Dems to Throw Unethical Congressman a Big Ol’ Birthday Bash
The Hill reports that Democrats are taking the ethics violations against Charlie Rangel very seriously:
Democratic leaders and major party donors plan to hold a lavish 80th birthday gala for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan next month, despite 13 ethics charges pending against the veteran lawmaker.
Lobbyists and other party donors received invitations this week to join Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and New York Gov. David Paterson (D) at one of New York’s finest hotels to celebrate Rangel’s birthday.
Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are also listed as featured guests, according to an invitation viewed by The Hill.
Some potential guests received the invitation a day after the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct issued a report accusing Rangel of multiple ethics violations.
While some Democrats think Rangel has become politically radioactive in Washington, the invitation lists a variety of enticements to get people to show up to his birthday bash and contribute to his campaign.
Get video footage, Republicans. It’ll come in handy in about three months.
I would love to think that the RNC would run the advertisement by showing serious statements by Democrats calling for Rangel’s resignation, then to Pelosi’s famous comment about the “most ethical Congress in history,” and then to footage of the party.
We’ll see if they do.
Eric Blair (d7ba5c) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:23 pmUse her quote about draIning the swamp, too.
Patterico (c218bd) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:27 pmNow why did Trent Lott resign his whatever that chair was again?
Never mind that he’s a wuss, but… the dissonance is deafening.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:31 pmThat’s corruption-corruption, EW. Completely different.
Eric Blair (d7ba5c) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:41 pm(link not working.)
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” will serenade them and guests who pony up $200, $500, $1,000 or $2,500 for tickets. The funds will go to the Rangel Victory Fund, a campaign account.
Heh. Such optimism must be contrasted with Obama’s not-so-subtle push out the door,
“He’s somebody who’s at the end of his career,” Obama said in a CBS Evening News interview. “I’m sure that what he wants is to be able to end his career with dignity. And my hope is that happens.”
Dana (8ba2fb) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:44 pmWhat did I say? They don’t care.
Dmac (d61c0d) — 7/31/2010 @ 3:44 pma lavish 80th birthday gala for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan next month
The height, the essence, the epitome, the intrinsic nature, the very definition, the heart and core of limousine liberalism.
(And all the mindless leftist sentiment found in Rangel’s district or that of another winner, Maxine Waters, proves one does not have to be wealthy to be guilty of the aforementioned label).
Mark (411533) — 7/31/2010 @ 6:17 pmAfter being a democrat practically my whole life, I am now witnessing the election of the Republican party by bowing to a crook like Rangle.As much as I disagree with Republicans, you are giving the end to Obama and the democratic party for years by giving in to this open act of what could be criminal.
Gerald Rosenberg (91f97a) — 7/31/2010 @ 7:04 pmThe democratic party is asking to lose the forth coming elections by a big margin. I will never live long enough to know whether Obama was worth it.
Gerald Rosenberg (91f97a) — 7/31/2010 @ 7:05 pmGerald, you already did and no it wasn’t…
Gazzer (7ce6e6) — 7/31/2010 @ 7:55 pmGerald: Regarding comment number eight I am unable to grasp your line of reasoning. As to comment nine: Many of us already know; and it wasn’t.
Leonardo DaFinchi (cd496d) — 7/31/2010 @ 7:56 pmI will never live long enough to know whether Obama was worth it.
I’ve lived long enough to know exactly what he’s worth. I’m referring to things like what’s merely the tip of the Obama iceberg:
Mark (411533) — 7/31/2010 @ 8:16 pmNor has the federal government spent billions (trillions?) bailing out baseball owners after they signed foolish contracts.
To be fair, that’s because baseball owners(and their brethren in other sports) do a pretty good job of blackmailing cities into building them multi-million dollar stadiums on threat of moving the franchise. Civic identity is so wrapped up in the local sports teams that when sports owners lose money, they claim they need more “luxury boxes” and “modern facilities” so they can compete with the big dogs. Funny how these new stadiums bonds and taxes never come with a corrolary that citizens can then fire the owners for incompetence when their product on the field sucks.
Another Chris (40ac96) — 7/31/2010 @ 10:52 pmBig Zero want the
ColonelHaiku (ac3c3c) — 8/1/2010 @ 8:12 amRangle take one for team see
Greyhound® in future
I read a source which indicated that the Charlie Rangel Center has received in excess of $8 million in “donations” (out of about $9 million pledged) and received additional money in Congressional appropriations and City Council funding. Now the Center says they need $30 million more to renovate the mansion! Apparently, after more than $8 million, they haven’t even started the work of the Center!
Where did all the money go? I would be willing to bet it went to salaries and grants and perks for well-heeled and well-connected administrators, probably every one of whom is a Charlie Rangel crony or former staff member or family.
Furthermore, is there any question why our country is in deep trouble when this can happen so often and so rarely gets investigated? It also proves positively that money given to government is generally wasted and misspent and yields little actual benefit.
RangerJAGC (e9527d) — 8/1/2010 @ 8:57 pmWhere is crissyhootie and his scruples?
JD (3dc31c) — 8/1/2010 @ 9:02 pmFrom InstaPundit….
“SHOCKER: Donations to Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service Dry Up.”
This is totally unexpected!
AD - RtR/OS! (d51e57) — 8/1/2010 @ 9:49 pmThe only good thing I can say about Rangel is that, unlike his CBC cohorts, he has never been known to steal holiday turkeys intended for the destitute.
It seems some despicable, lying crooks have at least some limits.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 8/1/2010 @ 10:03 pmThe strange thing is his birthday was back in June.
Jay S. (c77bfd) — 8/2/2010 @ 11:47 am