It hasn't gotten much attention amid news of Ted Kennedy, Obamacare and the worsening outlook in Afghanistan, but an extraordinary situation is developing in the House of Representatives. With each passing day, it's becoming more clear that the powerful committee chairman in charge of writing America's tax laws is a financial wheeler-dealer, a serial asset-hider, and a tax offender.
Rep. Charles Rangel has been in the House since 1971. He's as old bull as you get in the Democratic hierarchy, and he waited through 12 long years of Republican rule to take over as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in 2007. Along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow Democratic power brokers Henry Waxman and Barney Frank, Rangel is playing a key role in the effort to push the president's health care, environmental, and financial initiatives through the House.
Last week, we learned that Rangel filed a grossly misleading financial disclosure report for 2007 -- failing to report at least half a million dollars in assets.
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 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.
The news comes on top of revelations last year that Rangel didn't report -- and didn't pay taxes on -- income from a villa in the Caribbean. In that matter, the Internal Revenue Service gave him sweetheart treatment; Rangel paid about $10,000 in back taxes but was not required to pay any penalty or interest.
Rangel's doings are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which so far hasn't taken any action. Democrats are standing behind their chairman, and minority Republicans can't do anything about it.
But they're still trying. In February, the GOP introduced a resolution calling for Rangel to be removed as chairman. It failed, 242 to 157.
The Republican leadership also wrote a letter to Pelosi urging that Rangel "step down from his Ways and Means chairmanship pending an investigation of his ethical lapses." That went nowhere, too.
And then there is H.R. 735, also known as the "Rangel Rule Act of 2009."
The brainchild of Rep. John Carter, a Texas Republican who spent two decades as a judge before coming to the House in 2002, H.R. 735 would require the IRS to give everyone the same kid-glove treatment it gave Rangel.
The bill's title is modeled on something known in Texas as the "Hobby Rule." In the 1970s, Bill Hobby, then the state lieutenant governor, was pulled over for drunken driving. Hobby was taken to the police station, but when his attorney showed up in the wee hours of the morning, authorities simply let Hobby go -- no bond, no nothing. That special treatment became a precedent for future drunken-driving cases, as lawyers cited the "Hobby Rule" to demand their clients be freed with no questions asked, just like Bill Hobby.
Thus the "Rangel Rule." Under H.R. 735, if you're caught cheating on your taxes, you would pay what you owe, then write "Rangel Rule" at the top of your return, and you wouldn't be charged any penalty or interest. That way, Carter said when he introduced the bill, ordinary taxpayers would be "treated with the same courtesy that, it seems, the IRS is treating the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee."
Of course Carter's bill doesn't have a chance. Democrats undoubtedly see it as a joke. But the Rangel case is very, very serious.
If you don't think so, just look at this, from the front page of the Oct. 28, 2008 Washington Post: "Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, one of Congress's most powerful Republicans, was convicted yesterday of lying on financial disclosure forms to conceal his receipt of about $250,000 in gifts and expensive renovations to his house. ..."
Stevens' conviction was later thrown out because of prosecutorial misconduct, but the message was clear: This is the kind of thing you can go to jail for.
Rangel appears to have hidden greater sums of money than Stevens allegedly did. Democratic leaders don't want to face it now, but it's just a matter of time before they're forced to admit they have a serious Rangel problem.
Your Congressman is not a crook!
Charlie Rangel is one lucky guy. The Democratic congressman from Harlem, N.Y., just discovered that his net wealth is twice what he thought. That's a pretty good day at the office for a public servant.
Mr. Rangel also realized that he made tens of thousands of dollars more than he reported in many different years over the past decade. This is the most recent string in a series of financial bonanzas for Mr. Rangel, who last year admitted he had forgotten about $75,000 in rental income on his Caribbean resort property.
Mr. Rangel amended his 2007 financial disclosure form in August, explaining that he had overlooked between $500,000 and $780,000 in assets. It must be nice to be so wealthy that one forgets possessing more than $250,000 in a checking account at the Federal Credit Union. He also forgot his sizable investment accounts at J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch & Co., Oppenheimer and BlackRock. For good measure, throw in what might have been up to $50,000 in PepsiCo stock, but who is keeping track at this point? (Hint: not Charlie.)
That's not all. The congressman has failed to pay property taxes on two lots in New Jersey, according to the New York Post. In order to avoid taxes and get lower mortgage interest rates, Mr. Rangel simultaneously claimed three "primary residences."
Mr. Rangel already faces congressional investigations for three types of financial misbehavior. In addition to the Caribbean property, he is accused of using four rent-stabilized apartments for which he didn't qualify because his income is too high. He also purportedly used official congressional letterhead to solicit donations for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York.
