Molly Ivins on Election 2004

WorkingForChange-And they're off!

In the category of most ludicrous attack, we have an outcry (well, sort of an outcry) over the horrible news that John Kerry takes money from special interest lobbyists. Lawsy, I swan, I had to sit down and fan myself when I heard it. Corporate special interest money in politics! What next? In fact, Kerry has compiled an enviable record by Democratic standards in this field. He's Number One in special interest money, reflecting nothing other than Washington's early conventional wisdom on the subject.

Happily for politics as usual, Kerry has surged to the fore and is now undergoing the pluperfectly idiotic political experience of being called the candidate of special interests by Republicans! Oh, this is so rich, how can you not rejoice? President Bush has only raised 28 times as much money from corporate special interests as John Kerry, and four times as much directly from lobbyists. But that didn't stop the Bush campaign from sending out an email video to 6 million supporters accusing Kerry of being the candidate of the special interests!

In another lovely development, it turns out Al Sharpton's campaign is being "financed, staffed and orchestrated" by Roger Stone, long-time Republican dirty trickster. According to Wayne Barrett in The Village Voice, Stone helped raise money in several states from his own relatives and political pals so Sharpton could qualify for federal matching funds, which is an infuriating waste of taxpayer's money and a perfect example of why public campaign financing laws need to be written carefully. Sharpton on his own doesn't have a broad enough appeal to qualify for federal funds.

Stone has a long history of political skullduggery, including heading the Republican street forces in Miami after the 2000 election that started the "riot" at the Dade County Courthouse. And Sharpton has a long history of playing footsie with Republicans, including his role in the 2001 New York City mayoral race.