NOT EVEN A SLAP ON THE WRIST by T. Edwin Perry
“Bad, Charlie.” That’s it, folks: end of punishment. After much ado, years of speculation and accusations of ethics violations & misconduct, and pleas for mercy in the press and on the Floor of the House, Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has been officially Censured by the House of Representatives. He was found guilty of violating 11 House Ethics Rules, failure to report rental income on his tax returns, and violating fundraising rules. As a result, even with a Democrat Majority in the “Lame Duck” session of Congress, the vote came out to 333-79 in favor of Censure, according to the LA Times.
Now comes the question: “What does it mean to be Censured?” The answer, in a nutshell, is “Not a hell of a lot!” According to Wikipedia.com, “Censure” is a “formal condemnation” and the member being censured must give up any Committee Chairs that they hold. Having already stepped down as Chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means, all that’s left is the “formal condemnation” part. It’s kind of like smacking a dog’s nose with a rolled up newspaper, only instead of “smacking” it’s a “stern talking to” and instead of a “rolled up newspaper” it’s a formal wagging of the proverbial finger while saying, “Shame on you.” Oh, the HUMANITY! And, sure, he’s being required to pay the penalties for failing to report the income on his taxes, but that should go without saying.
The fact that Rangel was re-elected DURING the course of his Ethics Hearing is more of a “Shame on you” to the people of his district. They clearly aren’t as concerned with having a Representative that is more concerned with doing THEIR business than his own, and that’s a shame. Even in light of all of his scandals, Rangel cruised in for a 21st Term in Congress with 80% of the vote! Maybe the “rolled up newspaper” should be reserved for New York’s 15th District.
How much money has been spent on this investigation and the Hearings by the Ethics Committee? How much time has been wasted on this theatrical farce in the name of Justice? The accusations and tax violations were revealed in 2008!! Rangel claims to have spent over $2 Million on his defense, and walked out of the Ethics Hearing arguing that he no longer had the money for legal representation. Is it any wonder that so many Americans believe that their Government is broken?
Our Representatives aren’t afraid of being “Punished” for breaking the rules because their “Punishment” is a JOKE! A five year old gets a stiffer penalty with a “Time Out.” No wonder they aren’t afraid to abuse their positions of power and figuratively rape the American Citizens they have sworn to serve. The only real punishment they fear is unemployment, and, apparently, if they’re Charlie Rangel, they don’t even have to fear that anymore.
PATHETIC!
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