“Just as President Obama needs more time to get our country back on track, my job in Congress is not done.”
So says Congressman Charlie Rangel in a statement released yesterday announcing his bid to be elected to his 22nd term in Congress.
Rangel’s statement came on the heels of news reports saying that State Senator Adriano Espaillat began circulating nominating petitions in his bid to unseat the 81-year old black congressman. Espaillat says that the rising Hispanic community deserves another voice in Congress.
In his own words, he says that Hispanics will “kick down the door.” Apparently, he is willing to risk what he described recently as “a twenty year nuclear war” to defeat Rep. Rangel.
It helps that two to three other African American candidates (Vince Morgan, Clyde Williams and Joyce Johnson) are running, too.
Read more here – Rangel says he needs more time to do his public work, just like Barack Obama | Capital New York.
First of all, Rangel is of Puerto Rican descent. Second, Rangel’s comment reminds me of the scene in Game Change when Ed Harris as John McCain talks about how his father and grandfather (both Navy admirals) withered away after retirement (his grandfather died the day after Japan surrendered), and he says that “I’ll never retire.” Rangel too, has basically declared that he intends to be Harlem Congressman for Life, and his voting constituents will support him. No one, or combination of candidates, can match his fund-raising, and as one who has run two campaigns against the Old Man, let me just say that none of the candidates stand a chance to defeat him. Only a one-on-one match can even have a chance and the opponent must be able to spend upwards of $2 million to even have a chance.
Do you think Rangel will now admit his heritage to stave off Espaillat or will acknowledging Puerto Rican ancestry add to the ethnic conflagration? Espaillat wasn’t wrong about starting a nuclear war. Interesting that you don’t see Espaillat trying to take advantage of 2-3 other black candidates in the race as a path to victory. And I’m inclined to agree with your opinion based on your campaign experiences.