Tangled up in red, white, and blue.

"Trump supporters displayed a giant flag as the 2 groups jostled for position. Some of the pro-impeachment group got tangled up with that flag and the people holding it. And one woman wound up on the ground. There were no punches thrown, and cooler heads soon prevailed" — says the voiceover in video at "Pro impeachment rally in La Crosse met with counter rally of Trump supporters" (WXOW, La Crosse).

La Crosse is the home base of Ron Kind, who, according to yesterday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is the only Wisconsin congressman who had not yet declared how he would vote on impeachment.

Kind is a centrist Democrat who represents a western Wisconsin district narrowly carried by Trump in 2016. Of the 31 Democrats across the country who hold seats carried by Trump, almost all have nevertheless announced plans to support impeachment. Kind is the last of these Democrats to announce how he will vote, according to some tallies kept by national media outlets....

ADDED: From Kind's Wikipedia page:

[In 2009, Kind] refused to join in the effort... to have Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) step down amid an ethics probe involving Rangel's taxes. “We're all ultimately human and none of us are perfect and we're all prone to mistakes from time to time,” Kind had explained. “If that becomes that new standard - that any mistake is subject to dismissal or losing their position - then that's going to be a very tough standard for each and every member to have to live up to."

There's a good sentiment to contemplate today... as the House rushes to impeach Trump for saying something in a phone call that was arguably imperfect.

"Tuesday night was bad for Democrats, good for the GOP establishment and great for incumbents of both parties."

A quick summary of what just happened. 

ADDED: "There is something a bit strange, there is something a bit unusual about a Republican primary that’s decided by liberal Democrats." 

Who said "Whatever I have or don’t have, you did not help me build it"?

Sounds right-wing — doesn't it? — like a direct affront to Elizabeth "you didn't build that" Warren. (Hey, I like that "You Didn't Build That" has its own Wikipedia page. I have a "you didn't build that" tag.)

But the speaker of the quote in this post title is — did you guess? — Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton was telling off Charles Rangel. Rangel, 84, is running for reelection to the congressional seat he's held since 1970 and has a couple challengers in the primary. Criticizing  Rangel's generation, the Harlem "Gang of Four" and the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, Sharpton said:

“Part of the problem is that they didn’t groom their replacements.... When you don’t groom your replacements, and you operate like you’re going to live forever, then people in the next generation, that you did not invest in, start taking steps themselves. That’s where I think a Michael Walrond and an Adriano Espaillat come from.”

Walrond and Espaillat are the 2 challengers. Espaillat, like Sharpton himself, is 59. Walrond is 42.

“Whatever I have or don’t have, you did not help me build it,” [Sharpton] said, referring to Mr. Rangel’s colleagues. “So what you can’t do is come to me and say I owe you. I built my reputation, influence, whatever you want to call it, because I fought civil rights issues and people responded. None of them put me in position. It’s just that simple.”

The Tea Party "is the same group we faced in the South with those white crackers and the dogs and the police."

"They didn’t care about how they looked. It was just fierce indifference to human life that caused America to say enough is enough. 'I don’t want to see it and I am not a part of it.' What the hell! If you have to bomb little kids and send dogs out against human beings, give me a break."

Said Charles Rangel (according to The Daily Beast).

"I know in my heart I am not going to be judged by this Congress. I’ll be judged by my life in its entirety."

Said Charles Rangel... after the House voted 333-79 to censure him.

"'I don’t know how much longer I have to live,' said Mr. Rangel, 80, his eyes watery and his voice quivering."

The octogenarian faces censure.

"Rangel Convicted of 12 Ethics Violations."

"The convictions cast a cloud over the half-century political career of Mr. Rangel, an 80-year-old Democrat who was recently reelected to a 21st term representing Harlem and who was the longtime head of the House Ways and Means Committee."

The consequence of this conviction will be "a letter of reprimand or formal censure," not expulsion.

"I object to the proceeding," said Charles Rangel as an 8-member House panel began his trial on corruption charges.

"With all due respect, since I don't have counsel to advise me, I'm going to have to excuse myself from these proceedings."

UPDATE: The hearing goes on without Rangel's presence.

Rangel steps aside...

... temporarily.

"Make certain [Obama] doesn't run around East Harlem unidentified."

Charles Rangel jokes about the NYC cop shooting.

""You... can be a millionaire... and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire... and never pay taxes!"

"You say... 'Steve.. how can I be a millionaire... and never pay taxes?' First... get a million dollars. Now... you say, 'Steve... what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, "You... have never paid taxes"?' Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: 'I forgot!' How many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because we don't say 'I forgot'? Let's say you're on trial for armed robbery. You say to the judge, 'I forgot armed robbery was illegal.' Let's suppose he says back to you, 'You have committed a foul crime. You have stolen hundreds and thousands of dollars from people at random, and you say, "I forgot"?' Two simple words: 'Excuuuuuse me!!'"

Just an old Steve Martin routine that I'll never forget and that sprang to mind once again just now... when I read this story about how Charles Rangel is getting off the hook for his tax problems.

ADDED: Glenn Reynolds says:

[I]f I were the GOP I'd put together an ad featuring Biden's credit-card connections, Dodd's sweetheart mortgage scandal, and Rangel's ongoing problems and run it all over. I can't believe they won't do something like that, since it's a gimme, and I'm surprised that the Dems couldn't get him out of the picture.