To be fair to the Politico story, that article is also occupied with a couple national and Beltway-oriented storylines: the likelihood that Republicans across the country will use Rangel as an example of Democratic corruption, for one, and the sense that the timing of ethics committee proceedings are manipulated for political advantage, for another. Given that focus, it’s not surprising that reporter John Bresnahan relies more on the words and deeds of D.C.-based strategists, staffers, and lawmakers than of NYC pols. And again, it’s possible that Rangel really is facing the end of his career. It’s more likely, though, that emphasizing the ethics report rather than Rangel’s local support creates an exaggerated sense of his political peril—and a distorted view of the factors that will shape the race.

Greg Marx is a CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @gregamarx.