[Washington Post] The birthday boy, turning 84, stood near the back of the room beneath white and gold balloons as friends, allies and supporters lined up for photos. Between photos, he stole swigs of the Corona Light gripped tightly in his left hand as the upbeat sounds of a local Latin band echoed off the dark walls.
The crowded fundraiser this month was a departure from Rep.  Charlie Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Rangel
Congressman-for-Life from Harlem, who became what 20 terms in Congress turns you into ...
's legendary birthday bashes of the past, which often were headlined by the likes of Aretha Franklin
...The Queen of Soul . She denies ever having been in a fistfight with Patti Labelle...
and Dionne Warwick and attended by New York's black political royalty — former New York City mayor David Dinkins
...the former mayor of New York. He sez he lost to Rudy Giuliani in 1993 because of racism, which is pervasive in places like Manhattan...
, the civil rights hustler Al Sharpton
...Tawana Brawley's spiritual advisor...
and singer Harry Belafonte.
This year, many of the speakers were lesser-known Dominican activists and political strategists. The headliner was Dominican entertainer Frederick Martinez, also known as "El Pacha," a popular Spanish-language radio and television host.
Those changes to the guest list tell almost the entire story of the political peril that threatens to end one of the iconic careers in American politics.
Over his 44 years in office, Rangel, "the congressman from Harlem," became one of best-known political figures in American politics and a defining voice in the nation's black politics.
Notice that he's not threatened with losing his seat because he's so old he used to date God's grandmother. Nor is he in danger of losing his seat because of being censured by the House ethics committee, which really takes some doing. 
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