There's a big problem here even if these lapses were all honest mistakes. Mr. Rangel is chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. His cavalier attitude toward his own tax obligations reminds how out of touch Washington's political class can be. At the very least, politicians like Mr. Rangel don't think the laws they foist on us apply to themselves.
President Obamas poll numbers continued plummeting today with two pollsters independently confirming the precipitous drop in support the president has seen over the past few months. The Zogby and Rasmussen presidential tracking polls reveal that part of the decline has occurred among Democrats and liberals. In the Zogby poll, Obamas support declined more than 13 percent among Democrats, which contributed to a 6 point slide from Zogbys last poll in mid-July. Zogby had the presidents overall approval at only 42 percent.
Rasmussen polling has even worse news for the presidents advisers as the new numbers show only 30 percent of the country strongly approving of the job Obama is doing and 41 percent strongly disapproving, giving him a net negative rating of 11 points among those who feel most strongly about the issue.
At this point in their presidencies Obama and George W. Bush are about equal at 51 percent according to Real Clear Politics. However, Real Clear Politics uses an average that does not include the dismal numbers from Zogby. Regardless of the specific numbers, most polling firms are showing a consistent erosion of Obamas position.
Driving the decline is troubling news for the embattled president. Republican support already reached a low point long ago, but as Zogby notes, Democrats have began to turn on the President who they see as caving to Republican demands on health care. Obamas poll numbers were previously buoyed by support from Democrats and liberals. However, if the new polls are accurate, and Democrats continue to abandon him, his polls might start to freefall. If that happens, the task of recovering his former popularity will be a monumental task.
Whats a president to do?
The Obama administration has decided that focusing attention on Bush era CIA investigations is a winning strategy. This decision is quite stunning as Obama lost the last time he went head to head with former Bush administration officials, including Dick Cheney. Obamas route back to popularity is already pockmarked with health care reform, cap and trade, and troubling economic numbers. He doesnt need to fight another uphill battle. In the D.C. Writeups view it would be much more beneficial if he focused on getting health care reform back on track. Well be watching his next move carefully.
#1
The standard playbook for zero, when his numbers get low blame Bush. Four years of this I can safely assume zero will even blame Bush for the falling of the holy roman empire...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/01/2009 18:56 Comments ||
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#2
Watch for CIA trials and the threats of prosecuting Bush officials for Sept-Oct as the socialized medical bill fails.
#3
ION CHINESE/PAKSITAN MIL FORUMS > US TO COLLAPSE IN JULY 2010 [Prof. Igor Penarin]; + OBAMA IS ANOTHER GORBACHEV AND WILL LEAD TO THE BREAKUP OF THE USA.
Penarin > POTUS OBAMA "has the mentality of a Social Worker, He talks very well but he has never managed anything. He will lead the USA towards a CRASH [catstrophic change?]"???
* "US Debt has multiplied 7X in the last eleven years", compared to 5X = factor of five for the Soviet Union.
* HURRICANE KATRINA = NOLA marks the beginning of decline for the USA.
* US has too many SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES + FULL PRISONS + VIOLENT YOUNG PEOPLE/YOUTHS + TOO MANY HOMOSEXUALS.
----------------------
CHINESE MIL FORUM > JAPANESE OPOSITION VICTORY COULD FORCE US RETHINK IN THE PACIFIC.
#4
Watch for CIA trials and the threats of prosecuting Bush officials for Sept-Oct as the socialized medical bill fails. I think much of the rising discontent with Obama is coming from the parts of the electorate suffering economically and seeing no real action on his part to improve their situation. CIA trials, prosecutions & health-care reform just don't resonate with them. I estimate a major banking or similar financial crisis will wipe that part of the scenario off the national stage & out of people's minds. Now if Obama were to put the banksters & other financial manipulators who have caused so much damage in the world on trial and claw back their ill-gotten gains, that would be something to turn his poll numbers around. But he is in league with them.
#1
Other people's money. Socalisim at its best!
Btw... considering yesterday's "stoner" article we see the EX-DEALER defense contractor and come full circle.
#4
Sure almost anyone's better than Boxer, but Fiorina? Give me a break! We don't need another person in government who failed their way to the top. We've got enough of that in the Obama cabinet.
The White House on Monday dismissed former vice president Dick Cheney's attacks on a probe into alleged CIA abuses of "war on terrorism" detainees and sharply questioned his foreign policy judgment. "This is the same song and dance we've heard since literally the first day of our administration," spokesman Robert Gibbs said after Cheney blasted the investigation as politically driven and harmful to national security.
Few people know more about song and dance than Robert Gibbs ...
Gibbs said Cheney "clearly had his facts on a number of things wrong" and highlighted Republican Senator John McCain's denunciation of CIA use of interrogation techniques widely seen as torture.
