Interesting. Al and Jesse really ought to go into business together. Those two have been exploiting folks for decades.
All of John Kerry's one-time rivals in the Democratic presidential primary eventually lined up to support him as the nominee, but only one got paid for it — Al Sharpton.
The Democratic National Committee paid Sharpton $86,715 in travel and consulting fees to compensate for his campaigning for Kerry and other Democratic candidates, according to reports to the Federal Election Commission.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sharpton said he was paid for travel and he didn't know how much he had been reimbursed.
"They asked me to travel to 20 or 30 cities to campaign, and I did that," Sharpton said. "What am I supposed to do, donate the cost of air fare?"
But records show that while most of the money was to reimburse travel expenses, Sharpton was paid $35,000 as a "political consulting fee" 15 days after the election. The consulting fee was first reported in this week's edition of the Village Voice.
Democratic National Committee spokesman Jano Cabrera said the party paid Sharpton at the request of the Kerry campaign.
Just what did the Kerry campaign get for that $86 grand? Was he worth it? Did he bring out any vote for Kerry that the Democratic candidate wasn't going to get anyway?
And if I'm a DNC donor, am I really impressed with the way they and the Kerry campaign are using the money I gave them?
Also, shouldn't some of that Kerry money be going to Johnnie Cochrane for covering Sharpton's damages to Steven Pagones?
Will mentioned Sharpton’s participation in the Tawana Brawley hoax. As part of that hoax, of course, Sharpton accused an innocent man named Steven Pagones of raping Brawley (who was not raped by anyone, as we soon knew). Pagones sued Sharpton for defamation, and, after an excruciating ten years or so, he won. Sharpton was ordered to pay damages — but he refused to do so, citing poverty (despite his fancy lifestyle). In time, rich supporters like Johnnie Cochrane covered the bill, to free the Rev of the embarrassment and the obligation. But Sharpton has always steadfastly refused to apologize to Pagones.
Further detail: In January 2001 after Pagones had collected only $15,000 from Sharpton's garnished salary, a group of wealthy African Americans stepped in to pay.