Spin Cycle

New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel has earned a dubious award -- courtesy of the non-profit government watchdog group, Citizens Against Government Waste.

The group gave Rangel the not-so-flattering "Narcissist Award" for his $1.95 million earmark to build an education complex at the City College of New York. Rangel's award was one of 14 "Oinkers," as part of the 2008 Pig Book - the group's annual listing of congressional earmarks.

The $1.95 million earmark will go toward the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service -- which will include a library of documents, archives and memorabilia from Rangel's life, a conference center and offices for Rangel and the college's visiting scholars. The complex is expected to cost $30 million, and the City College says it has already raised $10.7 million of that.

But the idea for the Center didn't originate with the Rangel, as the Citizens' "Narcissist Award" might suggest. A collaboration among the President's Office, Social Science and other City College departments developed the concept before even approaching Rangel about the project, said Ellis Simon, the college's director of public relations.

"We very much wanted him to be a part of this center, not only for his work and service in New York but the whole country," Simon said this afternoon.

But Rangel's earmark hasn't been without controversy before today. The pet-project came under fire last fall from fellow congressmen, including Rep. John Campbell (R - Calif.) who condemned giving money to what he called Rangel's "Monument to Me."

The City University of New York's Board of Trustees last month formally declared the complex would be named for the congressman who secured for the federal dollars.

Rangel issued a press release last July, after the House approved a bill containing the earmark, saying he was "honored" to have his name on the project.

"No matter how one feels about the role of government, it is clear that the future of our democracy lies in having the most talented people across all classes and racial groups to participate in public life," Rangel said in the press release.

Other recipients of the Citizens' 2008 Oinkers appear after the jump.

Kristen Daum

In Albany tonight, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem), a supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton, issued a passionate call for Democratic Party unity, saying "the people’s will is what’s going to prevail at the convention and not people who decide what the people’s will is."

Speaking at the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators' annual conference, Rangel said the party’s superdelegates shouldn’t decide whether Clinton or Barack Obama’s name will appear on the November ballot for president. Rangel also warned against party bickering, which could hand the White House to Republican John McCain.

"That’s going to be our job to make certain that this great opportunity is not taken away from us because of differences," the congressman told more than 1,000 people packed into the Albany convention center. "Not to allow them [Republicans] to snatch this away from us."

Rangel didn’t mention Clinton or Obama by name but made his opposition to superdelegates clear. "It’s the people [who are] going to govern who selects our next candidate and not superdelegates."

Speaking to reporters later, Rangel said it wasn’t clear which candidate would get a majority of the superdelegate votes so "it’s time that they get their act together now." He suggested a meeting of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton and Obama. "We should make certain that they [the candidates] don’t hurt each other and decide how they are going to resolve it," Rangel added.

Earlier, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Clinton superdelegate, downplayed the delegates’ role, saying the nomination likely would be decided in future primaries. "The likelihood is there will be a nominee," he told reporters after speaking to the conference.

James T. Madore

A powerful Democratic congressman yesterday offered his two cents on who he would like to see run for president — on the Republican side.
U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, of Manhattan, incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, chimed in at a news conference when Mayor Michael Bloomberg was asked about the interest of his predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, in a White House bid.
“I’m supporting Giuliani,” Rangel said, drawing laughs from the audience at an event on the Lower East Side announcing a new $150 million anti-poverty initiative.
Bloomberg, for his part, said he had not discussed the race with Giuliani but would urge anyone interested in running to go for it. Citing the current possible hopefuls: Republicans Gov. George Pataki and Giuliani and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York), he pointedly ignored a reporter’s suggestion that he himself would round out the list.
He said he wished the “three potential candidates” well.

Emi Endo