I can't believe this is still going on. TPM reports Ethics Panel Convicts Rangel Of 11 Ethics Violations "The subcommittee which found that Rangel had violated ethics law will now forward their convictions to the full ethics committee. The full committee will then hold another hearing, during which it will vote on whether to recommend a punishment for Rangel. If they do, they will send that recommendation -- be it admonishment, censuring, expulsion or otherwise -- to the full House for a vote."
NPR had a story just before this summarizing the various editorials, The Reviews Are In For Rangel's Performance, And They're Not Good.
"Rangel, who has represented New York's Harlem for his 40 years in Congress, made a truncated and somewhat baffling appearance Monday before a panel of the ethics committee, which has been deliberating over charges that he violated House rules 13 times. The 80-year old Democrat said it was an outrage he was being judged even though he was without legal counsel and couldn't afford a new lawyer. But committee chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), her patience seemingly wearing thin, reminded Rangel several times that the case has been going on for two years, that Rangel had plenty of time to prepare his defense, and that while the law firm that had been representing him ended their relationship last month because he could no longer afford to pay him, the committee had long advised Rangel that he could set up a legal defense fund to pay for his lawyers but has never taken advantage of it."
I did learn a new word from the New York Post editorial, "All that's certain is that a 40-year congressional career is ending in well-earned obloquy." Obloquy is "strong public criticism or verbal abuse".
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