Tax cheat Charles Rangel plays the race card on behalf of Obama
Tax cheat Charles Rangel plays the slimy race card from the bottom of the deck on behalf of Obama


How tiresome is this becoming on the part of African-American politicians? First, New York Governor David Paterson whines that the low esteem in which voters hold him is attributable to racism, then far left, Castro-worshipping Congresswoman Diane Watson of California states that the failure of health care reform is due to voters not wanting a politician who looks like her to succeed.

Now Charlie Rangel has entered the fray and states that the health care fiasco is due to racism on the part of those who opposed Obamacare:

Speaking at a health-care forum in Washington Heights, Rangel said that when critics complain that Obama is “trying to interfere” with their lives by pushing for health-care reform, “then you know there’s just a misunderstanding, a bias, a prejudice, an emotional feeling.”

“Some Americans have not gotten over the fact that Obama is President of the United States. They go to sleep wondering, ‘how did this happen?’”

Americans have grown weary of this race-baiting on the part of some African-American politicians. How can Rangel and his fellow travellers make such preposterous assertions in light of the fact that these same racist white Americans were responsible for electing Barack Obama president?

Given his ludicrous explanation for the failure of Obamacare, does anyone doubt that when tax-cheat Rangel is removed as Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, he will cry racism once again?

Didn’t liberals assure us that Obama’s election would foster a new era of post-racial comity?

The Washington Post called on Charlie Rangel Friday to step down as House Ways and Means Chairman over crooked money deals. He was ready for them. When the numbers didn't add up on his financial disclosure forms he accused arithmetic of being racist.

The End of the Road for Charles Rangel?
Written by Catherine Mullins
Thursday, 10 September 2009 01:58

RangelAfter a 40-year career of liberalism and scandal, Rep. Charlie Rangel, one of the biggest fish in Washington, might finally be getting fried.

As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee that writes the federal tax codes, Rangel failed to report $75,000 he earned in 2007 on a rental property to the IRS. Ironically, he claimed to be ignorant of tax laws. The ethics committee which has ignored Rangel’s tax law peccadillos in the past is now engaged to look into the matter.

“Since that committee was appointed, it has been alleged that Rangel failed to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions,” CBS reported. The Washington Examiner broke it down further for us:

It turns out Rangel had a credit union account worth at least $250,000 and maybe as much as $500,000 -- and didn't report it. He had investment accounts worth about the same, which he also didn't report. Ditto for three pieces of property in New Jersey.

Beyond even that, we've learned that Rangel has failed to report assets totaling more than $1 million on legally required financial disclosure forms going back to at least 2001.

On top of those allegations are ones that"he falsely listed a Washington D.C. residence as his primary address when he was living in rent-stabilized apartment in New York City; used Congressional letterhead for fundraising purposes; and helped a wealthy donor to a school bearing Rangel’s name establish a lucrative tax shelter in Bermuda," according to Fox News.

With an ever increasing list of accusations, Charles Rangel is looking more and more like an arrogant and belligerent tax cheat. According to him, though, he has far beyond the average intelligence. With regards to his financial situation he told reporters: “I recognize that all of you have an obligation to ask questions knowing that there's none of you smart enough to frame it in such a way that I'm going to respond."

What does Mr. Rangel intend to do about all these scandals? Perhaps some of the 119 congressman who received large donations to their campaigns from Rangel could tell you. Most likely to know would be the three of five democrats on the ethics oversight committee who were among those receiving contributions. Only one of the ethics committee members, Peter Welch (D-Vt.), returned the $20,000 donation from Rangel. The others, Ben Chandler (D-Ky.), and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), claim the gifts "in no way interfere with their ability to sit in judgment of their benefactor," as a New York Post article “Ethics for Sale" explained.

So much for Nancy Pelosi’s comment that this will be the most ethical congress ever.

Others, however, believe in different ways and means of handling such scandals. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), and the Washington Post have been calling for Mr. Rangel to step down for almost a year. Since he hasn’t budged yet, others are now pushing Nancy Pelosi to pry him out, but at the moment, reports Politico, "doing nothing creates a lot less trouble for Pelosi than doing anything."

Still, “Rangel’s clock is ticking,” as the Washington Examiner puts it.

