Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York, was charged with ethics violations ranging from allegations that he held four rent-subsidized apartments in New York City at once to allegations that he failed to report substantial income on financial-disclosure forms, and more. Hearings will begin next week. Via the Huffington Post comes this exchange with Luke Russert, who asked Rangel if he feared losing his job. That made Rangel angry. He called it a dumb question and said he got his job by being elected. He also accused Russert of just wanting to make a name for himself (he apparently didn't know Russert's came built-in), but Russert explained that he could, of course, be expelled by the other members or voted out because of the scandal.
Embedded in this exchange is the kind of scene we don't often see. A question is asked and a congressman pushes back. But this time, when the politician pushed back, Russert did too. I wish more reporters would ask better follow-up questions when congressmen make dubious economic or political claims, especially when it comes to topics on which there's an academic consensus.
-- Monica Potts
