Rangel Walks Out on Ethics Hearing

I'm not watching.  Has he pulled the race card yet?

Embattled Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel startled the House subcommittee weighing ethics charges against him Monday by announcing that he was "excusing myself from these proceedings" - and walking out.


"I respectfully remove myself from these hearings," the 80-year-old Rangel said with a dramatic flourish before departing.

Despite having had months to prepare for the hearing, Rangel showed up without a lawyer and claimed he was too broke to hire one.

"I don't think it's fair," Rangel said, claiming he had already spent $2 million on lawyers and needed time to raise another $1 million to retain new counsel for the hearing.