Rep. Charlie Rangel is suing the speaker of the House and a few other colleagues to have his 2010 censure overturned.
Bad idea. A Democratic-run House voted 333-79 to rebuke him for a slew of violations first revealed by The Post — and that will never change.
Rangel probably isn’t doing himself any favors by dusting off his shameful record, but he is doing New Yorkers some good.
After all, there are scores of scummy pols in the news today — alleged crooks like Malcolm Smith and known schnooks like Anthony Weiner — but Rangel is reminding folks that their elder statesman has been wallowing in the muck for decades.
Charlie, the dean of New York’s congressional delegation, was caught hiding a Caribbean property from the taxman, snaring four rent-controlled apartments in violation of the rules and behaving in numerous other ways that would ruin the reputations of normal citizens, let alone a chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
President Obama himself called on Rangel to end his career in 2010.
Charlie refused.
No wonder folks think so little of politicians. No wonder a third of New Yorkers say their representatives are corrupt, as a Siena poll reports this week. Pols like Rangel and Weiner don’t get caught and then, shamed, simply disappear. No, they immediately plot their comeback instead. And far too many succeed.
It’s a shame. Because their continued presence contributes to an unhealthy — if understandable — cynicism among voters regarding politics and government.
Rangel & Co. should give folks a break. Their original sins were bad enough. Sticking around just makes it worse.