U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY,  is one of the most powerful legislators in Congress and he has rewarded many of his fellow members with generous donations over the years. Rangel was elected in 1970, beating another crooked rascal, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. in a Democratic primary. Powell was representing his Harlen district from the Island of Bimini at the time. Rangel is a part of the fading old guard of Harlem politics, Like Powell, Rangel was and is a key figure in New York politics, part of the fabled Gang of Four, which includes former Mayor David Dinkins, Basil Patterson and Percy Sutton.

Charlie Rangel is all about power and the abuse of it. But like anyone who has been around other people’s for a long time, he  is finally, slowly getting caught and with it comes scrutiny of his actions. To keep himself safe,  Rangel has written many checks to keep him from public calls for his head.

That is why is was no surprise when the House Ethics Committee announced February 27 it would admonished him last week for taking illegal corporate trips in 2007 and 2008, only one Democrat Congressman has called for him to step down from his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee.

To his partial credit, U.S. Rep.  Jim Himes, D-CT, announced over the weekend he would give $2,000 of the $18,000 he has received from Rangel since his election to charity. U.S. Rep. Joe  Courtney, D-CT, ($25,000) and U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-CT, ($16,000)  have not given up a dime, nor has fellow committee member U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-CT, offered a word.

All were quick to criticize Republican misdeeds, including former Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-TX, who was admonished in 2005 and U.S. Rep. Marc Foley, R-FL, in 2006 for his sexual misconduct with staff.

Rangel waited three decades plus before finally ascending to the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which writes and passes the tax laws that we all have to abide to, no matter how much we might protest to our accountants. For the last year, the House Ethics Committee has been looking into Rangel’s various private affairs which have crossed the line into outright criminal behavior. Rangel has failed to report income from a  condominium in the Dominican Republican that he bought for nothing, funnelled tax dollars into a private college that publicized his name, bent housing laws in the use of his rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem and took unreported corporate trips  to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008.

The New York Post and the New York Times have been filling their papers with the details of Rangel’s actions.  The Times Editorial board even called for Rangel to “give up the gavel.”

It doesn’t matter. Rangel will only leave Congress if he is expelled or expires. He will never be thrown out by his constituents. He provides.

Rangel’s National Leadership PAC has been used to collect millions in donations from other PAC’s and corporate donors. This money is then handed out to Democratic Congressman or candidates in need.

It is typical of the Democrats in Congress to turn a blind eye when they have abused and violated a sense of ethics or decency. Millions of people pay their taxes and don’t get corporate freebies to exotic locations. It is even more disheartening when our own Congressional delegation doesn’t at least acknowledge that Charlie Rangel is symbol of what is wrong with our political system or relieve themselves of his hush money.

(Photo credits: New York Times, AP)