[brian]

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According to the charges, Rangel allegedly failed to report more than $600,000 on financial disclosure reports and improperly solicited funds for the construction of a center bearing his name at the City College of New York.

The committee also alleged that Rangel improperly used a rent-subsidized apartment as a campaign office for over a decade and failed to pay taxes on a home in the Dominican Republic.

Rangel "argues that errors on his personal taxes do not implicate discharge of his official responsibilities,"

Almost like watching Spitzer fall all over again. Always sad when a high-profile and self-righteous Congressman from a poor area that pretends to be all Robin Hood, turns out to be King John himself. Call me crazy, but I think that financial scandals like this are just as morally reprehensible as Larry Craig or Bill Clinton style sex scandals (which involved lying and coverups), and certainly a lot worse than a lot of other things that people get worked up over (like Clinton "not inhaling"). Disgusting.

[Jinserver55]

brian, on 29 July 2010 - 03:19 PM, said:

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Almost like watching Spitzer fall all over again. Always sad when a high-profile and self-righteous Congressman from a poor area that pretends to be all Robin Hood, turns out to be King John himself. Call me crazy, but I think that financial scandals like this are just as morally reprehensible as Larry Craig or Bill Clinton style sex scandals (which involved lying and coverups), and certainly a lot worse than a lot of other things that people get worked up over (like Clinton "not inhaling"). Disgusting.

For me, it far more reprehensible. I always kind of liked ole' Charlie, guess the money and power gets to them all after a while. What surprises me are how many of these instances are covered up or never made public...and even some that do go public doesn't go viral. Chris Dodd's backroom VIP treatment w/ real estate etc, etc.

[brian]

In the abstract I think that financial/trust crimes say a lot more about a person's bad character than having sex with an intern. But in the Craig case (like Ted Haggerty and other "family friendly" figures), the way he persecuted and villainized gays while being gay himself is what made it so bad. With Clinton, I don't care about the semen on the blue dress, I care more about the fact that he lied about it under oath and solemnly swore he didn't do anything... and then came up with some lame-arse excuse that he didn't understand the question. And Spitzer happened to like classy whores, but that's not what bothered me. It's the fact that he put countless thousands of people in jail and made a career out of being "tough on the bad guys".

It's about trust, it's about ethics, etc. These folks make a living off of crucifying people and putting folks in jail and preaching about virtue and trust, and then they do this. So many of them are giving the message that others deserve punishment while they themselves deserve the mercy that they refuse to all others. I say they deserve what they get.

You're right about Chris Dodd... I think he's another one that will get his commupence. He only breaks from Dem party lines when he's protecting bankers in CT, something even most GOP congresspeople won't do. I wonder why...

[shaftmaster]

Its frustrating. Rangel has been the one pushing all kinds of crazy tax laws and then to find out he doesn't follow tax laws is disgusting. Its a complete double standard and it can't be tolerated. Politicians of all people should take the utmost care to make sure things are done within the law.

Politicians need term limits and I'd like to see everyone in washington ousted so we can start over fresh.

[brian]

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Politicians need term limits and I'd like to see everyone in washington ousted so we can start over fresh.

The double standard is what kills Not sure if I agree 100% on hard term limits, perhaps it's a discussion for another day. I have more of an issue with the entrenchment of incumbents. If people are good, they should stay, but it becomes too easy to vote for the guy whose arse is already in the chair. I am kinda a fan of the Virginia governor's seat, where you can be governor as many times as you want, just not twice in a row. That way if the next guy does better than you, good luck getting back in.