Chairman Charlies' fine portrait

Washington Post:

He's been chairman for only eight months, but already Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is more than daydreaming about what his official Ways and Means Committee portrait will look like. He knows one thing: It'll be top of the line.

In perhaps the most thorough and earnest letter ever written on the subject of a member of Congress's portrait, Rangel's campaign attorney sent a letter to the Federal Election Commission asking permission to use either campaign or leadership political action committee money to pay for the chairman's grand portrait.

The lawyer, Phu Huynh, wrote, "The cost of commissioning the portrait of Representative Rangel is estimated by the artist to be $64,500, including the cost of a custom frame. . . . Portrait artists determine fees based largely upon reputation, but the size of the subject and detail required also factor heavily in the pricing."

And lest anyone have concerns, no nepotism rules will be violated in the painting of his portrait. "The artist receiving the commission payment is not a member of Representative Rangel's family," Huynh wrote.

So serious is Rangel about his portrait that he consulted an "art broker for eight museum-quality portrait artists" who advised that the cost is "consistent with other top portrait artists." Although the broker's Web site lists a base range of $30,000 to $50,000, "the estimated cost of $64,500 for Representative Rangel's portrait reflects a three-quarter body length size, important details and a custom frame," the letter said.

...

His lawyer left out a couple of other good reasons to go for this portrait deal. First it reduces the money that Rangel could otherwise donate to Democrat candidates which is good for the country since electing Democrats is almost always bad for the country. Second, the time spent setting for the portrait means he will not be running the committee that is spending our tax money so there will be less chance of mischief. Go for it Charlie.