Nay, But To Live In The Rank Sweat of an Enseame’d Bed [Reader Post]

Charley Rangel has outdone himself, with 13 violations of congressional ethics hanging over his head, like the sharpened guillotine blade, he has run out of time and is now facing a congressional trial. Inconveniently or conveniently, depending on your political leanings, just before the November Mid-term Elections. Fortunately for Charley, he is only facing a congressional trial, instead of the wrath of the IRS and possible prison time, like we the members of everyday citizenry.

The allegations include failure to report rental income from vacation property in the Dominican Republic and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income and assets on his financial disclosure statements.

Other charges focused on Rangel’s use of congressional staff and stationery to raise money for a college center in New York named after him; accepting favors and benefits from the donors that may have influenced his congressional actions; use of a subsidized New York apartment as a campaign office instead of a residence; and misuse of the congressional free mail privilege.

“Even though they are serious charges, I’m prepared to prove that the only thing I’ve ever had in my 50 years of public service is service,” Rangel told reporters Thursday night. “That’s what I’ve done and if I’ve been overzealous providing that service, I can’t make an excuse for the serious violations.”

Nancy Pelosi spoke out in 2006 saying that if Democrats were in control of congress she could root out corruption and drain the swamp; now that Rangel’s D-NY head is on the block, she accuses everyone of having the wrong idea of her intentions.

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is standing by her efforts to “drain the swamp” of corruption in the House as one of her senior Democrats awaits word of ethics charges.

When Republicans controlled the House in 2006, Pelosi argued that Democrats should be in charge so that she could root out corruption. Asked whether New York Rep. Charles Rangel’s ethics problem indicate she did not succeed, Pelosi told reporters Thursday that she was referring to reforms she has since put in place to make the ethics process more independent and effective.

Rangel, who has represented Harlem for 40 years, is steeling himself for the tax and disclosure charges against him to be made public for the first time Thursday.

In Act 3, Scene 4 of Hamlet, Shakepeare has Hamlet describe his disgust over his mother’s marriage to his uncle, a relationship he considers to be incestuous. His revulsion and disgust aptly describes the public’s disgust with Congressional misconduct and corruption.

Hamlet:Nay, but to live In rank sweat of enseame’d bed, Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty-

translation: No, listen to me. But to live in the stinking sweat of a greasy, spunk soaked bed, stewed in whore house pollution, exchanging sticky emissions and rutting like pigs while making love in the putrid-smelling pig sty.

Rangel has been putting off the proceedings for months and now his chickens are home to roost.

The charges came as lawyers for Rangel and the House ethics committee worked out a plea deal, according to people familiar with the talks. But Republicans on the ethics committee indicated it was too late.

The deal between the lawyers has little meaning if the committee members don’t approve it, and Republicans insisted — at the first meeting of a House panel deciding Rangel’s fate — that the case go forward with an ethics trial. The panel is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

“Mr. Rangel was given multiple opportunities to settle this matter. Instead, he chose to move forward to the public trial phase,” said Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama, the senior Republican on the ethics panel

Chairman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., has made clear that she wants the committee to be unanimous — leaving little chance for agreement without Rangel capitulating on virtually all counts.

Many Democrats had urged Rangel to settle the case to avoid the prospect of televised hearings right before November congressional elections that will determine which party controls Congress next year.

However, as Thursday’s public airing of the charges drew nearer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem resigned to the case proceeding.

With the sad state of the economy and with Americans struggling to hold onto their homes; there is little if no public sympathy for Rangel’s corruption despite his references to his service during the Korean War.