Once Again, a Great Career in Harlem Must Come to a Close

Wednesday 17 November 2010
by: Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

Congressman Rangel understood the impact that drugs were having on the community long before that issue became a political football. As a member of Congress, Rangel has used his personal power and the power of the committees that he has participated in and chaired for the good of the people.

In spite of all of this political history and accomplishment, Rangel has reduced most of his political legacy to a battle for his political life. The battle is over; it's time to surrender. The longer he drags this out, the worse it will be for him, his legacy and the people he was sent to Congress to represent.

It is ironic that he is suffering the same fate as the man he replaced, The Reverend and Hon. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Powell represented Harlem in Congress for 26 years, and during his tenure, served as chairman of the powerful Education and Labor Committee. Following allegations that Powell had misappropriated committee funds for his personal use, the House Democratic Caucus stripped Powell of his committee chairmanship. The full House refused to seat him until completion of an investigation by the Judiciary Committee. Rangel defeated Powell in the Democratic primary in 1970.

A proud and brilliant political mind has been reduced to an unfortunate pubic spectacle. Rangel's initial legal team quit out of fear that he would not be able to pay the $1 million for his trial. He has stated that he cannot afford an attorney and requested more time to raise the needed funds.

Congressman Rangel could have made this go away months ago with an admission of guilt on some fairly minor charges. His ego would not allow him to clearly see and accurately assess the reality before him. One must never underestimate the blindness that attends arrogance. Proverbs 16.18 states, "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Once again, a great career in Harlem must come to a close. Congressman Rangel is suffering the same fate as the man he replaced. Those who fail to study and learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
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I am not completely familiar with Rangel’s mistakes. If they are serious and he is guilty, as apparently he is, he should resign.

But I am struck by the difference between his mistakes and those of other, more powerful people. Their violations are obviously more serious.

Bush lied to start the war in Iraq that resulted in American casualties, Iraqi casualties, money needlessly spent and money stolen and he supported torture, which is illegal! He writes a book, get’s a pension and walks around free. That is grotesque.

Supreme Court Justices practice unethical behavior; Gonzalez, Cheney and others are culpable in many areas; and Wall Street bankers get huge bonuses while bringing the world to near total financial ruin.

This shows the powerful get protection and the rest get screwed.

What a country.

Update:11/19

The House Ethics Committee recommended censure for Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) yesterday, the most serious punishment it can hand out short of expulsion. Rangel was found guilty of 11 ethics violations, including failing to pay taxes on rental property, failure to report personal income, and improper fund-raising.

By Matthew Rothschild, November 15, 2010

George W. Bush better stay at home.

The confessed waterboarder is a marked man. If he travels abroad, other countries can—and should—nab him and try him for the crime of torture.

In his memoir and in last week’s NBC interview, Bush acknowledged ordering waterboarding.

He says the lawyers told him it wasn’t torture. But he got bad legal advice

Attorney General Eric Holder has recognized waterboarding as torture. So has the State Department, as the great civil liberties Bill Quigley points out at the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Given that, Holder has an obligation to press charges against the former president. But neither Holder nor his boss has the guts to do that. And what a shame that is!

Prosecutors in other countries, however, may not be so spineless. “Under international law, anyone involved in torture must be brought to justice, and that does not exclude former President George W. Bush,” said Claudio Cordone, senior director of Amnesty International.

“If his admission is substantiated, the USA has the obligation to prosecute him,” Cordone said, adding ominously: “In the absence of a U.S. investigation, other states must step in and carry out such an investigation themselves.”

Under the Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, countries that have ratified the accords have a binding obligation to exercise jurisdiction over those accused of grave breaches. (See “Stripping Rumsfeld and Bush of Impunity,”)

So if I were Bush (and what a horrifying thought that is!), I’d cancel those plans to visit Spain or Germany or any other country where some prosecutor, somewhere, respects international law.

House Republicans successfully blocked the extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans yesterday. Because the vote was brought up under fast-track authority, it needed two-thirds in favor to succeed; but the measure failed 258-154. (But they still want tax cuts for the wealthy to stay. That's who they are)

Financial services industry lobbyists have descended on Capitol Hill to press lawmakers to protect its ability to package mortgages as securities and resell them around the globe. The Washington Post reports that companies "are flying top executives to Washington for one-on-one meetings with lawmakers...and they are blanketing Congress with white papers, memos and other documents that lay out their arguments." (Let's have another meltdown, yeah)

Yesterday, the House failed to pass a Republican proposal to defund NPR . Seeking to take action against NPR after it dismissed news analyst Juan Williams, Republicans put the item on the floor through their YouCut program but the House voted 239-171 to move forward on a teleworking bill without taking up the provision. (If you do something we don't agree with we'll close you down)

Grover Norquist, the head of the influential conservative group Americans for Tax Reform, is encouraging the new House Republican majority to prepare to shutdown the government if they don't get their way on spending cuts. Norquist, who played a key role in the 1995 government shutdowns, said President Obama "will be less popular if -- in the service of overspending and wasting people's money -- he closes the government down." (We're going to do whatever we want. Screw everybody)

(And about Sen. Kyl (R) preventing the Start treaty from being considered...)

PARTY ABOVE COUNTRY: Editorial pages in newspapers throughout the U.S. erupted in anger at news of Kyl's stunt. He was described as "narrow-minded," politically "craven," and as putting forth "lame excuses." West Virginia's Charleston Gazzette noted, "What a galling situation. Kyl cares more about playing politics than about protecting America." The New York Times editorialized, "The world's nuclear wannabes, starting with Iran, should send a thank you note to Senator Jon Kyl. ... [T]he objections from Mr. Kyl -- and apparently the whole Republican leadership -- are so absurd that the only explanation is their limitless desire to deny President Obama any legislative success." The San Jose Mercury News summed it up, "If you doubted that Republicans could be so craven as to put their own political interests above national security, the proof was delivered Tuesday: Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl announced he will block New START." Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), the leading nuclear expert in the Senate and treaty backer, unloaded on his Republican colleagues for their dithering this week: "The Republican caucus is tied up in a situation where people don't want to make choices. ... Every senator has an obligation in the national security interest to take a stand, to do his or her duty. Maybe people would prefer not to do his or her duty right now. ... There are still thousands of missiles out there. You better get that through your heads."

The Progress Report

(Finally there is some pushback from the media re this crap. The repub party should be outlawed for what they are doing.)