From the way Charlie Rangel celebrated his 80th birthday bash, you would never know he's a man caught up in 13 chargers of ethics violations and about to go on trial just before the November elections. Rangel celebrated in high fashion at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan alongside Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. Patterson, and NY State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo who spent much their speeches defending the corrupt politician. The event was also a fundraiser for Rangel. The New York Daily News captured the gala:
While Rangel's trial will taint Democrats as a whole, he is safe and still well-liked in his home district.