Friday, December 03, 2010

Cleaver on Rangel censure: The House wanted its pound of flesh and got it

In his weekly EC from DC column, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo, offered the following thoughts on this week's censure of New York Rep. Charles Rangel:

My friend and colleague Congressman Charles Rangel was called into the well of the House of Representatives and censured by his peers. I supported a different measure of reprimand short of censure. But the House wanted its pound of flesh and got it. Forty years of service and a valiant war record winning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Korea should count for something. In other times a record of service most certainly would have counted for something. But an example had to be made. It was.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Being a veteran and a likable guy does not give you a license to steal. He's corrupt and should be in jail. Forty pounds of flesh isn't enough.

Anonymous said...

Charlie Rangel got a slap on the wrist, no matter how you look at it. How demoralizing for the "average Americans" that there are different rules for different classes of people.

Remember how King George III and his minions were described in the Declaration of Independence? "He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance."

This out of control bureaucracy is parasitizing the people. Washington is like some sort of nightmare. Turn your eyes to your state--that's where relief will come from.

Anonymous said...

Leave it to Cleaver. Does the threat of censorship scare Cleaver?

Now, it shouldn't because Congress has shown Cleaver and others in Congress that a slap on the wrist is all they risk for misreporting income and taxes, and, breaking the rules of the United States Congress.

Cleaver subscribes to the thought on sub-prime lending - everyone should have their own home - even if they can't afford it and have no hope whatsoever of ever making good on their mortgage obligations.

You cannot save people with other people's money... you must allow them to fail (at no cost to other people) and then help them regain their footing which does NOT necessarily mean owning their own home.

Cleaver is a welfare state enabler. He thinks it's o.k. to get as many handouts, freebies, earmarks and welfare cheese for his district as possible.

Now Cleaver is taking up the banner of reparations, no matter how that is achieved.

Your money and his brains and ethical values. We're in trouble.