Kevin McCarthy, who up until a few hours ago had been the clear frontrunner, has pulled out of the race to replace the retiring John Boehner as Speaker of the House. And now, Congress has descended into hell’s most tearful, mind-numbing pit of fiery chaos. [Updated]

Pretty much no one in Congress wants to be buddy-buddy with Rep. Anthony Weiner anymore, either because his peen pic grossed them out or they're worried that his colossal stupidity might be contagious. And while most once-friendly Democratic congressmen from neighboring districts in New York are trying especially hard to avoid him, old Rep. Charlie Rangel from Harlem is offering rare support for the congressman. It's better than nothing?

Crooked old Charlie Rangel was censured by his colleagues yesterday, which is pretty embarrassing and whatnot. But say Rangel steps down. Who will replace him? The Daily News hears "speculation" that equally-crooked Governor David Paterson could take over. Great idea!

The House of Representatives voted 332 to 79 to censure Rep. Charlie Rangel on Thursday for violations of the body's ethics laws. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi read the censure on the floor of the House immediately following the vote.

The House has passed middle-class-only tax cut extensions, 234-188. Now they're censuring Charlie Rangel!

Rep. Charlie Rangel narrowly avoided a reality TV-esque fiasco by walking out of his ethics trial, because the ethically-sound Donald Trump was set to testify against him, along with another upstanding citizen, AIG chief Hank Greenberg. Too bad! [Metropolis]

After Rep. Charlie Rangel was recommended for formal censure yesterday, he glumly headed down the hall, chastened, alone, and talking to no one. Who would cheer him up? House Tea Party Caucus founder Rep. Michele Bachmann, strangely enough!

The House panel that found Rep. Charlie Rangel guilty on 11 of 13 ethics charges is deliberating which symbolic punishment to give him. Will he receive a "censure," the ultimate strongly-worded letter? We'll see. Rangel, meanwhile, is whining as usual.

Today at Gawker.TV, Leah Remini goes on a boob-grabbing spree on The Talk, Jon Stewart rips Charlie Rangel, Jay-Z's awkward Late Show interview, and Jimmy Fallon and Bruce Springsteen perform Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair."

On last night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart addressed the ethics violations being leveled at New York State Congressman Charlie Rangel. Using Rangel's ridiculous justifications as a jumping off point, Stewart ripped him and his lack of accountability to shreds.

Rep. Charlie Rangel has been found guilty of 11 out of 13 ethics charges in his congressional trial.

Relentlessly bitchy Rep. Charlie Rangel's House ethics trial began in Congress today! And shortly thereafter, Rangel walked out. He didn't have a lawyer and blames this on the ethics committee, somehow. Maybe they could've worked this out beforehand? Video below.

Not-ethical congressman Charlie Rangel's birthday bash last night must've been really fun... for him. The other Democratic politicians there, though, were probably anxious about upcoming attack ads. Below: video of Rangel dancing, alongside the GOP's inevitable first attack ad.

An ex-New York mayor flipped off a protester today at Charlie Rangel's birthday party. Alas, it wasn't Giuliani. It was David Dinkins. Remember him?

The House was back, briefly, from its month-long vacation today for a quickie vote on a $26 billion jobs bill. It passed! But then Rep. Charlie Rangel made members stick around for another half-hour, to yell about his innocence.

Rep. Charlie Rangel's ethics trial is officially old news, now. Why? Because we might just be getting a second House Democrat's ethics trial soon, for longtime congresswoman Maxine Waters. Why can't these busybody ethics investigators just play it cool?

The subcommittee investigating Rep. Charlie Rangel has recommended giving him a "reprimand"—a firm slap on the wrist, essentially—for his numerous terrible ethics violations, as opposed to the harsher "censure" or "expulsion." So anticlimactic! [Image: Getty]

So Rep. Charlie Rangel was unable to finalize any sort of settlement today before the House ethics committee revealed and read the violations (13!) against him, publicly. Does this mean the window has closed, and a trial's inevitable?

Today may be the day a House ethics panel announced its charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel for alleged ethics violations, but that didn't stop him from sending out invitations this week to a "birthday gala" for his other special day.

WCBS reports that Rep. Charlie Rangel will cut a deal to avoid the embarrassing ethics trial that's scheduled to proceed within hours. It would involve acknowledging his fuck-uppery, but no resignation. But we'll see! Remember, he's extremely stubborn. [Photo: Getty]