Rep. Charlie Rangel’s campaign has produced a Web video that features highlights of prominent Democrats praising him at his birthday fundraiser last year that seems to serve a dual purpose:

1) Remind the establishment and the media of a time when the Harlem congressman was in his prime and counted among his supporters the cream of New York’s Democratic crop (the video starts out with a tribute from former President Clinton). Keep in mind: The House ethics probe has dragged on for two years, so Rangel was under investigation while everyone featured here was waxing on about how great he was.

2) Provide a with-us-or-against-us benchmark by which the media – and Rangel supporters – can determine who stood with him then and who’s not around now….interesting approach.

(H/T Jimmy Vielkind).

Share|