From the New York Daily News:

There are two sets of rules for Rep. Charlie Rangel - the ones he writes for everyone else and the ones that are, or were, beneath his compliance, powerful personage that he is.

From the Wall Street Journal:

When normal people happen to "find" their own money, it might mean a twenty left in a winter coat, or discovering change beneath the sofa cushions. But if you're Charlie Rangel, it means doubling your net worth.

From the New York Post:

Rep. Charlie Rangel's multimillion-dollar "oops" this month raises plenty of good questions, but this may be the best: How can Democrats continue to close their eyes to such sleaze.

you lie
you lie
you lie
you lie
you lie
you lie

Stop burying your head in the sand and sticking up for this loser Charlie is a crook and everyone knows it You probably think Al Sharpton and Jesse are legit as well just because of their Pigmentation Next you will be defending those crooks at ACORN

The Absent-Minded Chairman


When normal people happen to “find” their own money, it might mean a twenty left in a winter coat, or discovering change beneath the sofa cushions. But if you’re Charlie Rangel, it means doubling your net worth.

Earlier this month the Chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. Congress "amended" his 2007 financial disclosure form—to the tune of more than a half-million dollars in previously unreported assets and income. That number may be as high as $780,000, because Congress's ethics rules only require the Members to report their finances within broad ranges. This voyage of personal financial discovery brings Mr. Rangel's net worth for 2007 to somewhere between $1.028 million and $2.495 million, while his previous statement came in at $516,015 and $1.316 million.

When you're a powerful Congressman and working diligently to increase tax rates to pay for President Obama's health-care plan, we suppose it's easy to lose track of one of your checking accounts. That would be the one at the federal credit union with a balance somewhere between $250,001 and maybe as high as $500,000. And when you're crunched for time and pulling together bills to pass in a rush, we guess, too, that you might overlook several other investment accounts, even if some of them are sizable, such as the ones Mr. Rangel missed at JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Oppenheimer and BlackRock.

Oh, and those vacant properties in Glassboro, in southern Jersey? Everybody in Manhattan tries not to think much about New Jersey, so those lots and their as-much-as-$15,000 value must also have slipped down the memory hole. (The New York Post reported yesterday that Mr. Rangel failed to pay property taxes for two of the lots, according to the county clerk's office.)

The Chairman probably isn't doing a lot of dining at KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell or Long John Silver's, either, which may explain why he didn't disclose the $1,001 to $15,000 in stock he owns in Yum Brands, the conglomerate that runs those chain restaurants. Compared to his undisclosed portfolio stake in PepsiCo—$15,001 to $50,000—that's practically a rounding error.

All lawmakers amend their financial reports from time to time, though rarely are the errors this extensive. Via email, a Rangel spokesman declined to offer details about how the errors occurred, noting that "Once the Ethics Committee completes its work, then we can answer questions in more detail." He added that Mr. Rangel is now "confident that his records have been subjected to an exhaustive and complete review, and that the amendments accurately reflect his financial interests."

Among other issues, Mr. Rangel is currently under investigation regarding his use of four rent-stabilized apartments at New York City's tony Lenox Terrace and soliciting donations with his official letterhead for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York, which was itself built with a $1.9 million earmark. Yet another part of the probe is his failure to report $75,000 in income from a rental villa at the beachfront Punta Cana Yacht Club, in the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Rangel blamed that last one on the language barrier because he doesn't speak Spanish. We can only imagine what language he speaks with his accountants and tax attorneys.

Rangel Has More Undisclosed Rental Income

Isabel Vincent and Melissa Klein report today in the New York Post:

Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there.

The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms.

NLPC’s exposure of Rangel’s unreported and undisclosed income from his Dominican Republic “villa,” touched off more intensive scrutiny of Rangel’s finances, leading Rangel to revise his filings last month for 2002 to 2006, showing his net worth to be roughly double what he had claimed in the past.

These amended filings did not show a capital gain of between $500,000 and $1 million when the property was sold in 2004. The amendments did not cover 1993 to 2000 when Rangel claimed no rental income. Members of Congress are required to report gross rents on their financial disclosure forms. Willful disclosure violations are subject to both civil and criminal penalties.

It is not know whether Rangel reported the income to the IRS.

