Sharpton Got $86,715 to Aid Kerry Campaign

[Tab]

WASHINGTON - 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.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041208/ap_on_el_pr/sharpton_democrats

[Danmel]

1. OY!

Great- that's really gonna look great.

[farmbo]

41. "Vay?"

This arrangement was and is perfectly legal and above board. I personally saw the Rev at two Kerry events in Ohio where he did a great job in the GOTV effort.

So it's OK for US Taxpayers to fly Condi Rice all over the country for Bush campaign speeches, but the Rev Al should pay out of his own pocket for any Kerry appearances?!

Please do not feed the Beast.

[Danmel]

43. But you know how it will be spun

The truth of the matter is irrelevant and you know that. This will be made to look really bad and no one will question anything * does. The MSM will turn this into some fiasco and they'll all go on and on about Sharpton and make the usual racial insinuations designed to appeal to their base.

I'm not saying I have a problem with it, it's just the spin that I am concerned about.

[quaoar]

2. How much did Diebold get

for aiding the Bush campaign?

[Bono71]

3. Anybody out there that knows: is this part of the norm, or

is this thing sort of frowned upon (or illegal). I don't like it, but maybe this is simply how the game is played.

[papau]

9. nothing illegal about any of it - nor is there evil in any of it.

Folks just wonder "what if" - as in Dean, or others - and then come back to Kerry "bad" so as to ignore the vote fraud, and use the "he lost a winable election" to make them feel better.

[Bono71]

10. Gotcha.

[realFedUp]

67. All the former candidate's travel etc. should have been paid

by the Kerry campaign...I am surprised
to find out otherwise. Hate to think that
Dean made all those stops and travel
working hard for Kerry to find out that
DFA was paying his way. It shouldn't
have been Dean supporters paying for his
campaign stumping for Kerry.

[LisaM]

4. Is this illegal?

If not, so what?

The Village Voice really has it in for Sharpton.

[Bono71]

6. Probably not illegal (but I may be corrected) it smells a little

though. But, as I wrote above, maybe they (high profile pols who campaign on behalf of others) all get paid.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. The Village Voice is WRONG!

It is legal.

....and the Village Voice should STOP harrassing Sharpton! He's a good person!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. The Village Voice has always had a hard on for Sharpton and they were

pretty toxic about Kerry...they also spread a lot of disinfo after 911..and they regularly feature repub ads on their header page online..what a shocker!!!

[burythehatchet]

5. normally I ignore crap like this, but......

lets see...Rev Al lends a much needed VOICE to the progressive and black caucus...he represents the Dem party with style, intelligence, and wit everywhere he goes....he fires up people not of color as well...he has no big holdings in defense contractors, his *ahem* "donor base" is the poorest in the country...and he never made billions in the corporate world. Oh yeah, he got a little reimbursement of expense bone thrown his way by a guy who has a $50,000,000 war chest from our money. Big fucking deal. Give the Rev some more money and use his talent.

[livinbella]

12. When you put it that way I say 'it's all OK'!

He works damn hard for the good of the people.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. At least the Democrats paid their workers.

http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/04294/398767.stm

[bluestateguy]

11. That's unfortunate, but it was necessary

Sharpton could have caused major headaches if he had refused to endorse the nominee (I still remember his holdout in the '92 NY Senate race; it cost Bob Abrams the election). A good turnout of black voters put Kerry over the top in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

[itzamirakul]

13. Isn't Sharpton the only one in the election process who

is not a millionaire?

[Dolphyn]

22. Not if you include Kucinich ...

Kucinich is not a millionaire, LOL

[msgadget]

89. Nope,

and, the only one on the stage who didn't live like one anyway was Kucinich.

[arcos]

15. People gave hell to Howard Dean because he paid Carol Moseley Braun...

let's see what happens in this case...

[jdots]

16. I think he gave a million dollar speech

Al & Jesse know how to preach and make people feel good about being who they are and what they stand for.

[AP]

29. Too true. Whatever he got, he deserved more.

[noamnety]

17. I don't see the problem

They are allowed to pay consultants.
They are allowed to have volunteers.

Some people were consultants.
Some people were volunteers.

I'm missing the controversy, I guess.

