Transcript:
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: He has been through this 20 times before, but this time, this campaign, is unlike any other for Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York. It comes as he defiantly faces charges by the House Ethics Committee, along with challengers and changes in his own home district.
That's where Rangel gave CNN special correspondent Soledad O'Brien exclusive access as he campaigned and celebrated a milestone. This is the first report in Soledad's new "IN AMERICA" series, "See How They Run."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On his 80th birthday Representative Charles Rangel didn't look like a man facing 13 charges of ethics violations.
(on camera): You did not look like a guy who was facing ethics charges.
REP. CHARLIE RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I'm the best 30-second dancer you…
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Oh, that's what the secret is?
RANGEL: The secret is…
O'BRIEN: Keep it to 30 seconds.
RANGEL: … you've got to know when to start and know when to stop.
How are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): To Charlie Rangel, everyone calls him Charlie…
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is the greatest.
O'BRIEN: … now is not the time to stop.
(on camera): With the investigation, is it going to hurt your chances of re-election?
RANGEL: No.
O'BRIEN: not at all?
RANGEL: No, no, no, no.
O'BRIEN: Why not?
RANGEL: Why would any intelligent person scream for an investigation if he thought it was going to embarrass his family and community or the Congress or the country?
O'BRIEN (voice-over): While Rangel may be causing headaches on Capitol Hill, the lion of Lenox Avenue still roars defiantly in Harlem, where we had exclusive access to Rangel for three days as he campaigned for re-election while staring down an ethics investigation.
(on camera): Do you think it's going to impact the election?
RANGEL: Yes.
O'BRIEN: It is, how?
RANGEL: I'm going to get a larger turnout and heavier vote.
O'BRIEN: Really.
RANGEL: This is great, yes.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): What became clear is that his re-election may depend less on the ethics allegations than on whether he has kept pace with Harlem's changing demographics. The capital of black America is now majority Latino.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the legacy of the congressman is really how he has embraced, how he has represented all of those diverse groups. He has been there fighting on their behalf as immigrants, as Latinos, as African-Americans, as Asians.
O'BRIEN: The 15th Congressional District also has rising numbers of gay white men like Cator Sparks, who is a block association president.
CATOR SPARKS, WEST 122ND ST. BLOCK ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: People just want people in office who are going to get things done. And, you know, we've looked over a lot of different politicians' problems in the past when they've done pretty horrible things. And I don't think Charlie Rangel has done such horrible things considering his whole entire record.
O'BRIEN: The avenue nearby is named for Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who Rangel defeated 40 years ago. Powell also faced ethics charges. Now Powell's son is running against Rangel in the Democratic primary.
ADAM CLAYTON POWELL IV (D), NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: The fact that he could do himself a great service to his constituents of the 15th Congressional District, a great service, and to this nation a great service by stepping down, by allowing us to turn the page and move forward, because otherwise he's going to be labeled as a crook.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These allegations are very troubling.
O'BRIEN: President Obama has said he hopes Rangel's long career ends with dignity.
(on camera): There are people who read his remarks on CBS as saying time for you to go.
RANGEL: Let me tell you, the president is a politician like everybody else. He obviously didn't mean what people thought he meant. There is no one probably except Nancy Pelosi that he calls more to thank you for what you've done. He would have to know that people in my district know the role that I played with him.
And I may not be the best congressman in the world, but there's no one better than me running.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Rangel says his constituents will see the charges as politically motivated.
(on camera): Why do you have so much support?
RANGEL: Because they see themselves…
O'BRIEN: What do you mean?
RANGEL: … in the unfairness of this whole thing. Seldom in America do you find someone screaming before hearing or a trial not getting it by the press or by even your colleagues. It's a very, very unusual situation.
O'BRIEN: So when you say…
RANGEL: Except African-Americans have felt this before.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): He refuses to contemplate a deal and demands an open congressional hearing.
(on camera): Is it racially motivated? You, Maxine Waters, is it at its core or is in some ways is race…
RANGEL: I think that the numbers look odd in terms of the number of African-Americans that have been brought before the Ethics Committee.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Rangel says his constituents know all about fighting back.
RANGEL: I'm not going anywhere. You can depend on that.
O'BRIEN: Unless the voters or the House Ethics Committee decide otherwise.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Walking down the street, Wolf, we were constantly interrupted, people rushing over to say, we support you, don't let them get you down.
And here's one reason he has been so successful. Rangel's district is the smallest geographically in the nation, all vertical, it's all high-rises.
And Rangel says in spite of the changing demographics, Harlem remains black in culture and in spirit. And he'll tell you he has been working hard to embrace the Latinos and the white newcomers who share his politics -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Soledad O'Brien, thanks very much, the first in a series that's going to be airing right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Appreciate it very, very much.
O'BRIEN: You bet.
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