Boodling buddies

Maybe they can negotiate a bulk-rate joint discount on legal services.

Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel, currently fighting for his political life, picked up a dubious endorsement from someone even more ethically challenged — if that’s even possible.

City Comptroller John Liu threw his backing, such as it is, behind the 22-term Harlem Democrat, whom he hailed as both “a mentor” and “role model.”

Well, for Liu that’s no doubt true.

But for upstanding citizens with aspirations for an honorable career in public service, maybe not so much.

Certainly, neither Rangel nor Liu seems to have a clue why a lot of people consider both of them unfit for public office.

Just the other day, in fact, Rangel dismissed his humiliating public censure by his colleagues in the House of Representatives for ethics violations as grounds for opposing his re-election.

“I don’t think it’s a legitimate reason for not returning me to the House,” he deadpanned — insisting that he was guilty of nothing.

Which suggests that either Charlie is whistling past the political graveyard or he really doesn’t understand just how serious a rebuke censure is.

Then again, considering how so many of those same colleagues have been falling all over Rangel with praise and endorsements ever since, maybe he’s got a point.

As for Liu, he clearly is hoping that a re-elected Rangel will set a precedent as the 2013 mayoral election approaches.

Liu, after all, remains under active criminal investigation regarding suspicious fund-raising for his campaign — a probe that has already netted indictments of his former treasurer.

Rangel says he’s been targeted by enemies of President Obama.

Liu has suggested he’s being targeted because he’s an Asian-American.

Both see themselves as victims, in other words.

Neither deserves to hold public office.

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