"I would add this: I'm not entirely sure that Dick Cheney's predictions on foreign policy have borne a whole lot of fruit over the last eight years in a way that have been either positive or, to the best of my recollection, very correct," said the spokesman.
Cheney told Fox News Channel in an interview aired Sunday that the probe was an "outrageous political act" that would harm national security by making CIA agents fear possible legal reprisals.
Which is the whole point ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/01/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
The narcissist bunch in the White House hates free speach, unless it is Carter criticising the
Repubs.
#6
I don't think Chaney is interested in a national security debate with Gibbs.
After all one of Dick's mottos is:
"Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed person"
Gibbs is the classic empty suit. Obama is clueless about national security and I believe Holder is a closet commie hoping to gut the CIA for his buddies in Moscow.
Posted by: James Carville ||
09/01/2009 10:23 Comments ||
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The United States is having more success fighting terrorism under President Barack Obama partly because of his "radically different" approach to foreign policy, National security adviser Jim Jones said on Monday.
In an interview with ABC News, Jones said Obama's efforts to reach out to world leaders and improve relations with law enforcement agencies had made it easier to track and kill terrorists than during the Bush administration.
"We have better human intelligence. We know where the terrorists are moving," Jones told ABC.
"Because of the dialogue and the tone of the dialogue between us and our friends and allies ... the trend line against terrorism is positive," he added.
While noting that he was not keeping tallies of enemy combatants killed and captured under Obama and Bush, Jones said the numbers were going up as a result of good intelligence.
"We are seeing results that indicate more captures, more deaths of radical leaders and a kind of a global coming-together by the fact that this is a threat to not only the United States but to the world at-large," he said.
#9
Jones said Obama's efforts to reach out to world leaders and improve relations with law enforcement agencies had made it easier to track and kill terrorists than during the Bush administration.
'Bad Bush - Good Barry' Give that man a sucker! Oh, he's already got something in his mouth? Sorry.
#10
The United States is having more success fighting terrorism under President Barack Obama
Sure, for the last few months, Obama has been able to take credit for operations that were initiated during the last administration. Lets see what happens in the next six months, now that everyone at the CIA and the Pentagon are in full CYA mode.
Retired Lt. Gov. Russell Honore on Sunday dismissed "speculation and rumors" that he intended to enter the 2010 Louisiana Senate race as a Republican and challenge embattled incumbent David Vitter (R-La.), CNN reported today.
"That is a serious rumor that's got started that's created a lot of buzz," said Honore, now a CNN analyst, adding that he has not even declared a party affiliation.
The speculation began this weekend when two Louisiana newspapers reported the retired general, famous for spearheading the Gulf Coast recovery effort, was contacting friends and supporters to signal interest in a Senate bid. Since Sunday, Honore said he's received more than 100 e-mails regarding those rumors -- none of which, he told CNN, came from reporters trying to verify he was about to begin a campaign.
According to CNN, Honore instead plans to spend his time "as a private citizen," teaching and consulting in disaster preparedness.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/01/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Honore could probably beat Vitter. (Melancon may well beat Vitter.) Vitter is not a particularly admirable person, but he is a skilled politician: he can maneuver the rules and processes of the Capitol with the best of them. I suspect Honore would be breaded and deep-fried in that environment (and in a way, that's a compliment to Honore.)
#3
Honore is a retired Lt.GENERAL, not a retired Lt. Governor.
Confused me for a second - I wondered if there were two people named Honore that they were talking about.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
09/01/2009 18:08 Comments ||
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Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) will not run for Senate to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in 2010, he announced Monday. Citing concerns over fundraising ability, King said he will not run for any other office than reelection to his House seat.
"I'm not trying to kid anyone," King told the New York Daily News in a statement. "I wanted to be able to run for the Senate."
King said that to overcome the Democratic registration edge in the state, he would have needed to raise $30 million and wage an intensive media campaign, making it more difficult that -- King asserted -- Gillibrand has staked out a milquetoast record in the Senate.
"Senator Gillibrand generates neither strong support nor opposition," King said. "This makes it virtually impossible for me to raise the campaign funds I would need to overcome the built-in Democratic registration advantage and the countless millions of dollars which the Democrats will make available to Senator Gillibrand."
"I expect 2010 to be a Republican year and a well-financed candidate could well defeat Senator Gillibrand," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/01/2009 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
It hasn't gotten much attention amid news of Ted Kennedy, Obamacare and the worsening outlook in Afghanistan, but an extraordinary situation is developing in the House of Representatives. With each passing day, it's becoming more clear that the powerful committee chairman in charge of writing America's tax laws is a financial wheeler-dealer, a serial asset-hider, and a tax offender.
