Rangel Fends Off Challengers to Win Difficult Primary

[alp227]

Source: NY Times

Surviving one of the toughest re-election fights of his career, Representative Charles B. Rangel fended off four challengers on Tuesday to win the Democratic nomination for a 22nd term in Congress.

“I’m just glad that my community has faith and confidence in me,” Mr. Rangel told reporters shortly before declaring victory at Sylvia’s, the famed Harlem restaurant.

Mr. Rangel’s victory capped a gripping campaign for a Congressional seat that for decades has been at the center of black political power — and preserved a career in Washington that had been threatened by ethics troubles and changing demographics.

Mr. Rangel was censured in 2010 after the House Ethics Committee found him guilty of 11 counts of ethical violations, including failure to pay taxes, improper solicitation of donations and failure to report his personal income accurately.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/nyregion/rangel-wins-a-difficult-primary.html?pagewanted=all

[aquart]

1. Utterly unsurprised.

[EFerrari]

3. The GOP tried to take him and Maxine out with ethics flaps.

They failed with Rangel. How is she doing?

[aquart]

4. Let's be clear: Charlie is old style and therefore not pure.

I have no doubt there have been a thousand ways he was a very bad boy.

But the man who kicked Dick Cheney out of his office and took it over will always be my hero.

As for Maxine....http://waters.house.gov/

They didn't get her, either.

[EFerrari]

5. Thanks. I thought they failed with her but haven't checked in a while.

As far as Rangel, being run out office by Republican scandalmongering isn't exactly justice. I glad he disappointed them.

[aquart]

6. Me, too.

[former9thward]

7. The GOP? Democrats controlled the House at that point.

The vote was 333-79 with 87% of white Democrats voted to censure a tax cheat along with 10 other ethics violations. I guess being a tax cheat is ok as long as he is one of us.

[EFerrari]

8. Porter Goss quarterbacked both cases, as one of the co-chairs of the House Ethics Office.

He's as dirty as they come and has been trying to oust Maxine for years because she was instrumental in busting up IranContra and for her advocacy for Haiti.

Rangel has a lot of power. He was a natural target.

And I'm just going to ignore the rest of your post.

[former9thward]

9. Nice to see you try to shift the debate.

I knew you would ignore it. Yes, he has power. He has the power to avoid indictment for tax evasion. The rest of us not so much. BTW Poter Goss resigned from Congress more than SIX years before the vote on Rangel. Yet he was the "quarterback". ok. right.

[EFerrari]

10. Read something about this case before you slur him AND me

and accuse me of "shifting the debate" from your own misinformed red herring.

I'm probably one of the last people on this board that would stick up for the political class to operate by their own rules. But this prosecution wasn't about that. It was a hunting expedition. That is the truth but, it doesn't mean Rangel is clean. Can you hold those two thoughts in your mind at the same time? I bet you can.

[former9thward]

11. I see you side stepped Goss which was the main issue in your previous post.

[MADem]

2. Well, he's through the gauntlet, then!

I am glad. That was a squeaker.

I know some people don't like Charlie, but he was kind when he didn't have to be.

Even though he's no longer in leadership on Ways/Means, he's still on Ways/Means. He has clout. He can help his district.

Wow, NY did some good work today, overall--despite the change in voting day/month. That was a good article.