Leaders Defend Rangel vs. Obama Frameup

"Even a politician is entitled to a presumption of innocence," wrote veteran New York newsman Gabe Pressman a week ago. "Yet, reading the papers and listening to television pundits, one would get the impression that Congressman Charles Rangel is guilty — until proved innocent — the reverse of a basic American right."

Pressman, a 40-year fixture on the New York City scene, says that whatever the recent publicity about Rangel, "I know some things about him that have not been publicized lately" — such as Rangel's Korean War heroism, his good deeds for average people, his fight for civil rights and for the underprivileged, and his battle against drug trafficking.

"In my view," Pressman concludes, "he is superior to some of the people calling for his scalp. He may have a big ego but he also has a big heart. I can't say the same for some of his detractors."

Lanny Davis, former aide to President Bill Clinton and a former attorney for Rep. Rangel, makes a similar point in a column in The Hill, which asks, "Have we learned nothing from the recent rush-to-judgment travesty of Shirley Sherrod?"

Davis points out that all that has happened so far is that the staff of the House Ethics Committee — not even the full Committee — has voted out charges against Rangel. "Yet for the last week and really ever since, Rangel was tried and convicted in many of the nation's leading newspapers, based on reporting and editorials that drew conclusions from allegations without waiting for Rangel's full response with rules of evidence and due process of law, Republicans and commentators have been demanding that he resign from office, based on those newspaper stories and editorials alone."

Davis notes that reporters and commentators are loosely throwing around the word "corruption" — which usually implies intentional misconduct, for personal financial gain — even before the charges were issued. But if Rangel's actions were honest mistakes of judgment, or carelessness, then they do not constitute "corruption."

David concludes by declaring, "I believe Rangel is an honorable man," adding: "If everyone can just take a breath, as they weren't willing to do for Shirley Sherrod, and give this good and kind man a chance to defend himself based on the facts, then I am confident his fair-minded House colleagues, Democratic and Republican ... will find a way to resolve this matter in an honorable way for everyone."