Friday, July 30, 2010

It's in the water.

Regarding that whole Charles Rangel thing:
The House ethics committee on Thursday accused veteran Rep. Charles Rangel of 13 violations of House rules involving alleged financial wrongdoing and harming the credibility of Congress.

The charges accused the 20-term Democrat from New York...
You can stop right there.

You couldn't stand in the lobby of the Capitol building for 40 years without becoming a corrupt, influence-peddling, power-hungry oligarch, let alone occupy a chair in a legislative chamber. I swear to Hamilton, even the janitor in that den of thieves probably barks "Do you know who I am?" at grocery clerks.

I submit that twenty consecutive congressional terms is prima facie evidence of pretty much any ethical violation you'd care to throw at somebody.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Harming the credibility of Congress?

Say what? You jest comrade.

I'm laughing so much it hurts.

Gerry

Bram said...

Well said.

Boat Guy said...

Yeah the "...harming the credibility of congress..." lept out at me too.
So the thought is that if by some chance they actually DO censure Rangel that congress will become credible? Got a ways more to go ...

BobG said...

"Congress consists of one third, more or less, scoundrels; two thirds, more or less, idiots; and three thirds, more or less, poltroons."
-H. L. Mencken

Anonymous said...

I agree with your comments. I believe that Washington is so broken that it cannot be fixed. How would you possibly get term limits and no salary for congressmen/President/VP put in place? Congress would never approve it.

GR

Ed Rasimus said...

It's in the water of the district he represents in much higher concentration. Remember that Rangel is the guy who replaced Adam Clayton Powell.

They had some footage on Fox yesterday of the guy running against Rangel. Combat veteran, very articulate, and running up against a very steep hill since there may only be a handful of Republicans in the district.

Jacob said...

It's less about being in Congress for so long and more about him being part of the Tammany machine back home.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Have you read Niall Ferguson's essay on the subject?

staghounds said...

Janitor?

You mean one of the hundreds of Capitol Infrastructure Protection Engineering Specialsts, don't you?

staghounds said...

Actually the Architect of the Capitol has 2600 employees. That's everyone who runs the building, including police and guides.

The title is "maintenance worker", starting pay is $17.85 an hour.

Tam said...

Day-umn!

They must only pick the creme de la creme of mop jockeys!

Revolver Rob said...

20-term Democrat

And we wouldn't have these problems if Rep. Rangel would have been, "On his third and final term as a representative."

6 years as rep and you're OUT! If you want to continue your political career in D.C. run for senate, but in my perfect world that would only come with a 2-term limit like president (hell it's LONGER than a president's potential tenure).

Once that's done, you're DONE, go home and find a real job, slacker.

-Rob

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Archie worked for the Architect of the Capitol back in the 40's He was buddies with the Architect's son, and was just back from the Pacific. There was some crazy things in the basement...

staghounds said...

$17.85 an hour isn't nearly enough to make me live in D.C.

No, wait. It's actually $17.85-28. Call it $25,hr, that's $50,000 a year. (More than we pay a starting prosecutor.)

30 days off a year, eight predictable hours a day. Generous benefits.

I could live in some rural spot in NoVa, work a night shift so the traffic wasn't so bad. Hunt during the days. Probably pile up extra time in the summer, so that I was really done by October.

Not so bad...

btr said...

If you will recall, Rangel was the one who fraudently added the machine gun ban to the FOPA after it was DEFEATED in a recorded electronic ballot.

Anonymous said...

MArk Twain: Congress, America's native criminal class.

George said...

Sounds as if he learned well from the previous occupant from his district: Adam Clayton Powell !

John Richardson said...

At least Adam Clayton Powell had the good decency in the later years to mostly skip out on the proceedings of Congress to go fishing in Bimini. There wasn't too much trouble he could cause by doing that!

NotClauswitz said...

Term limits, no pensions, no healthcare, and post-term lobotomies.

Laughingdog said...

Honestly, I think being a New York Democrat already puts you about 3/4 of the way to being that corrupt in the first place.

Montie said...

...And the latest news today on Rangel's fate? Investigators are recommending that he be "reprimanded", oooohh, that's gonna hurt.

A reprimand consists of the member standing in the well of the House and being reprimanded by the speaker: "You've been a bad, bad, boy. Now don't do that again".

That's what I call tough punishment for crimes that would put you and me in jail.

Montie said...

Staghounds,

Wanna bet that there aren't some hiring "protocols" that would preclude you from getting that cushy job?

rickn8or said...

"There was some crazy things in the basement..."

Like mebbe that crate with the Ark of the Covenant inside??

Anonymous said...

Oh, none of you would be surprised what happens in the basement if you knew the printer is housed there, as he was in a large West-Coast state, in the mid-seventies.

For years, Mr. Official State Printer received a case of fine booze at Chrismas time and on his birthday so he did not go boozeless on these special occasions. One year, Mr. Printer added two words before printing the final text of a bill which had already been signed by the Govenor. Those two words were a significant benefit to my association's members.

Laws and sausages...

I was young then, but I have been ashamed ever since.

staghounds said...

ONE term.

And if any soldier, sailor, marine, or airman has died for his country while you were in office, you get to make the same supreme sacrifice on the last day of that term.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Something strange is going on. Just heard that CongressWeasel Maxine "Crack was invented by the CIA to destroy the Black People" Waters is also being thrown under the Bus. Perhaps the Central Committee is doing a "Purge of the Capitalistic Elements within the Cadre" under Comrade Pelosi? Or is Chairman Barry setting himself up as the only Voice of the "African-American Mongrols" (HIS Words, not mine). Stay tuned.