Rep. Charles Rangel says he tried to make deal to avoid ethics charges, but GOP wants trial

NY Daily News ^ | Aug. 8, 2010 | Kathleen Lucadamo

[COUNTrecount]

Rep. Charles Rangel told Harlem leaders Saturday he signed a plea deal on ethics charges but that the GOP pushed for a trial.

"He said he had signed an agreement. He was ready to go but I guess politics came into play," said Assemblyman Keith Wright (D-Manhattan), one of about 50 leaders gathered for a Harlem district meeting Saturday.

Another attendee said Rangel implied, "It was Republicans that didn't want an agreement" and that he signed a deal before the ethics committee released its report last month.

Rangel, who faces 13 ethics violations, said earlier this week that he won't settle to make others in Congress "comfortable."

[COUNTrecount]

[paul in cape]

In other words...

"I was all set to skate, and the Republicans won't let me get away with it. bbwwwaaaaaa...those meanies.....bbwwwaaaa."

Just another installment of "The Rules For Thee, But Not For ME," and

"Some pigs are more equal than others."

[vbmoneyspender]

I thought Charlie wanted a trial to prove he’s innocent.

[Gene Eric]

I guess the Democrats for a moment forgot to blame the party in minority.

[mainsail that]

I thought he did nothing wrong

[nikos1121]

The democrats will use this to say that the republicans are racist.

I haven’t heard any republicans sounding off on this. There have been a number of democrats that have however. The democrats control the committee. Rangel probably got a pretty fair shake.

[philman_36]

Rep. Charles Rangel told Harlem leaders Saturday he signed a plea deal on ethics charges but that the GOP pushed for a trial.

Embattled Rangel tells NY crowd that God told him not to make a deal on ethics charges August 5, 2010
Embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel said Thursday that God had told him not to make a deal on the multiple ethics charges he is currently facing.

You said one thing on a Thursday and another thing on a Saturday. That's all I got to say about that.

[COUNTrecount]

The check bounced.

[dirtboy]

Rangel, who faces 13 ethics violations, said earlier this week that he won't settle to make others in Congress "comfortable."

Charlie's story keeps changing. That's hardly the sign of an innocent man.

[Col Frank Slade]

Show us the signed plea deal.

I think he’s lying. (Again).

[advance_copy]

Rangel=crook

[sportscaster]

Rangel pulls a twofer parlaying the victim and race cards together.Sorry Charlie ,c-r-o-o-k still spells crook.

[bigbob]

Damn straight, Charlie.

[Jim Scott]

Charlie Rangel is trying to have it both ways. He refuses to agree to a 'deal' and says he wants a trial because Mister Entitlement wants to play Mister Innocent. Now he hints, none too subtly, that it's the Republicans fault he's going on trail. He'll be convicted and then blame the Republicans, pretending that they somehow engineered his political demise. All this to (a) allow Rangel to exit the House with a shred of dignity (no chance) and, (b) to divert attention away from Democrat corruption in congress. (no chance there, either). What a farce! Too bad we have to pay for it.

[philman_36]

The check bounced.
I hope his backside is bounced down the Capitol Hill steps for being corrupt (not for being black).

[wiggen]

committee is 50/50

[ncfool]

He should have a fair trial by jury of his peers. Not his fellow congress critters.

[chrisser]

Poor Charlie.

It’s too bad the Republicans control Congress.

Wait a minute...

[ArmstedFragg]

Remember when C.R. introduced a bill to bring back the draft, then tried to claim the Republicans did it? Same old routine.

[Red_Devil 232]

I wonder if the idiot knows he looks like a cartoon character?