PJ Media

Let’s stipulate that the more corrupt a politician you are, the more likely you are to generate scandal. This strongly suggests that Rangel, having been outed as corrupt, and given how slack the anti-corruption safeguards are, is a center of political corruption, having made lots of shady deals with lots of politicians who still look OK. Rangel’s old and any significant jail time is effectively for life, so there’s always the implicit threat of his revealing corruption the authorities don’t yet know about, getting seemingly clean politicians into trouble. Thus what Rangel wants from his secret cronies, Rangel gets. Being professionals, these secret cronies know the score and realize that it’s very much safer to attend Rangel’s fund-raising parties than to stay away. Since we the voters are non-professionals, we have to reason our way to the conclusion that Rangel has something on every famous member of the US elite who attends his fund-raisers, having in effect blackmailed them to his expensive celebratory gatherings. With all this in mind, look around at his guest lists and ask yourself if you’re really surprised at who’s attending and who’s not. Vote accordingly.