RANGEL CENSURED DESPITE PLEAS FOR MERCY
Charles Rangel
The vote makes Rangel just the 23rd member of the House to be censured  and the first in nearly three decades.
 Rangel and his allies had pleaded for mercy  arguing his transgressions  which included failure to pay income taxes and misuse of his office to solicit fundraising donations  deserved the more lenient punishment of a reprimand. But that effort failed  267-146.
 Still  talking to reporters after leaving the House floor  Rangel's old pugnacity returned as he denounced the vote as partisan.
 "I am confident that when the history of this has been written  people will recognize that the vote for censure was a very  very  very political vote " Rangel said.
 Rep. Zoe Lofgren  D-Calif.  the chairwoman of the ethics committee  said in the past  censure had been used for members who had used unparliamentary language and that Rangel had promised voters that Democrats would run the most ethical Congress in history.
 "We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard " Lofgren said. "Mr. Rangel himself has acknowledged that."
 Rangel's long battle over the ethics charges has transfixed New York City's political establishment  and set off speculation about how long he will remain in office. Several Democrats are eyeing the seat  but no major figure dared to challenge Rangel last fall  when he easily won re-election.
Rangel's long battle over the ethics charges has transfixed New York City's political establishment  and set off speculation about how long he will remain in office. Several Democrats are eyeing the seat  but no major figure dared to challenge Rangel last fall  when he easily won re-election.
The vote makes [TGT] just the 23rd member of the House to be censured  and the first in nearly three decades.
 [TGT] and [TGT] allies had pleaded for mercy  arguing [TGT] transgressions  which included failure to pay income taxes and misuse of [TGT] office to solicit fundraising donations  deserved the more lenient punishment of a reprimand. But that effort failed  267-146.
 Still  talking to reporters after leaving the House floor  [TGT]'s old pugnacity returned as [TGT] denounced the vote as partisan.
 "I am confident that when the history of this has been written  people will recognize that the vote for censure was a very  very  very political vote " [TGT] said.
 Rep. Zoe Lofgren  D-Calif.  the chairwoman of the ethics committee  said in the past  censure had been used for members who had used unparliamentary language and that [TGT] had promised voters that Democrats would run the most ethical Congress in history.
 "We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard " Lofgren said. "[TGT] has acknowledged that."
 Rangel's long battle over the ethics charges has transfixed New York City's political establishment  and set off speculation about how long [TGT] will remain in office. Several Democrats are eyeing the seat  but no major figure dared to challenge [TGT] last fall  when [TGT] easily won re-election.
Rangel's long battle over the ethics charges has transfixed New York City's political establishment  and set off speculation about how long [TGT] will remain in office. Several Democrats are eyeing the seat  but no major figure dared to challenge [TGT] last fall  when [TGT] easily won re-election.