Greg Nash
Posted on 02/24/2016 2:19:18 PM PST by jazusamo
Greg Nash
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) said on Wednesday that he still plans to retire at the end of the year, saying that he wants to leave office at the same time as the first black president.
"I wanted so badly to complete the last year with President Obama," the 85-year-old Democrat said during a radio interview with WCBS 880. "And even though they never gave him a fair opportunity to do all the things that I really had dreamed that we could do together, I would be so annoyed with myself had I retired a couple of years ago."
During the interview, Rangel, one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, also weighed in on the presidential race, saying that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will win because of her familiarity with black voters. Her rival Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, "doesn't know enough of us."
The New York congressman has been an outspoken supporter of Clinton and has accompanied her during campaign stops in New York City.
Rangel had announced his plans to retire when he last ran for reelection in 2014.
One of the most popular pols ever to trod the sidewalks of New York!
Good.
Rangel’s district is two-thirds Hispanic. He was having a harder and harder time in the primary getting the nomination. You can bet the house that his replacement will be Hispanic.
Espaillat, 59, who would have been Congress' first Dominican-born member, had stumped as the face and voice of change in a district that in recent years underwent a demographic shift to include more Latinos.
Espaillat, of Washington Heights, lost a 2012 primary challenge to Rangel by less than 1,000 votes. For their rematch, he was endorsed by several politicians and unions that had thrown their weight behind Rangel two years ago: City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and the United Federation of Teachers among others.
The campaign had been embroiled in racially tinged controversy, which prompted Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Rev. Al Sharpton to step in and denounce discussions of race or nationality from either side.
Rangel at a debate earlier this month criticized Espaillat for fliers his 2012 campaign distributed saying a Dominican legislator had betrayed his community by backing Rangel. Rangel also alleged Espaillat had not done anything for the district "besides saying he's a Dominican."
He had unique hair.
They never gave Obama the opportunity to do the things he dreamed they could do?? Who is they??? And what did he dream about????
Off he goes to pass-out on a beach chair in a posh Caribbean resort.
Yep, that pic of him passed out on the beach lounge is a hoot...beached whale. LOL!
Should be in prison.
Doesn’t this clown still owe a ton of back taxes?
Good riddance.
I believe so and he should have been indicted over that fiasco.
His retirement condo ought to be a federal supermax prison.
Should have happened a long time ago.
The Gravy Train is pulling into the station. Time to get off.
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