things that Rangel did, we would be in jail. But no, Rangel gets “censure.” Wow, that will show him. Rangel is publicly told that he was a bad, bad, boy, and then he gets to go back to work, gets his regular salary and, when he retires, full pension with benefits. He gets no jail time, not even a major fine from the IRS for evading taxes for 17 years!
These people in Washington ARE different from you or I, my friends, which is why so many of them were thrown out of power on November 2nd. Time to throw even more of them out in 2012. Rangel is the poster child on why we should have TERM LIMITS and why a law should be created that, if you served in Congress, you should NOT be allowed to act as a lobbyist in Congress. Take their money, their sense if entitlement, and their perks away and you may just get some people who actually want to serve in Congress for a few years and then go back to their regular day job. Wouldn’t that be nice?
This is a perfect example of why most of us hold Congress in contempt. Yet his constituency loves him to death and thinks he did no wrong. They vote. This is like trying to make a U-turn with a Battleship at full speed, but we who hate this must have a better than 30% turnout at the polls if we are going to stop people like this from being elected.
Duke Cunningham got far worse punishment for fewer and less crimes. The actor (can’t remember his name, played a vampire killer?) is going to jail for fewer crimes, misdemeanors in fact. Seems to me Charlie got off pretty darned light. Where is the IRS confiscating his property like they would if it had be you or me committing the crimes Ol’ Charlie has committed? Plus, anyone who thinks his crimes weren’t worth even what he got, Jerrold Nadler is mentioned above, have no business having any say in how the country is run because it is obvious to me that they have no honor.
there is so much that could be said about this sad affair. and it truely is very sad that we have so many weasely CROOK in the Senate and the Congres. not to mention the ones obama has appointed to office in his administration. wonder how Wesly Snipes feels about charlie rangel getting a mild slap on the risk while Wesley is doing hard time??? Wesley you should have been a politician,
Speaking of Wesley, who maybe (?) deserves his stripes.
Would someone please explain clearly, the differences of substance and degree, between his lapses of judgement/crimes and those of Charles Rangel,
and the exact ‘value’ of their punishments.
Will either be barred in future from running for office, or being directors or trustees.
Just asking.
“…all men are CREATED equal.”
Proud to be an American!
He broke the law, he should face criminal charges. Period. Congress is not above the law. Any member of congress who breaks the law should submit to a trial.
If that results in jail time, their seat should get revoked and whatever means their state has to replace a member of congress should go into effect.
All members of congress and Obama’s staff who owe back taxes should go to federal prison for tax evasion, just like you or I would.
You say “Congress is not above the law.” But, I think the evidence speaks for itself! Similarly with the Executive Branch; i.e., Giethner. Also, The One Himself, if you count “birthers”–right, and were meant to take his word for it, the courts be damned. Etc., etc. Anyway, I can stop reading the rest of the comments. Won’t matter. Won’t make a difference. Voted, didn’t vote, big deal. This country, like an addict, is on a trajectory that won’t stop until it hits bottom. By then may be too late, at any rate it won’t be nice or pretty.
Wow. I wish I could get such a penalty for avoiding taxes….
How many other senior citizens are in federal prison right now for making honest mistakes (once)?
It’s a shame that lying Charlie got re-elected. It’s a good thing that the next Congress will be run by (hopefully) honest people, although to be fair it’s too soon to tell.
The reason he was able to have $500,000 to $600,000 in a checking account was he didn’t pay his taxes. I find it disheartening that the former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee which writes the tax laws was unaware that rental income was taxable. Is there any sane person who could believe he did not know it was taxable?
They pretended to be appalled (maybe) by his transgressions. Rangel pretended to be sorry (sort of).
well, not exactly. The man is not in the least bit contrite, in fact I’d say he’s defiant and is only sorry he got caught.
his home district still thinks he’s the top dog…says a lot about those people i suppose.
I wonder if Wesley Snipes would want to trade penalties?
And so, Speaker Br’er Fox threw Representative Br’er Rabbit into the briar patch.
Yup, looks like racism to me.
I had an uncle that joined the Army in WW11 and was then called back for the Korean Conflict. He never violated the law and was not even accorded a military funeral. Mr. Rangel has sure been mistreated. To hell with the Congress of the USA,The President and the Judicial System and I mean that. God forgive me!
