In the end, Congressman Charles Rangel had had enough of Hillary Clinton playing the spoiled brat and refusing to come out and endorse Barack Obama like every sane self-respecting Democrat was doing.
Clinton's pathological, narcissistic orneriness was starting to reflect badly on the Dean of Harlem, and it was only his chutzpah and slick wit that was keeping him from looking like a weak captive of the very woman whose political career he helped launch.
But looking much worse than Charlie Rangel, not just these past couple of days, but for the past several months, have been Yvette Clarke, Ed Towns and Gregory Meeks, who have stuck faithfully with Hillary Clinton through all the low-blow attacks on Obama, so much of it racially tinged, and have stuck with her despite the fact that their districts went decisively for Obama in the Feb. 5th New York State primary.
Rangel cited concern for their political well-being when he spoke to Hillary Clinton on Thursday and said they "could face viable primary challenges from pro-Obama candidates if they didn't move quickly to get behind the presumptive nominee," according to Politico.com.
Will they survive politically, those three Congressmembers, Clarke, Towns and Meeks? Probably they will, politicians having survival traits of certain enduring insects that we will not repeat here out of respect.
But as they stood with Charlie Rangel in Washington -- released finally and belatedly by their sulking leader HRC -- and announced they would support Barack Obama, the gathering of Democratic Congressmembers from New York yesterday looked sullen, even dejected.
Rangel himself has hinted at what perhaps might underlie such feelings. He has said recently that he never anticipated the strength that Barack Obama would show in the race for the Democratic nomination. We have sensed in that confession an implication that perhaps Rangel might have tilted in the direction of the Illinois Senator, had things been a little different, though we know the ties between Rangel and the Clintons are old and strong.
There must have been yesterday, especially among the African-American Congressmembers, a sense of loss, of an opportunity missed these past months, as they watched Obama march into history, as he ducked and withstood race-laced bullets fired by Geraldine Ferraro, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton herself.
Rangel can take heart in knowing that he stepped out and called HRC "dumb" when she was dumb; and of course he was the one who told her in the end that it was time to quit.
But there is still concern among many that the blood that's been shed in this campaign, while it clearly made Obama stronger, also weakened his chances of victory in November.
And in that there can be little comfort.
[Photo: By AP. Charles Rangel at microphone in Washington, announcing support of Obama as other New York Congressmembers stand with him.]
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