On a sadder note, Charles Rangel, the Congressman from Harlem New York has been charged with ethics violations by the House.  He has decided to stand up and fight instead of making a deal and going quietly.  He had already resigned as Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. I joined Rep. Charles Rangel’s staff as an intern caseworker in 1975, when he was first appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee.It was his second term and he had defeated Adam Clayton Powelll, a legend in New York and African-American politics. Powell had been censured by the House but chose to fight any way. I have no knowledge of the veracity of the charges against Congressman. I have been out of New York politics for twenty years. I did know him as a committed and hard-working public servant. During  dark days of the last thirty years he and Ted Kennedy were  beacons of hope, that testified to the possibility of humanity friendly policies returning to Washington. The last time I saw him was in front of the Harlem office building the night Obama was elected president. It was a night to celebrate. This is a day to mourn.