Rangel waxes stupid

The Washington Times says Congressman Rangel belittles 'success' of Iraq vote .

Here's a gem:

Mr. Rangel, who mentioned his Korean War service in yesterday's appearance, responded that Americans "don't want their children to die for other people's freedom."

Tell that to the ghosts of the Civil War vets- who fought to free slaves and to theWWII vets and the other Korean War vets and the Vietnam vets and the Desert Storm vets and the new vets from Afghanistan and Iraq. Meet the Presstranscript.

Rangel also waxed stupid on the social security crisis, accusing the President of mistating the "crisis."

REP. RANGEL:  What a question.  What president's plan?  The president has not presented us a plan.  He talks about cutting benefits.  He talks about taking away the guaranteed benefit and substitute it with the gamble on Wall Street. If the president would give us a plan, there's no question in my mind I could sit down with Charlie Grassley, some Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee, and say, "Mr. President, this is right and this is wrong."

But why should the Democrats, when there is no crisis, and I think the president is backing off of that, when the president is talking about cutting up the taxes by over a trillion dollars, not putting the budget figures for the war in there?  ...

(italics mine)

What was interesting was his reaction here:

MR. RUSSERT:  Charles Rangel, President Bill Clinton, a man that you supported very, very vigorously said this in 1998:  "The looming fiscal crisis in Social Security ... if nothing is done, by 2029 there will be a deficit in the Social Security trust fund which will require ... either a huge tax increase in the payroll tax, or just about a 25 percent cut in Social Security benefits." That's Bill Clinton.

REP. RANGEL:  And that's honesty.  You...

Well, I wouldn't count on him to recognize honesty if it hit him on the nose. He is in the running for an EagleSpeak Dodo award.