Rangel (Creative Commons)

The U.S. House voted 333-79 on Thursday to censure Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for a violating several ethics rules, leaving an official demerit on the record of a politician who's career has taken an embarassing tumble downward during the past two years.

A censure--a public shaming of an elected representative on the House floor--is the highest punishment the House can impose on one of its members other than kicking him or her out completely. This is the 23rd censure in House history. An amendment to reduce his punishment to a simple reprimand, akin to just a slap on the wrist, failed.

Rangel, who's been in the House for 40 years, took 10 minutes before the vote to ask in a rambling address why he should be censured if he wasn't found to have done anything self-enriching or acted improperly with a will to evade the responsibilities of his office.

"No one in the history of this great country has suffered a censure when the record is abundantly clear that in those investigations which I called for the committee found no evidence at all of corruption," he said.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and several other representatives, including New York Republican Peter King, spoke out on behalf of Rangel saying censure was too harsh of a punishment.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) officially requested Rangel's punishment be amended downward to a reprimand, but the motion failed 146-267.

Though Rangel was not found to have engaged in corrupt activities, he failed to follow procedures about reporting his fundraising activities and his own personal finances.

The House ethics committee found him guilty on 11 charges last month after a few dramatic hearings.

Reach executive producer Paresh Dave here. Follow him on Twitter: @peard33.