House Censures Charles Rangel

After all that, it was a over in a few minutes: The House voted 333-79 to censure Charlie Rangel today for a host of ethics violations, after which he had to stand and listen to Nancy Pelosi read the formal rebuke, reports Politico. It's only the 23rd time the House has invoked its version of tar-and-feathering, and Rangel asked to address his peers afterward, notes the New York Times. "I know in my heart I am not going to be judged by this Congress,” he said. “I’ll be judged by my life in its entirety."

Earlier, Rangel acknowledged he made "serious mistakes" and apologized. "I brought it on myself but I still believe that this body has to be guided by fairness." Ethics panel member Zoe Lofgren, a fellow Democrat, was unswayed in his bid for a lesser punishment. “Nothing we say or do here today will any way diminish his service to our country, or are gratitude for his service in this House or as a hero of the Korean War,” she said. "That service does not excuse the fact that Rep. Rangel violated laws ... and he violated the standards of conduct." (More Charles Rangel stories.)