According to the Post:

…one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.

Another said her former boyfriend called 74 W. 132nd St. home for many years, paying about $500 a month in rent.

While Rangel claims to have taken in not a dime in eight years, at least four tenants lived in the building during that time, The Post found.

Last month, Rangel suggested his revised filings would put to rest questions about his finances. It looks like they have only led to more.

Meanwhile, Tanyankika Samuels and Erin Einhorn of the New York Daily News report on an event in Harlem last night to show support for Rangel. He did not attend but his face was plastered on the podium.

The article highlights pro-Rangel sentiments expressed by former New York Mayor David Dinkins and New York Assemblyman Keith Wright (D-Harlem). The story did not highlight that both took part in the Rangel-led, Citigroup-funded Caribbean junket in November 2008, now under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

I attended the event as an uninvited observer to document violations of House rules. I had a nice conversation with Rep. Wright on the first day, but did not see him again. I guess he was off at the beach.

Charlie in rental di$order
Fails to report Harlem-pad income

By ISABEL VINCENT and MELISSA KLEIN

Posted: 3:28 AM, September 13, 2009
Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there.<p> </p><br> The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms.<p> </p><br> But one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.<p> </p><br> Another said her former boyfriend called 74 W. 132nd St. home for many years, paying about $500 a month in rent.<p> </p><br> While Rangel claims to have taken in not a dime in eight years, at least four tenants lived in the building during that time, The Post found.<p> </p><br> His nephew, Christopher Rangel, still lives there.<p> </p><br> The Democratic lawmaker, who is being probed by the House Ethics Committee for a laundry list of alleged financial misdeeds, has had a hard time keeping his story straight on the apartment building.<p> </p><br> Rangel's grandfather bought the red-brick house in 1923. Rangel's sister transferred the property to the congressman's wife, Alma, in 1973 for $10,000, city records show. Rangel sold it in 2004 for $410,000 -- a hefty profit -- to the First AME Church Bethel.<p> </p><br> He filed amended disclosure forms last month showing that in 2004 he failed to reveal between $500,001 and $1 million in capital gains and rent from the building.<p> </p><br> Rangel's reporting of his yearly rental income for the building has swung widely -- from nothing to up to $50,000, the federal disclosure forms show.<p> </p><br> * In 1987, he claimed the building brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.<p> </p><br> * In 1991, he amended his 1990 form to say the property produced a loss.<p> </p><br> * Less than a month later, he said the gross rent was between $15,000 and $50,000, the same amount he reported in 2002.<p> </p><br> * In 1993 and 1994, he failed to enter anything about the property's income.<p> </p><br> * From 1995 to 2000, he checked a box to show he earned no income.<p> </p><br> * In 2001, Rangel claimed income for the building, reporting between $2,501 and $5,000 a year. He did the same in 2002 and 2003, then amended the reports to show income between $15,000 and $50,000.<p> </p><br> Even if expenses on the building brought his take to nothing in certain years, he was required to report the gross rent.<p> </p><br> A Rangel spokesman did not directly address the apparent lapses in the congressman's rental record, saying the lawmaker had taken care of any mistakes on his disclosure forms by filing amendments last month.<p> </p><br> But the amendments covered only 2002 to 2006, not the eight years when he claimed no rent. The amendments revealed his failure to report millions of dollars in assets.<p> </p><br> Last year, The Post revealed Rangel's failure to declare $75,000 in rental income on his villa in the Dominican Republic.<p> </p><br> The Ethics Committee is also taking a hard look at Rangel's claim on a 1989 mortgage document that the row house was his primary residence.<p> </p><br> As The Post reported last month, Rangel was then living across the street in at Lenox Terrace. He also, at that time, claimed a primary residence in Washington.
Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there.

The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms.

But one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.
A FULL HOUSE: Rep. Charles Rangel, in hot water for failing to report income on his Dominican villa, has apparently done the same with this Harlem house, where his nephew, Christopher, now lives.
NY Post: G.N. Miller
A FULL HOUSE: Rep. Charles Rangel, in hot water for failing to report income on his Dominican villa, has apparently done the same with this Harlem house, where his nephew, Christopher, now lives.
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Another said her former boyfriend called 74 W. 132nd St. home for many years, paying about $500 a month in rent.

