Rangel's race ruse

NY Post ^ | August 22, 2010 | Editorial

[Scanian]

Once upon a time, patriotism was said to be the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Today, it’s racism. Or, more accurately, manufactured claims of racism.

Take Charlie Rangel, for example.

The embattled Harlem Democrat has further sullied his tattered reputation by implying that his troubles are racially motivated.

He told CNN last week, “I think that the numbers look odd in terms of the number of African-Americans that have been brought before the [House Ethics] committee.”

Yes, the panel has investigated eight Congressional Black Caucus members over the last two years.

But five of them (including Rangel) were part of an inquiry into whether the members broke House gift rules by taking a corporate-sponsored junket to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Rangel was admonished because the committee determined that he should have known about the corporate sponsorship. (He blamed his staff.) That finding ultimately forced him to step down from his Ways and Means chairmanship.

The committee exonerated the other four CBC members on the grounds that they were unaware of the sponsorship; they were required only to repay the cost of the junket.

Rangel, of course, faces a trial this fall on 13 separate violations of House rules.

[verga]

[freeangel]

Should the BC(blck Caucus) really mean bad coloreds?

[mrsmel]

What’s he whining about? At least the black Congressmen who are investigated have actual grounds to be investigated. White Republicans (Palin, Delay) get investigated for no reason, or rather for partisan purposes.

[junta]

Racism to huckster wackjobs like Chuck is a metaphysical notion, not anything to do with reality except in a tangential way.

[Vaduz]

Must be true because busting Al Capone was racially motivated too. /s