[Senator Lamb]

18. Sharpton

was the only non-elected presidential candidate. maybe he didnt have enough cash on him to go around the country and talk.

[Pastiche423]

34. If you mean by "non-elected presidential candiate"

that he was the only candidate that had never served an elected office, you are wrong.

Wesley Clark has never served either.

[SKKY]

19. Someone explain to me why this is news.

[Voltaire99]

20. Heh. Al banked some nice coin for a few weeks' work.

Just goes to show you: even when the party runs a guy who looks, sounds, acts, and smells like a Republican, there's still a little gravy for a real liberal like Sharpton.

Don't spend it all in one place, Al. ;-)

[Isere]

21. Is there some point at which we can rid ourselves

of this boil on the butt of the Democratic Party?

OK, Sharpton is witty, he is quick and he has more balls than most of the party leaders in standing up to right-wing attacks.

But the man behaves like a Stooge more often than not and he is ends up embarrassing his followers. Personally, I have not been able to forgive his most egregious behavior in the the Tawana Brawley case. To this day, he has not apologized!

Sharpton needs to get himself a gig on talk radio or cable TV and stop trying to be the face of the Democratic party.

[DrWeird]

23. Frankly, I'd rather have Sharpton be part of the Democratic Party...

than people who whine about Sharpton/Brawley be part of the Democratic party.

[Isere]

30. Well, that's your privilege, isn't it?

I'll stop "whining" the minute Sharpton apologizes. It would be way too late, but it would be better than nothing. The man conducted himself abominably during that episode and he has never had the class or the honor to apologize when he was proven so terribly wrong.

[ecstatic]

37. Since when have people apologized for believing rape victims

Can you cite a recent example of this happening?

[Isere]

49. Here is some information on the case

It's obvious that many here are unaware of Sharpton's role in this case. Here is a quick summary:

http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/13/brawley.verdict.02/

No one is complaining that he believed a "rape victim." There was no rape. Before it was discovered that Brawley's story was a hoax, lots of people believed her, including me. What Sharpton did was to blame an innocent man, Nick Pagones, and continue to defame him long after the story had been shown to be a hoax. To this day he has never apologized to Mr. Pagones.

[ecstatic]

53. Did Brawley admit that it was a hoax?

Or did the jury decide that it was?

[Isere]

55. Here are the grand jury findings

Check this out, if you want to know the facts of this case. The link below deals with the physical evidence (and lack thereof!), but this site has a lot more about the case if you are interested in the details.

http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part4.html#pagones

" Based upon all of the evidence that has been presented to the Grand Jury, we conclude that Tawana Brawley was not the victim of a forcible sexual assault by multiple assailants over a four-day period. There is no evidence that any sexual assault occurred. Tawana Brawley had significant contact with Apartment l9A Carnaby Drive at some time during her four-day disappearance. All of the items and instrumentalities necessary to account for the state of her appearance on Saturday, November 28, were present inside of or in the immediate vicinity of Apartment l9A. The Grand Jury concludes that Tawana Brawley was present in or near Apt. 19A when put into the condition in which she was discovered. The Grand Jury further concludes there is nothing in regard to Tawana Brawley's appearance on November 28 that is inconsistent with this condition having been self-inflicted....."

[Old Mouse]

88. personally, I do not believe Brawley

But it should be known that she refused to cooperate with the grand jury, and the only evidence put forward was supplied by the accused officers.

This case should be left alone and not refrenced... it has the potential to make the Rodney King verdict look like racial harmony.

[Isere]

90. No, there was evidence

from the forensic tests which showed that she was NOT raped.

[Old Mouse]

92. She did not go in for tests

until days after the supposed event.

[Isere]

94. Wrong! Please see this:

http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part3.html#sexual
and
http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part2.html#medical

"THE EVIDENCE AS TO TAWANA BRAWLEY'S MEDICAL CONDITION

The Grand Jury examined a significant amount of evidence concerning the medical condition in which Tawana Brawley was found on Saturday, November 28, including testimony and written reports from the ambulance technicians who picked her up, the medical personnel at St. Francis Hospital who treated her that same day, a gynecologist who saw her on Monday, December 1, and physicians at the Westchester County Medical Center who saw her on Tuesday, December 2, and on subsequent days."

