Charlie Rangel Running for Re-Election in 2012

Charlie Rangel, the shamed 80-year-old representative of New York's 15th congressional district, and once the chairman of the House's Ways and Means Committee, has filed the necessary paperwork to run again in 2012 for what would be his 22nd term in Congress. Though the deadline for filing with the Federal Elections Commission is more than a year away, Rangel is already prepared to redeem himself after being convicted of 11 ethics violations late last year. As a result, the House voted 333-79 to "censure" Rangel (not just "reprimand" him), "making him the first congressman in 27 years to endure the humiliating rebuke by his colleagues." Whether he can win or not, maybe the Harlem pol still needs the spotlight to pay his lawyers by soliciting donations. [NYP]