Charlie Rangel Goes From Tax Cheat to FOOL

Charlie Rangel has become the gift that keeps on giving. Between cheating on on his taxes, hiding income or giving campaign donations to the members of the ethics committee investigating him, the NY Democrat has brand new scandal arise on what seems to be a daily basis.

Now it seems as if the Congressman is adding fool to his resume. He has decided to become the liberal equivalent of a birther---a Racer, someone that believes anyone who disagrees with Barack Obama is a racist.

Last night at a town hall in Washington Heights Rangel said that "bias" and "prejudice" toward Obama are fueling opposition to health-care reform. Gee Whiz I guess it has nothing to do with the fact that the bill is a frightening intrusion in all of our lives, and that's just a start.

"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?' " Rangel (D-Manhattan) said Tuesday.


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."

Emotional feeling true, some of us don't want to simply agree with a tax-cheating congressmen.

"We're going to have to move forward notwithstanding that," said Rangel, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a chief health-care negotiator.


Rangel then likened the battle over health-care expansion for the uninsured to the fight for civil rights.


"Why do we have to wait for the right to vote? Why can't we get what God has given us? That is the right to live as human beings and not negotiate with white southerners and not count the votes. Just do the right thing," he said.

This isn't about giving heath care to the uninsured, there are ways to do that without without taking over the heath care system.  The Obamacare plan is typical strategy of the progressives, when they see "haves" and "have nots" instead of trying to aid the "have nots" they feel they have to take from the "haves." The problem is when you average the two all you are left with is mediocre which is why in the end, the progressive approach never works.

Critics of ObamaCare blasted Rangel for taking the low road.

"Charlie Rangel knows that race has nothing to do with the health-care debate. He should not be implying that race has anything to do with it," said Rep. Peter King (R-LI).


State Conservative Party leader Mike Long called Rangel's comment "outrageous and outlandish" -- and suggested the congressman might be trying to deflect attention from his ethics woes.


"Rangel is playing the race card. It's clear that the congressman is trying to galvanize the minority community that this is 'us against them.' It's going to backfire. A majority of people will see through this," Long said.

After the forum, Rangel was asked about his "racer" stance and retreated a bit:

"What I'm saying is, if you watch the town-hall meetings, people were angry and did not care what the answer was to some of their questions. They were angry with their member of Congress, period," he said.

The battle over Obamacare is not about black and white, it is about government intrusion in our lives and deficits. Charlie Rangel and the other "racers" are foolish to think otherwise.

Rangel Update: His Staff Doesn't Pay Taxes Either:

The NY Post is Reporting:

 Charlie Rangel's "forgetfulness" is apparently contagious.

Two of his top aides are among about a dozen highly paid staffers on the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee who have filed a flurry of amendments correcting their financial-disclosure statements since 2002.

Jim Capel, chief of staff for Rangel's personal office, failed to file any such statements for six years.

On the afternoon of July 14, Capel filed five years' worth of delinquent reports.

Capel told The Post yesterday it was a simple oversight.

"I am sorry for not making these filings in the timely manner as required," he said. "My failure was not done for no other reason than I just forgot to do so."

Another serial mis-filer working for Rangel is George Dalley, who is legal counsel in Rangel's personal office. Dalley has amended his statements four times since 2002.

In his 2007 statement, he failed to disclose as much as $150,000 in rental income on two properties in DC.

The House Ethics Committee also discovered that Dalley had failed to report as much as $45,000 in business transactions he made in 2006.

On his 2004 statement, he failed to report as much as $47,000 in income.

Capel and Dalley are among about a dozen top staffers for the Ways and Means Committee, which Rangel chairs, and Rangel's personal office who have filed a combined 24 amendments over the past seven years.

 The Ways and Means Chair trains his staff very well.