Disgrace in the U.S. House: : A Political Biography of Harlem's Charlie Rangel (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781484856574)

Charlie Rangel came off the mean streets of Harlem for his first election to the U.S. House of Congress in 1970. Always fashionably attired, he is a charming man with a distinctively raspy voice and a sharp sense of humor. He is ever ready with quick and penetrating arguments for his views. Charlie seems to be all you can expect a congressman to be. By cultivating his congressional district, loyally voting for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and long-suffering patience, Rangel ascended to the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee in 2007, a top spot for congressional influence. With that prominence came greater visibility, media scrutiny and sad evidence of a less than honorable record of taking care of himself as well as his constituents. Forty years after his first election to Congress, Charlie Rangel's House colleagues censured him for ethical misconduct. Rangel called "Foul " He said his entire record deserved consideration, not just his "sloppy mistakes" about his income taxes and financial records. Jack R. Van Der Slik, an accomplished congressional scholar, offers fair consideration in this political biography of the engaging, but sometimes slippery, successor to Harlem's Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Rangel came to the House as one of the "new breed," and has stayed long, perhaps too long, as an "old bull." No doubt Charlie Rangel faithfully served Harlem. He also served himself, but not always the best interests of the Americans who are not his constituents. But you be the judge. Written for a general audience as well as for students of politics, this book much about how well and badly Congress works and why it has become such a partisan arena. With an engaging, but disappointing central character, this "Greek tragedy" ends with a conclusion about Charlie Rangel-- "One is enough."

Author: Jack R. Van Der Slik
ISBN-10: 1484856570
ISBN-13: 9781484856574
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 06/19/2013
Pages: 436
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.97d