Category Archives: Charles Rangel

Rumblin’ With The Rev (Updated)



Congressman Charles B. Rangel, State Senator Adriano Espaillat and the Rev. Michael Walrond, candidates in the 13th Congressional District Democratic primary, joined the Rev. Al Sharpton this morning at the National Action Network’s House of Justice.

Congressman Rangel’s remark about Espaillat during a taped debate yesterday; “just what the heck has he done except say he’s a Dominican?”, has been a focus of attention.  Rev. Sharpton spoke about during his onstage remarks, and each candidate spoke about it with the press afterwards.

Update – Candidates & The Rev:

Here’s an in-depth look at their visit.

Candidate Q&A:

Following their onstage remarks, each of the candidates spoke with the press outside the the House of Justice.

Rangel:

Espaillat:

Walrond:

Rangel In The Heights



Congressman Charles Rangel held a press conference in Washington Heights this afternoon, hosting fellow Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-Il) and Jose Serrano of the Bronx.  New York City Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Nisha Agarwal also attended.

They discussed immigration and possible congressional action on the immigration laws, but the real energy was devoted to pushing Congressman Rangel’s re-election.

Puerto Rico:

I asked the three members of congress for their view on whether Puerto Rico should remain a commonwealth, become a state or gain independence.  Congressman Rangel seemed particularly reluctant to respond, noting that it’s a very deep and involved issue.  Here’s what they had to say:

Rangel & El Barrio



Congressman Charles B. Rangel today held a press conference on 116th & Lexington Avenue to tout some of his Mexican-American and Puerto Rican supporters.  Rangel’s electoral hopes require a strong showing in El Barrio, a predominantly Puerto Rican portion of East Harlem.

Press Conference:

Rangel pitch to voters involves portraying himself as the candidate most able to assist President Obama in the last two years of his presidency.  He ignores the distance that the president has kept from Rangel since his tax woes, focusing on his more than four decades in Congress and his resulting knowledge and experience.  Today he pushed that argument, and also portrayed himself as a deeply embedded part of El Barrio, with his supporter Adam Clayton Powell IV attacking competing candidate, Domincan-born and Washington Heights resident, Adriano Espaillat as an “interloper”.

Here are selected excerpts from the press conference:

Debate “Phone Call”:

Rep. Rangel’s “phone call” at last week’s candidate debate has garnered lots of attention. Here’s what Rangel had to say today about it:

Slugfest at St. Luke’s (Updated x 2)



The three Democratic candidates in the 13th Congressional slugged it out tonight in a debate sponsored by the Urban Justice Center Safety Net Project and hosted by St. Luke A.M.E. Church.

Opening Statements:

Here is Congressman Rangel’s unusual opening.

Update – Post-Debate Media Avails:

Following the debate, all three candidates spoke separately with the press.

Espaillat

Senator Espaillat began with criticism of Congressman Rangel’s opening statement and concluded with a comment about their personal interactions.  With a small twist at the end.

Rangel

Congressman Rangel addressed whether he’s been “far more aggressive in this debate than [he] was before.”

Walrond

Rev. Walrond began with the observation that the other candidates take him much more seriously than they did early in the race.

(The full debate video follows after the jump.) Continue reading Slugfest at St. Luke’s (Updated x 2)

de Blasio Press Q&A: The 200,000 Units Edition (Updated x 2)



In a pair of press conferences Mayor Bill de Blasio today unveiled his aggressive affordable housing plan, aiming to create and preserve 200,000 units of housing over 10 years.  In a morning Brooklyn appearance and an afternoon Bronx press conference the mayor discussed his plan at length.

Update #2 – Rangel:

Congressman Charles Rangel, whose district includes the Bronx press conference location, spoke briefly at the Bronx press conference.  While supportive of the mayor, Rangel has called for abandoning the practice of combining luxury and affordable housing and declared “we have no crisis in luxury housing.”

Update – Highlight Reel:

Our highlight reel distills the two full press conferences, with selected excerpts from the initial statements and Q&A portion of both press conferences.

(Full Q&A from both press conferences after the jump)

Continue reading de Blasio Press Q&A: The 200,000 Units Edition (Updated x 2)

Heating Up In Harlem’s 13th CD (Updated x 3)



The three Democratic candidates in the 13th congressional district met Thursday evening for their first debate.  Hosted by Abyssinian Bapist Church, the debate featured polite, but at times intense, jousting among Congressman Charles B. Rangel, State Senator Adriano Espaillat and the Rev. Michael Walrond.

A core part of Congressman Rangel’s argument for reelection is his assertion that he alone among the three is capable of providing meaningful assistance to President Obama in the last two years of Obama’s term.  Rangel, a 44 year incumbent, has lost a significant amount of Washington clout due to his political and legal troubles in the last several years. Both of his opponents dismiss the notion of Rangel now having a meaningful relationship with the president.

To begin our coverage, here are our post-debate conversations with all three candidates.    You’ll also hear Capital New York’s Azi Paybarah on these clips (he’s the voice asking the good questions.)

Adriano Espaillat:

Charles Rangel:

Michael Walrond:

Continue reading Heating Up In Harlem’s 13th CD (Updated x 3)

de Blasio In de Bronx (Updated)



Bill de Blasio visited the true forgotten borough of New York City politics today, holding a noisy and crowded news conference under the el at Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.

Charlie-whistle:

The press conference started with an assist from Rep. Charles Rangel, who appears to have some experience in front of a noisy crowd.

Update – Full Press Conference:

Here is the complete press conference, rumbling trains and all.