Comments on: Following the money: Rangel’s no Nader

By: glenn

glenn — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:20:46 +0000

Please note for the record that I said in the context of politics.

By: Lem

Lem — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:03:49 +0000

A Rangel constituent was arrested for taking bribes in exchange for section 8 rental vouchers.

http://tinyurl.com/6gh5dp

It seems to me that in oder for Rangel to get the subsidy somebody had to fudge something, do some creative math.

Now, why would somebody risk getting arrested w/o anything in return?

The fact that Rangel is not wealthy, is a red herring.

By: ricpic

ricpic — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:56:59 +0000

They say he’s got an astounding collection of pointy shoes and pinky rings.

By: Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:50:59 +0000

Kohl, Kennedy, and Kerry, as is widely known, all had major outside sources of income prior to ever entering politics.

By: nodak boy

nodak boy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:33:36 +0000

Hey, O’Rourke: why you gotta disparage the expenditures of revenue on coke and whores as “blowing” it? Huh? Yah got sumpin better to spend it on, let me know.
No, Conrad has no home in Beach, ND, which is almost Montana; and I’ll just take a moment here to point out that Custer was feeling fine when he left North Dakota.
Someone should line out just what members of Congress have to disclose on their official annual forms…..

By: glenn

glenn — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:32:22 +0000

Problem with having favors owed to you when you are 78 is living long enough to collect on them. Maybe Charlie helped his friends and family because he thought it was the right thing to do. After all he isn’t a Baby Boomer unlike the moneygrubbers we see infesting the body politic now. Note that I am a conservative and disagree with Congressman Rangel on a wide range of issues, but in the context of politics he may be an honest man.

By: Hale Adams

Hale Adams — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:38:31 +0000

Martya may have a point.

If Rangel has been funnelling money to friends and relatives for all these years, he doesn’t need to have millions of bucks himself. When the time comes, he can call on his friends and relatives to support him in lavish style in retirement.

Color me cynical, but I bet he’s got a LOT of favors to call in. An operator like him would be foolish not to have those favors owed to him, and to not call on them when needed. That’s how the game is played, doncha know.

By: Martya

Martya — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:01:17 +0000

It has long been my belief that big city politicians don’t get wealthy from their offices. What happens is that the divert stolen/extorted wealth and bribes to the accounts of the friends and relatives, especially, relatives.
I suspect that while Charlie’s assets are reasonable, the relatives that have the other apartments (and others) are at Pelosi levels but have resumes involving businesses or activities that few have ever heard of.

By: Roy

Roy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:58:01 +0000

You know Rangel is a lot of things, but the guy is a genuine 24kt war hero, and while he is often one of the most cynical and devious politicians around, his goals always seem to be his goals. I disagree with him on hundreds, if not thousands of issues, but I have always respected him as a politician, human being and as an American.

If he was the Democratic nominee I have to say I would feel a lot better about this election and the country as a whole. I know he loves this country, and know what it means to the world.

By: O'Rourke

O'Rourke — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:06:56 +0000

How can a guy make 4 or five times as much as the average American for 37 years, with a benefit package beyond the imagination of the average American and not be worth millions unless he’s either hiding most of it from the IRS, or has blown most of it on cocaine and whores?