First, he backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary (and paid for it by being denied a speaking role at the Democratic convention.) Then the NYT did an investigative report on his four rent-stabilized apartments. Then it was discovered that Rangel had failed to pay taxes on $75,000 of rental income from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic. That led to a meeting with House Democratic leaders who pressured him to step down as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. And now Rangel's gone and called Sarah Palin "disabled," which has the flying monkeys all worked up. If Rangel had banked some good will with Obama by, say, endorsing him, I could see the Democrats rallying to his defense. But, since he didn't, I think things are going to get worse before they better for him.
--Jason Zengerle