Before the Bar

Poor Charlie. What goes around comes around and now he is between a large rock and an even harder place. He has milked the public for years as the eloquent Representative from Harlem, certain of re-election if for no other reason than he's got a machine in place to get the docile voters of his district to the polls every two years. Ohh, how the money rolls in.

But, the money went to luxury condos in Harlem, rent-controlled office space in fancy buildings, a vacation villa in the Dominican Republic and a suspicious dodge called the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service. Even the otherwise blind Congress-critters eventually would notice and the inevitable ethics charges have come home to roost.

That's where it begins to unravel. In a House controlled by a significant Democratic majority the very idea of a district-popular Black member being tried on ethics charges in an election year was intolerable. The ever-practical Speaker Pelosi tabled the trial until after the election. It was almost a walk-in-the-park for the Harlem rep to get re-elected even while under a cloud of corruption charges.

Now, the huge swing in control means that the Dems must put this behind them without destroying poor Charlie. The lame duck session offers the only opportunity to control the proceedings. If they wait until January this will get very messy and Charlie will wind up fairly well discredited. Hurry this up and keep control, Nancy!

Ethics Trial to Begin Today

The legal cliche, and most attorneys agree with it, is that a man who chooses to represent himself has a fool for a client. What does that say about Congressman Rangel?

Charlie Represents Charlie

It takes big bucks to raise a defense. It takes more bucks to make an defense argument when you are in an indefensible position. Charlie has already spent a lot of money, but now he throws the poor abused millionaire at the mercy of the committee.

PAC Money Goes to Defense

How soon will the race card be played?