While Rangel claims to have taken in not a dime in eight years, at least four tenants lived in the building during that time, The Post found.

His nephew, Christopher Rangel, still lives there.

The Democratic lawmaker, who is being probed by the House Ethics Committee for a laundry list of alleged financial misdeeds, has had a hard time keeping his story straight on the apartment building.

Rangel's grandfather bought the red-brick house in 1923. Rangel's sister transferred the property to the congressman's wife, Alma, in 1973 for $10,000, city records show. Rangel sold it in 2004 for $410,000 -- a hefty profit -- to the First AME Church Bethel.

He filed amended disclosure forms last month showing that in 2004 he failed to reveal between $500,001 and $1 million in capital gains and rent from the building.

Rangel's reporting of his yearly rental income for the building has swung widely -- from nothing to up to $50,000, the federal disclosure forms show.

* In 1987, he claimed the building brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.

* In 1991, he amended his 1990 form to say the property produced a loss.

* Less than a month later, he said the gross rent was between $15,000 and $50,000, the same amount he reported in 2002.

* In 1993 and 1994, he failed to enter anything about the property's income.

* From 1995 to 2000, he checked a box to show he earned no income.

* In 2001, Rangel claimed income for the building, reporting between $2,501 and $5,000 a year. He did the same in 2002 and 2003, then amended the reports to show income between $15,000 and $50,000.

Even if expenses on the building brought his take to nothing in certain years, he was required to report the gross rent.

A Rangel spokesman did not directly address the apparent lapses in the congressman's rental record, saying the lawmaker had taken care of any mistakes on his disclosure forms by filing amendments last month.

But the amendments covered only 2002 to 2006, not the eight years when he claimed no rent. The amendments revealed his failure to report millions of dollars in assets.

Last year, The Post revealed Rangel's failure to declare $75,000 in rental income on his villa in the Dominican Republic.

The Ethics Committee is also taking a hard look at Rangel's claim on a 1989 mortgage document that the row house was his primary residence.

As The Post reported last month, Rangel was then living across the street in at Lenox Terrace. He also, at that time, claimed a primary residence in Washington.

Highlighting Democratic Controversies, Republicans Reject Censure of Wilson

Posted by James Richardson (Profile)

Tuesday, September 15th at 12:45PM EDT
After Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) rejected Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s ultimatum to offer a mea culpa on the floor of the House for his outburst during President Barack Obama’s address on Wednesday evening or face a formal admonishment, Democratic leaders are now moving to introduce a resolution to censure Wilson.

But Republican responses to the pending censure might explain why some prescient Democrats, perhaps guilty of similar actions under the last administration, were uneasy with assuming the role of disciplinarian: several key Democrats are weathering their own controversies, including Reps. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee, Jack Murtha (D-PA), and Pete Visclosky (D-IN).

“Call it the Glass House of Representatives effect,” writes Politico’s Glenn Thrush.

The censure is “another stunning example of hypocrisy,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele in a statement. “Congressional Democrats are wasting taxpayers’ time and resources on a legislative measure to censure Congressman Joe Wilson so they don’t have to talk about their exceedingly unpopular health care plan.”

While the proposed censure has galvanized Republican legislative opposition to the President and Speaker Pelosi, it represented low-hanging fruit for many Capitol Hill communicators – an opportunity to revive fading Democratic controversies.

“If we are going to march Members down to the well of the House to apologize, Joe Wilson is going to have to get in line behind Nancy Pelosi, who attacked the intelligence community who protects us, Charlie Rangel who cheated on his taxes, Jack Murtha – a walking scandal, and we all know how the Democratic leadership tried to protect William Jefferson” said Steele.

Echoing Steele’s sentiment, Ken Spain of the National Republican Congressional Committee asks, “When is Nancy going to schedule a vote for Charlie Rangel?”

Despite the censure-worthy actions of Democratic members of Congress, “Nancy Pelosi continues to look the other way,” Spain added.

“The American people are still waiting for a public repudiation of the corrupt actions of Democrat members like Charlie Rangel, John Murtha, and Pete Visclosky, whose actions have truly disgraced the integrity of the People’s House that Democrats claim to be so concerned about defending.”