Charlie Rangel: House Panel Finds Him Guilty of Ethics Violations

Charlie Rangel: House Panel Finds Rangel Guilty of Ethics Violations

Now it's official. The political legacy of Charlie Rangel can be dropped in a trash bin and put out on the curb for garbage collectors. With his conviction yesterday on 11 of 13 ethics charges brought by the House Ethics Committee, Rangel has practically erased 40 years of public service.

It doesn't matter that that Rangel was re-elected by his Harlem consitutency just a few months back. The convictions mean that all his protests of being treated unfairly were just excuses.

It's pretty certain we will hear Rangel claim that he didn't get the benefit of counsel during this trial.

But now it is clear.

All he was doing was stalling for time yesterday when he asked for a delay in his trial because he couldn't afford to pay for his lawyers.

The conviction doesn't make Rangel a terrible man. He simply got sloppy, then selfish and finally greedy. He then forgot about why the people of Harlem chose to send him to the Hill since 1970.

This mess is the best argument I have ever seen for term limits for elected officials. With term limits, politicians won't have the chance to make such bad decisions.

Whether you think Rangel is a crook or a hero, it's hard to watch his political career of end in such a pathetic, whimpering manner.

Yes, Rangel looked like a political lion a few months ago, when Harlem voters returned him to office for a 20th-term, even though the Democratic establishment and even President Barack Obama asked him to step aside.

But on Monday, Rangel stood before the House Ethics Committee looking every bit his 80 years and practically begging for its members to hold off judgment until he could scrape together funds to pay for his lawyers.

The only thing worse than Rangel's pleading was the swift response from his colleagues denying him extra time as they discussed the 13 financial and fundraising misconduct charges against him.

A panel of four Democrats and four Republicans acted as jury and decided that Rangel violated House rules. The full House Ethics Committee will decide what Rangel's punishment will be.