"You see that flash of light in the corner of your eye, Congressman Rangel?..."

"...That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear."
- Firefighter Brian McCaffrey, Backdraft

Since 2008, Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) has spent less time working for you and I in Washington and more time embroiled in one ethics clusterfuck after another.

It's over, Rangel.

The House Ethics committee has charged that Rangel violated gift rules by accepting payment from corporations for reimbursement for travel to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008. Whether or not Rangel knew about the contributions - who knows. But the ethics committee stated Rangel's staff should have known and that Rangel is still responsible and required to repay the cost.

Rangel took a temporary leave of absence from his responsibilities as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in lieu of the ethics committee's investigations. In a statement to the press, Rangel was defiant and unrepentant. He called the committee's report "ill-considered, unprecedented, unfair to Congressman Rangel, and wrong on the facts and the law."

Perhaps the ethics committee will find Rangel innocent. I doubt it - considering all the other shit he's swimming in. You see, Rangel also failed to pay income taxes on a Dominican villa he rents out at a yacht Club in Punta Cana. That's right - Rangel, the recent Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means - the chief tax-writing committee of the House of Representatives. Brazzen motherfucker, ain't he?

I'm not done. Rangel's also being (there's so many charges leveled against this guy, who can keep track of where the ethics committee is in their investigation?) scrutinized for:

1. violating House rules by using his official position to raise money for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York,

2. had his committee consider legislation that would benefit donors to the center at the same time the congressman solicited donations or pledges,

3. preserved a tax shelter for an oil drilling company, Nabors Industries, which has a chief executive who donated money to the center while Rangel's committee considered the loophole legislation,

4. used four rent-controlled apartment units in New York City, when the city's rent stabilization program is supposed to apply to one's primary residence, raising the question of how all the units could be primary residences, and

5. omitted hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and assets from legally required financial disclosures

That's a fair amount of "stuff" to be considered "unfair to Congressman Rangel", don't you think? What have I stated about career politicians? The obvious - that most don't give a shit about their constituents or the American people. Politicians labor for two years on government issues, then run for re-election the next two years. I covered this all when I blogged about my "manifesto" on The People's Republic Ombudsman Party (PRO) (February 3, 2010):

We must change the way we're represented in Washington. We must change the way we're represented - how many times do you want me to repeat this? Read my platform on the PRO Party. It's the only "change" and "hope" you should be worried about.

And start packing your bags, Rangel. I'll reserve final judgement until the House Ethics committee completes their inquiry on all counts. But like I said earlier...that 39-year career dissipation light is flickering big-time, brohaun.