Rep. Charles Rangel To Bill O’Reilly On Ethics Violations: “Hell No I Didn’t Say That”

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by Glenn Davis | 8:58 am, December 10th, 2010

» 16 comments

Less than a month after being convicted on 11 counts of ethical violations by a House panel, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) sat down for a chat with Bill O’Reilly on the Factor tonight. If you thought O’Reilly would push Rangel more than Rangel believed was fair, and ultimately neither would really get anywhere…well, yeah, that’s about how it went.

O’Reilly asked Rangel about his relationship with President Barack Obama, and asked whether Rangel was hurt by Obama saying in July that the accusations against Rangel were “very troubling.” Rangel responded that it’s tough for him to get personally hurt over what a politician says about him. Fair enough, but when talk turned to the ethics violations themselves, Rangel didn’t think O’Reilly was giving him a fair shot to answer questions, and O’Reilly didn’t seem to think Rangel was doing enough to answer those questions. This did lead to some entertaining exchanges:

O’Reilly: So you think that the majority of your constituents felt you didn’t do anything wrong, so they voted for you.

Rangel: Hell no, I didn’t say that, Bill, and I’m surprised, really, that you’re taking this approach.

…but it didn’t make the overall conversation any more enlightening. O’Reilly and Rangel wee on two different wavelengths, with Rangel imploring O’Reilly to understand that “there was no evidence of intent to deceive anybody,” while O’Reilly told Rangel, “I think you’re diminishing the seriousness of this situation.” And when O’Reilly shifted topics to Obama’s tax compromise and asked Rangel if he felt Obama would get the deal he’s looking for, Rangel wouldn’t make a prediction.

O’Reilly told Rangel he’d have him back on the program again – let’s hope that if and when he does, the next one of these interviews will have more concrete answers and less trying to talk over one another. Video of the clip, via Fox News, below.

Bill O'Reilly, President Barack Obama, Rep. Charles Rangel, The O'Reilly Factor

Big Eddie

Were you expecting straight answers , Bill ?
BatBoy

Charlie Rangle is another reason New York sucks….New Yorkers votes him in again and again.
skyfet

Billo is the last person to talk to about ethics. Remember his trouble with the staff that reported sexual assort? Fox had to pay her off.
justanotherconservative

rangel is a cartoon character and a disgrace. o’reilly let him off the hook.
Seeing 2012 From My Window

When I was watching this segment, I kept thinking, “I can’t wait for the body language segment dissecting this”.
Just4thefax

Fact: Rangel looks right at the camera and lies as good as Barney, Maxine and Shiella. Very urban bunch acting urbanly!
SteveMG

if and when he does, the next one of these interviews will have more concrete answers and less trying to talk over one another.

So, this was the first time you ever watched O’Reilly?

If you’re taking bets, I want a piece of this.

O’Reilly can be very good in these interviews but he’s terrible at getting “hostile” guests to simmer down. He has to elevate things and really can’t calm things down.
timzank

It was a funny interview really, O’Reilly had to softball it or else he be called a racist. Everybody knows you don’t ask black people tough questions. That would be raaaaacist.
skyfet

Just4thefax said:
Fact: Rangel looks right at the camera and lies as good as Barney, Maxine and Shiella. Very urban bunch acting urbanly!

The Urban that fought for his country which you would never do. I don’t know what his urban background had to do with his behaviour. You just linked everyone up just like that. What a Joke, a nasty one.
skyfet

timzank said:
It was a funny interview really, O’Reilly had to softball it or else he be called a racist. Everybody knows you don’t ask black people tough questions. That would be raaaaacist.

Playing the race card again. One of the most despicable amongst the people are the race baiter, you sir sound like one.
SteveMG

“The Urban that fought for his country which you would never do”

Well, Strom Thurmond fought heroically for this country too (he landed behind German lines on D-day). But that didn’t give him a pass for his, let us call it, behavior.

No, no, I’m not comparing Rangel to Thurmond but the veteran card can’t excuse all behavior.

I thank Rangel for his sacrifice. As I would for Thurmond. Truly. But my thanks has its limits.
felixw

I am no fan of Charlie Rangel, but he handled this interview as well as possible. And Bill O’Reilly definitely over-reached, trying to attribute comments to Rangel that he just didn’t make. That said, a guy who makes tax laws for the rest of us while not paying his own taxes should be thrown out of office.
Nahu Tuk

Ol’ Charlie is the best I’ve ever seen at evading the question.
Nahu Tuk

skyfet said:
Playing the race card again. One of the most despicable amongst the people are the race baiter, you sir sound like one.

I think Rangel is the third best race baiter I’ve seen. He’s only outdone by Sharpton and Jackson.
Nahu Tuk

skyfet said:
behaviour.

Canadian or Brit or Aussie?
http://none pyrope

Nahu Tuk said:
Canadian or Brit or Aussie?

Good catch.