Charlie Rangel, Talk Radio

TALK'S BEST FRIEND

Rep Rangel Is One-Man Fodder Machine






For talk hosts searching for holiday- time topics, one man has proven even more valuable than Michael Richards and his ill- fated comedy act: Rep Charles Rangel.

Simply by cranking up his magic political gimmick machine, the New York Democrat can get talkers buzzing, even as party leaders run for cover. Recently, for instance, he handed pundits a pot o' fodder gold with this anti- Mississippi comment, according to the Clarion-Ledger:

Rep. Charles Rangel is poised to become chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee when Democrats take control of Congress in January. He told The New York Times that he wants to bring more federal money back to his home state.

He added: "Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?"

Rangel might as well have asked a whole state to roll up its sleeves and step outside.

Phones rang nonstop at talk radio shows. Some folks dashed off indignant letters to the editor, while others jumped onto Internet chat rooms to either defend their state or cast aspersions on New York and New Yorkers.

How did that help the Democrats?


This week, talk radio has also enjoyed a sustained boost from Rangel, as he attempts once again to push his "reinstate the draft" gimmick through Congress. Party honchos are again scrambling to put some distance between 'ol Charlie and their own political careers:

Rangel's draft proposal gets little traction with Democrats


WASHINGTON - The new Democratic-controlled Congress will not seriously consider reinstating the draft, even if concerns about the military's strength and resiliency grow, party leaders said Monday.

Key Democrats, including the incoming House speaker, House majority leader and chairmen of the House and Senate armed services committees, said they do not support a resumption of the draft. They predicted that the idea will gather little momentum in the 110th Congress, which convenes in January. Pentagon officials also restated their opposition to a draft. (Sun - Herald / South Miss)

Their comments came a day after Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who will chair the Ways and Means Committee, said he would again introduce a bill calling for a return to the draft, suspended since 1973.

Rangel's previous bids to reinstate the draft have stirred little interest in Congress but considerable agitation among some bloggers and talk radio hosts who suggested the public was about to be blindsided.

Are bloggers and talkers really agitated, or more likely thankful to have the likes of Rangel on the other side of the fence? After all, he has no real interest in bringing back the draft, it's simply a trick meant to undermine the war effort.

Hey Charlie, got anything else up your sleeve? It's going to be mighty slow during Thanksgiving, so this would be a good time to unveil your next gem!

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