Why would the Democrats censure Ragel then completely contradict themselves by applauding him after his disastrous speech? The applause from the Democrats just undercut everything they did & prove it to be nothing more than a strange kabuki theater for the cameras. Corruption is one answer. Furthermore, their applause broke the kabuki illusion they were trying to project.
I’m having a difficult time understanding how Rangel got punished. He still has his job, is still drawing a paycheck and is not going to jail despite not paying taxes for 17 years.
Had that been me, I very much doubt that I’d be a free Boy today.
well, aunt nancy talked naughty about him in front of the other kids.
Mr. Massie,
Rangel (the man deserves NO ‘Congressman’ title) also drives a tax subsidized caddy and has done NOTHING to improve the employment, aesthetic to the blight ridden area he ‘represents’.
No, instead Rangel has further entrenched ‘his constituents’ from cradle-to-grave entitlements far moer than LBJ’s ‘end of poverty’ rhetoric.
What legislation has Rangel done/part of that helped the nation as a whole and not JUST the ‘where’s my gubmunt cheez’ types of his district?
He’s a disgrace of a man and the EPITOME of the lowly 111th Congress.
Congress’s 16-25% approval rating.. and this guy gets censure?
My 76 year old father was in Korea as well, yet he looks at his life as a ‘full body of work’, not cherry picking his admirable sacrifices made during the nuclear family era.
Rangel’s been a race baiting huckster in the name of ‘social justice’. Vile.
I found it hilarious that some of the arguments against censure ran along the lines of “he wasn’t being dishonest or unethical, just grossly incompetent.” As if decades of public service by an incompetent fool was something we should all appreciate.
Talking about gross incompetence, I wonder where the millions of dollars for his legal defense went? Why would you spend millions of dollars on legal fees if the worst punishment you could possibly get was a one-paragraph statement read in a dark room? Clearly no one, from the CBC to his constituents, to the media, think he did anything wrong.
How many man hours of public servants’ time has been wasted on this farce?
@22 Brian
“he wasn’t being dishonest or unethical, just grossly incompetent.”
Is that THE prerequisite for Congress?
What does that say about the SILENT majority?
Censure is a badge of honor for some.
Wonder where you would display a “Censure of Congress” medal or ribbon on your Uniform! Since he is a big war hero I am sure he would want to display all his accomplishments!
This whole affair has become a joke that has ceased to be funny.
Rangel lied and cheated. So what. Shame, shame, naughty boy, now on with the show.
Richard Dreyfuss is right. We are turning into a caste and class society. The elite ruling class is treated with lenience when caught breaking the law.
We the lowly plebeians can only gaze upon their splendor and sigh…
We are shocked, just shocked ! Charlie Rangle and the Black Panthers with the help of E. Holder and like minded “public servents” provide “bread and circus” for the fools who elect them. So stop whining and find a way to get elected or appointed into the congressional club. Second best would be to get in a Union or even better to be a Union boss. So many great ways in this country to escape responsibility and to exploit others. Can we arrange for a sanctuary city where we can escape responsibility – oh, I forgot we already have San Francisco and Washington DC. But I think you have to be an illegal anything to qualify. Now the best of all positioning would be to be Black, or illegal alien, a member of congress, a friend of Obama, a whistle blowing nanny, a Kennedy, a favorite of CNN, and having s–t loads of money such as John Heinz Kerry. With these qualities you would never do time for any crime no matter how horrendous . What a great country. So proud to pay taxes to maintain this system and for the government to take whatever is left over when we are dead. When will the revolution begin and where do we sigh up ? Better hurry before they nullify the Second Amendment.
Congress is corrupt. This is yet another example of “honour among theives.” You can’t expect any Congressman/woman to actually discipline one of their own. If Joe Sixpack had done cumulatively these crimes, he’d be in prison. On the otherhand, as a serving Congressman, Rangel gets slapped lighty upon each wrist and will continue to pillage the treasury and steal money from his campaign coffers.
