**Written by Doug Powers It hasn’t even been a year since the House censured NY Rep. Charlie Rangel for 11 ethics violations, which makes it the perfect time to celebrate with a ceremony to unveil his official portrait. From Politico : The House Ways and Means Committee, which Rangel chaired until he lost his gavel following accusations of ethics violations, is hosting a ceremony and reception Thursday to unveil Rangel’s official portrait in Longworth House Office Building. House leaders including Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer will speak at the ceremony. Two New York senators, Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, will also give remarks. The ceremony comes less than a year after the full House voted 333-79 in a public rebuke after Rangel was found guilty by a House ethics panel of 11 counts of ethics violations. It’s probably way too much to hope that the photo being used as the model for Rangel’s portrait is this one , isn’t it? That would be perfect as the inaugural picture in the new “Symbols of the Undrained Swamp” portrait wall in the House. But at least taxpayers aren’t eating the cost of it, because the estimated $65,000 is coming out of Rangel’s own pocket. Just kidding of course — it’s paid for with his campaign cash . **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Guess Which House Member is Being Honored Today With a Portrait Ceremony?
It’s kinda funny, since Democrats see no religious issues involved with abortion on demand, but, reducing government spending? WWJD? In what seemed more like a Sunday church service than a Capitol Hill press conference, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., called out for his fellow lawmakers and all Americans to do “the Lord’s work” as a solution to
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On Debt Talks, Charlie Rangel Gets All Religiousy
**Written by Doug Powers Ever wonder why Rangel, Pelosi , et al, never ask what Jesus would do on the issue of abortion? But when it comes to trying to stop them from bankrupting America under the weight of their irresponsible spending addiction, suddenly they turn to the Lord : Washington (CNN) – Veteran Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel made an impassioned plea to religious leaders Friday, calling on them to lobby members of Congress and the Obama administration to remember the “lesser of my brothers and sisters” during this weekend’s debt negotiations. “What would Jesus do this weekend? Or Moses. Or Allah. Or anyone else,” the New York congressman said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “I don’t want this book (debt negotiations) closed without the clergy having an opportunity to forcefully express themselves as well as I know they can do.” Charlie, Jesus might say two things to you: Stop taking the Father’s name in vain and pay your taxes . (h/t Instapundit ) **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Charles Rangel on Debt Ceiling Debate: What Would Jesus Do?
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi fell short of calling for the resignation of disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner, instead opting for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. My response to that: big whoop . Notoriously unethical Rep. Charlie Rangel faced a series of allegations of ethics violations and of breaking tax laws. The Ethics Committee “investigated” and last year found Rangel guilty of 11 counts of violating House ethics rules and approved a sanction of censure against Rangel. The New York congressman won re-election with an embarrassing 80 percent of the vote. About the same time Rangel’s charges were announced, Rep. Maxine Waters , another Democrat, was set to face her own ethics trial last fall. How’d that turn out? Wellllllll, we’re still waiting. Though Waters stands accused of funneling $12 million of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds, to a financial institution her family owns a significant stake in, Investors Business Daily noted this week how we’re still waiting for the Ethics Committee to act after Democrats successfully stalled the process: The ethics trial of Waters, accused of swinging millions in federal bailout cash to her husband’s ailing bank, was set to begin last November. But the Democrat leadership has delayed Waters’ trial by blocking subpoenas and firing the lead lawyer working on the two-year investigation. Also, the ranking Democrat on the House Ethics panel reportedly is holding up the hiring of a new staff director. In the long stall, we’ve learned that Waters’ chief of staff heavily lobbied bank examiners, who according to internal emails were livid about the intervention. Pressure from Waters’ office resulted in a $12 million federal loan for OneUnited Bank and a unique exemption from the FDIC’s accounting rules. One FDIC examiner called it a “travesty of justice.” Waters claims her top aide didn’t know her spouse was involved with the bank, even though the aide is also her grandson. In calling for an ethics investigation of Weiner, Pelosi is doing little more than sweeping the New York congressman and his political liability under the rug. Way to drain that swamp, Nancy!
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The empty threats of a Capitol Hill ethics investigation
Continuing to face down questions as to why the U.S. Justice Department went easy on prosecuting members of the New Black Panther Party who stood armed with nightsticks outside a Philadelphia polling location during the 2008 presidential election, Attorney General Eric Holder expressed his personal frustration over the criticism that race played a role.
Attorney General Eric Holder (AP)
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Holder: Focus on Black Panther Case Demeans ‘My People’
**Written by Doug Powers Sorry Charlie, but I’ve already gotten my tax advice for this year from Tim Geithner and Wesley Snipes: Rep. Charlie Rangel isn’t backing down from anything after his censure by the House last year — including offering tax advice. Among the ethics violations for which the Harlem Democrat was punished by his colleagues just before Christmas was failing to pay taxes on his DominIcan villa. But Rangel nevertheless just emailed his latest “Rangel Report” featuring tax advice for constituents. Rangel had to pay some $2 million in legal fees to fight the ethics charges against him, and was forced to give up his chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. In the tax case, he failed to declare income from his Dominican villa, and had to pay about $10,000 in penalties and back taxes. He also had to assure ethics investigators that he would pay back anything that the IRS couldn’t go after because it was older than the statute of limitations. Rangel’s #1 tip for staying out of prison after you’ve been in as much tax trouble as he has: Get elected to Congress (also be sure to use form 1040-SLEE-Z). **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Who Wants Some Tax Tips From Charlie Rangel?
The important thing is, the Democrats who lost in the 2010 midterms are going out in a classy manner … Outgoing Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter implied the Chinese cost her re-election in November and secretly funneled money to help her Republican opponent Frank Guinta during a post-election interview with ABC News. “They’re in the halls of Congress everywhere,” Shea-Porter said in
When Washington Times reporter Kerry Pickett confronted Charlie Rangel last night about whether he received a lighter punishment than an ordinary citizen would have if found guilty of the same charges, the censured Democrat made a startling admission: “I don’t deal in average American citizens.” Here’s a transcript via Pickett’s blog : REP. RANGEL: What is the question? PICKET: I’m just asking what is your response to criticism that if the average American citizen. Someone who is not a congressman REP. RANGEL:Please, I’m not a psychiatrist. I don’t deal in average American citizens. Citizens are diverse. They are broad. I don’t know what is average, and so I don’t really agree… I’ll come back to you when you think of a good question.
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Angry Rangel Says He Doesn‘t Deal in ’Average American Citizens’
