Can Harlem Do No Better?

Harlem is currently represented in Congress by Charles Rangel, a 20-term Democrat who is facing 13 ethics charges that could result in his expulsion from Congress and criminal charges stemming from multiple ethics, legal, and tax problems that I've repeatedly commented upon.

Facing him in a primary is Adam Clayton Powell IV, whose father was Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Powell the younger came out and made the ludicrous claim that his father would be appalled by Rangel's actions.

Challenger Adam Clayton Powell 4th attacked Rep. Charles Rangel's character on Thursday night with the audacious claim that his dad - the current congressman's rogue predecessor - would be appalled by Rangel's behavior.

"My father...might be turning over in his grave if he saw some of the political trickery that has been going on over the last 40 years," Powell said at a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

The Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., elected to the House from Harlem in 1944, was one of the most powerful black politicians of his era. But a corruption scandal - including helping himself to taxpayer funds for vacations to the Bahamas - led to his expulsion in 1967.

He got his seat back after the 1968 election but not his clout. Neophyte Rangel finished him off in the 1970 primary. Two years later, Powell died.

Really? Powell's father engaged in corruption and all manner of unethical behavior that led to Powell's expulsion from Congress. Rangel won the election in 1970 over Powell on the basis of cleaning up the corrupt mess that Powell left.

Now, the son is in the position that Rangel was in 40 years ago, except that Powell is revising history to ignore the reason that Rangel entered Congress in the first place; his father's corruption.

And there's little reason to think that Powell IV will do any better than Rangel or Powell's father in the corruption department. Harlem needs better representation - one that does not have links to the stench of corruption left by either Powell or Rangel. Harlem must do better, but alas I expect Harlem to reelect Rangel to yet another term in office despite the legal and ethics woes.

Encapsulating What's Wrong With Politics

The Harlem district that is currently represented by none other than Charlie Rangel encapsulates quite a bit of what is wrong with politics these days. Rangel is a corrupt politician. He his position of power to enrich himself and has repeated violated House rules, failed to pay taxes on repeated occasions and has had so many problems with the law (rent stabilization law, tax law, etc.), that one has to wonder what is in the drinking water in Harlem these days when one of his top opponents in the Democratic party primary is none other than Adam Clayton Powell 4th.

Powell is no stranger to criminality either. He was found guilty of DUI and yet claims that the police were out to get him.

But that's not what makes this situation so bad.

It's that these politicians think that it is their dynastic right to the seat.

Rangel won his seat in Congress way back in the 1970 election (seated 1971), beating none other than Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who himself was embroiled in an ethics flap that went all the way to the US Supreme Court. Rangel has held on to the seat ever since, becoming the very thing that Rangel sought to replace when he ran as a reformer.

Now, the Powell family wants to reclaim their old seat back. And when I mean old - I mean old.

Powell Jr held the seat from 1945 through 1971.

Between Rangel and Powell, they've held on to the seat from 1945 through 2010.  That's 65 years. And Powell 4th wants to return the seat to the Powell name.

Is there no one else in Harlem who can run for Congress other than these two?

Is there no one else who can challenge these two ruling elites that have long past their expiration dates because their politics has failed their district miserably.