The correct sentence should have been expulsion, but Congress will never, ever inflict genuine discipline upon one of their members, and that people is what is wrong with Congress. A special prosecuter should be appointed to prosecute this case…and if he’s found guilty, he should be imprisoned.
Hell, this is nothing. We have a head of the FCC telling us he is going to go ahead with regulating the internet, even though the courts have told him that his agency has no authority to do so. When is one of the federal courts going to hold one of these totalitarians in contempt of court, and send the US Marshalls to arrest them. We have a lawless government. The system that is supposed to ensure the equal application of the law doesn’t work. If you or I had disregarded a court directive, you could be sure we would be going to jail.
The Obama administration is extremely dangerous. We are at the edge of the abyss regarding the loss of our freedom. Let’s hope we can survive the next two years, elect a Republican President, and get these Marxists out of our government.
There is always the second amendment and it can be quite helpful at times, perhaps this is just around the corner!
I would think that a censure or reprimand from a body with some semblance of integrity would mean something; and perhaps censure from such a body would be a bit worse than a reprimand. But this is Congress we are talking about.
why is he allowed to evade taxes with his only punishment being people he works with will make fun of him while public tax evaders go to jail.
And the answer to a question yet to be publically asked… how can a person making less than $180K/year accumulate over $5mil in personal wealth when he’s been in the same job for 40 years? And he’s not corrupt? Anyone want to buy a bridge?
“Censure” is congressional speak for political theater. In the day where such a rebuke would have ruined a man of honors career and or life not to mention his self respect this may have been a viable and useful reprimand.
However, in today’s society of relativistic morality, history, cultural assimilation and individual perceptions of honor and integrity this becomes a mockery of our system so vague to the layman it’s nearly imperceptible.
This meant and means NOTHING either to congress or to Rangel. It was a “show.” That’s all. He still gets away with everything almost as though nothing happened at all.
This entire event has been a symptom of a type of narcotizing virus that is infecting our entire social and cultural foundations. Merely a visual clue (another one) that we are in deep trouble as Americans.
@31 Ruler4you
“This meant and means NOTHING either to congress or to Rangel. It was a “show.” That’s all.”
All sound and fury, signifying nothing.
censure = celebrity roast
And still…I feel pain for these elitists who really believe they are better than the average Citizen.
Fools. They are poor fools.
I understand the rage against the laws that are building a totalitarian regime in America, but let’s not make the mistake of forgetting that these elitists are fools.
Who would like to be Wormtongue Pelosi ?
Fools.
Rangel is a congressman and he is a criminal. ‘Nuff said on that.
This is not a democracy but a country where law is ignored by politicians from Presidents to Mayors at will. If you don’t agree with a law you don’t enforce it and you are not called out on it. If you break the law it is not enforced against you.
The Revolutionary War started over less than these types of considerations. In fact we are not all created equal and the “Divine right of kings” is back.
The entirety of the Federal machine is utterly corrupt.
Sure, Rangel is an arrogant, black racist and a crook, probably, in many ways that have not been mentioned (how many of his close relatives are now millionaires?). But, my biggest question is”WHY?”
Why did the dem committee go after a senior black dem? Member criminality has NEVER been a problem for dems, probably, because it is so common. Why ole charlie, why now? The dems had the votes, they could have punted, using their old “… it doesn’t rise to the level…” chant.
Did Charlie make some blood enemies who are using some common happening to shame him? Did they all believe Joe, that the dems would hold the House?
This could have been buried; it’s what most would have expected the dems to do. Why did it happen?
Anyone wanta cuppa tea? Just read Bubber’s predicament (#5) It’s time for more voting booth revolution.
Rangel is far from the first congressman to flaunt his position to evade some punishment. Earlier this year another one was saying something about making up their own rules. Often there is no need to do that. It seems there’s always some forgotten rule which enables the activity. Maybe it will take totally cleaning out the congress…good and bad members…before it can be cleaned up.Both parties are guilty of so much abuse and some members are shoo-ins who, apparently, don’t see anything wrong with their behavior.
How black can you get ???????
