Rangel Remains One Trick Pony

Always leave it to Rep. Charlie Rangel to find fault with US foreign policy, especially in relation to Iraq.

He did so throughout the Bush Administration, and he's now firing his ire towards President Obama because US troops are still stationed in Iraq.

Oh, and the Harlem Democrat (who remains under multiple investigations for ethics, legal, and tax woes) thinks that it is still about oil.

Rep. Charles Rangel compared President Obama to former Vice President Dick Cheney Saturday for their shared commitment to the Iraq War, one the Harlem Democrat argues is based on the country's hunger for oil.

"I challenge anyone to tell me we aren't there because of the oil," said Rangel, who kicks off his re-election campaign for a 21st congressional term in Washington Heights Sunday.

"The lack of an honest explanation [for the war] is consistent with Bush and Cheney," he told the Daily News during an hour-long interview that touched on his ongoing ethics probe, relationship with the President and ability to get work done in Washington.

A Korean War hero, Rangel criticized the Obama White House for staying in Bush-triggered wars, saying, "We are trying to buy our friends there ... stuff like that makes Cheney look good."

This kind of rhetoric/claptrap may play well to the uninformed, but the US isn't getting any more oil from the Middle East because of Iraq, and it certainly didn't and hasn't resulted in a more secure flow of oil.

It ignores the threat that Iraq posed to the region and its safe haven status for terrorists. Now, it is anything but a safe haven for al Qaeda and other terror groups.

But, this kind of nonsense is just what Rangel needs in his attempt to retain his seat in Congress - going and making inflammatory statements, even against the President who happens to be from his party - because his political future necessitates doing whatever it takes - even if he should have been run from office for his tax and legal troubles.