Rep. Rangel Ends Silence and Endorses...

Venerable Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) was trying to stay out of the Democratic primary for Attorney General in New York. The Democratic primary is a pitched battle between Andrew Cuomo, Mark Green, Charlie King and Sean Patrick Maloney and will be settled on September 12. Mr. King is the only African American in the AG primary.

However, after attacks on Mr. Cuomo by Mark Green, Rep. Rangel decided to endorse Mr. Cuomo a former US Secretary of Housing in the Clinton adminstration. Mr. Cuomo, the son of former NY Governor Mario Cuomo, was on Mr. Rangel bad list just two years ago when Mr. Cuomo decided to run for Governor in the Democratic primary against H. Carl McCall, who was bidding to be the state's first African American governor.

While Mr. McCall won the primary (but lost the general election to Governor Pataki) the race caused some hard feelings in the African American community. Some of those feelings have thawed though and several other African American elected officials stood with Mr. Rangel to show support for Mr. Cuomo.

However, not all big name African American icons are supporting the Cuomo effort, as former Mayor David Dinkins earlier this campaign endorsed Mark Green.