Censure, schemensure

FOR some reason, the brouhaha over Rep. Charles B. Rangel’s ethical issues never interested me. Sure, it’s a shame. But the distinguished gentleman from New York brought it on himself.

Angling for leniency, Rangel pleaded for a “reprimand.” But this afternoon the House meted out harsher punishment, voting 333-79 to “censure” him for ethics violations, per the New York Times. “The vote makes Mr. Rangel, a Democrat, just the 23rd member of the House to be censured, and the first in nearly three decades,” the paper reported. Thus, Rangel has been duly “humbled.”

A Talking Points Memo blog reader asked, what’s the difference between reprimand and censure? TPM replied:

“Reprimand is harsh looks. Censure is harsh looks with finger wagging.”

Exactly.