War service, sacrifice, yada, yada, yada. If given enough time, Rangel would have been spouting Bible verses, too. The main problem with Congress is that the criminals who are running the nation are much worse than the criminals out in the streets. A murderer kills only a certain amount of the public before he is stopped; the thugs in charge of the nation have the potential for destroying 350 million. And they are doing that very thing right now. Rangel should be expelled from Congress, if not criminally charged, because he is not an innocent man. The remainder of the House of Representatives is equally corrupt or they would have taken action to remove him. No wonder this country is going to he**.
Harsh judgments are often found to be premature. Usually because they are made in a pique of emotion. Mr. Rangel clearly did some things wrong, and likely enriched himself as a result. Mr. Gingrich was reprimanded, very nearly censured, for what an be accurately described as malfeasance. Now, I’m sure there are people on the left who would feel the same way you do about Mr.Rangel, that he should not be allowed to hold public office again, let alone serve as president.
My belief is that Mr, Gingrich should bee allowed to seek and serve. And Mr. Rangel should be allowed to serve in anyway the rules of Congressional censure allow for someone in his position. To suggest going beyond the established guidelines is to endorse one of two things – a careful and thorough review and changing of the rules, or a purely emotional response unfair to the individual and to the system.
Until we elevate, we have no moral or political advantage where liberals or Democrats are concerned.
Cut the old man a break. It’s not like he takes advantage of his position by riding around in a chauffeur driven tax payer funded Lexus.
Don’t forget, they can bypass airport security. All these people are above the law, you see. The pilot of course has to submit.
If Tim Geithner and Rangel don’t have to pay taxes, why should the rest of us??
It’s hard to describe the treatment of Mr. Rangel as unfairly partisan. Congressional admonitions, whether mild or extreme, have been handed out by both political parties in ways that seem to unfairly favor or attack the transgressor.
It is my belief that we conservatives would be better off if we focus on getting representatives who operate above the shady activities that warrant such admonition. We are in for a long struggle and our position will be far stronger if we represent a higher standard of behavior rather than relying on the cycle of “well you did it so we can too.”
He’s a liberal, what the hell do you expect, values, ethics, morals?
What’s the difference between this bum and Tom DeLay?
The Democrat Party is like a ‘union’ of bad cops that are entrenched in the department, and are in charge of prosecuting themselves.
And they wouldn’t stay in office if they could enrich themselves more lavishly in another career field.
The Russians are watching this circus very closely; They know corruption when they see it. That’s about the only way you can scare a Russian politician; Engage in overt corruption more daring than they would.
Oh, the privileged few, could be so humiliated in front of the world!
These few really think they should be allowed to get away with robbing the taxpayers to live high and mighty lifestyles. It is a serious crime – and I would like to know how many others are guilty of the same, since there were some who defended Rangel.
The Constitution is supposed to be the highest law of the land and the ultimate authority for our American code of laws, yet Congress and the President have passed legislation for decades that is unconstitutional– all and any entitlements — and the Supreme Court has made rulings that fantastically stretch the Constitution’s intent — multiple defiant misreadings of the Commerce Clause. Leaving the border unprotected and encouraging illegal immigration are dereliction of sworn duty to protect the American prople and enforce the law. Our world as American citizens becomes surrealistic and absurd as we live with this government malfeasance and misfeasance year after year as if it were legitimate governance. Just how is this different from a totalitarian regime that governs by whim and political expediance? Limiting our government’s reach into our lives by forcing it to strictly abide by the Constitution is the only protection we have from the oppression of dictatorial rule. I would like to know how we go about getting our government back.
The Constitution is supposed to be the highest law of the land and the ultimate authority for our American code of law; yet Congress and the President have for decades passed legislation that is unconstitutional — all and any entitlements — and the Supreme Court has made rulings that fantastically stretch the Constitution’s intent — multiple defiant misreadings of the Commerce Clause. Leaving the border unprotected and encouraging illegal immigration are dereliction of sworn duty to protect the American people and enforce the law. Our world as American citizens becomes surrealistic and absurd as we live with this government malfeasance and misfeasance year after year as if it were legitimate. Just how is this different from a totalitarian regime that governs by whim and political expedience? Limiting government’s reach into our lives by forcing it strictly to abide by the Constitution is the only protection we have from the oppression of dictatorial rule. I would like to know how we go about putting our government back under the jurisdiction of the Constitution.