And a lot of those invited to attend Charlie Rangel's birthday gala are going to be no-shows.It looks like Congressman Charlie Rangel’s birthday gala later this week will be a scaled down version from years past. Vanity Fair and the New York Times say, “High-profile guests have either bailed out or are publicly agonizing about whether to show up at all. Those who will pass on the event include Representative Michael McMahon (D-NY), Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and even former president Bill Clinton, despite his starring role in the video invitation to the soiree. New York’s attorney general Andrew Cuomo “had not finalized his schedule,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is scheduled to attend; Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has no comment. Even the entertainment’s canceled. However that was due to an injury.
Aretha Franklin was originally scheduled to perform at the event, which is set for Aug. 11 at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. But she canceled after falling and breaking a couple of ribs last week. Singers Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson are stepping up to headline this week's birthday fundraiser.
