So who did Charlie Rangel replace?

To properly place Charlies transgressions in context, a bit reflection might be in order.

Charlie seems like he's been there forever, but another came before him, one he knocked off in a primary in June of 1970. The first two female Army generals got their stars in June of 1970. "The Long and Winding Road" was the Beatles' last #1 song in June 1970 - that's how long ago June of 1970 was.

Everyone thinks Charlie is a real "piece of work", but in reality, he's rather tepid as corrupt Harlem politicians go. Adam Clayton Powell, held the seat prior to Charlie and he was truly a "piece of work". Powell had the world class jumbo cajones to blackmail Martin Luther King into canceling civil rights marches targeted at the Democrat convention in 1960. He threatened to claim King had a homosexual relationship. King relented and canceled the marches. When it came to wielding influence and twisting(breaking) arms, Powell was real Jedi Knight, while our era's hapless Charlie is more like an 6 year old kid waving around a fake plastic made in China WalMart light saber powered by two "D" cells.

You can read all about Adam Clayton Powell here.

Curiously, Powell was also one of the few reps ever expelled from congress, but that didn't harm his popularity(at the time) at all. He had the moxie to enter and WIN the special election held to replace him! You'd never see Adam Clayton Powell sniveling and groveling before the ethics committee the way Charlie did.

posted by Purp at 09:39 AM

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