[Old Mouse]

96. please forget about her

You are attempting to try this case in forum.

If you can remember what happened at the time, by the press, NOT the grand jury, the police asked her to come in for better forensic testing, as the preliminary tests she took, long after the supposed event, were inadequate to deal with her expanded accusations. Remember the level of forensic science at the time.

She did not, and did not recognize nor attend the grand jury. The accused then got to interpret the evidence to their best advantage, there was no serious dissenting presentation or questioning. They even decided the dates of events based on her preliminary statements and her spokespersons' press statements.

This is a no-win issue that can seriously divide our party if brought forth to discredit Sharpton. It was a bizarre accusation badly handled by the authorities and tried in the press, becoming larger in political potential than any of the characters involved.
There should not have been a grand jury, as the (supposed) victim did not press for it, it was convened with the sole purpose of absolving the accused.

As I said, I do not believe her, but the entire case was so poorly managed by Sharpton, the police and the media as to easily become a distracting racial-based divisive conspiracy theory. Race relations are worse today then they were at that time.

[Isere]

97. I'm certainly not attempting to try the case in the forum.

I'm only responding to questions and misstatements. I don't care a fig about Brawley and I don't care much about Sharpton either.

I wish I could admire Sharpton, but I don't. As I said in my initial post, I find him very witty and he has balls. During the primaries I lept out of my chair cheering for him more times than I can count. I wish he would take his many talents to talk radio or cable TV where he can be charming and funny.

But as a person of character, as a candidate worthy of the public trust...well, I don't think so. Others are free to think differently. And I can see that some here do.

So be it.

[Old Mouse]

99. I think I agree with you

He makes a good attack dog, and I'm all for paying him to do that.

[Stinky The Clown]

27. Al Sharpton is good man

Was Tawana Brawley a mistake for him? Maybe:shrug:

Does Al do things a bit .... uh ..... idiosyncratically? Maybe:shrug:

But he is a good man for the constituency he serves. His voice in the debates and the campaign was a clear one for mainstream issues. He is far more intelligent than most give him credit for.

Could he ever actually be president? I don't think so. But I *do* know I want his voice.

[donheld]

102. I'm very grateful for the voice of Al Sharpton

He, IMHO, was one of the best at the Democratic convention.

[Old Mouse]

36. The Brawley case is a racial land mine

that is best left forgotten.

But since then I have only seen Sharpton look bad when taken out of context. And his stylistic flamboyance resonates through many layers of African American culture that have no other voice in the Democratic party.

[billyoc]

38. Thank GOD Sharpton never apologized.

The day we start apologizing for demanding that NYPD misconduct allegations be investigated is the day we might just as well hire the LAPD to patrol New York.

He has nothing to apologize for. We've seen cops selling crack right out of their radio cars in New York, in uniform.

[sherilocks]

39. You have the facts wrong

http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/

This is just a drop in a big bucket of shit that Sharpton pulled in the Tawana Brawley case.

[Laughing Mirror]

56. Your Court TV links nowhere even mention Sharpton

There is this though. "The only allegations against Mr. Pagones and the others were unsworn statements made in public forums."

Got a better link, Sherilocks? Something that provides quotes of the unsworn accusations Sharpton made from the bottom of that big bucket of shit?

[sherilocks]

69. Sharpton is right here ----

Pagones v. Maddux, Mason and Sharpton
Tawana Brawley Grand Jury Report
In November of 1987, a 15-year-old girl named Tawana Brawley was found in upstate New York, covered with feces and racial slurs written in charcoal. Brawley, who is black, claimed to have been abducted and raped by six white law enforcement officers.

A decade later, the men who advised Brawley after the alleged incident -- Al Sharpton, Alton Maddox, and lawyer C. Vernon Mason -- are being sued by one of those six men: Steven Pagones, then a local prosecutor, now an assistant state attorney general.

In a trial that began December 3, 1997 in a Duchess County, New York courtroom, Pagones sought damages for defamation that escalated during the course of the trial from $150 million to $395 million, but returned to $150 million during the eventual damages phase.

<snip>

On July 13, 1998, after a trial lasting almost eight months, a jury found the three advisors liable for defaming Pagones.

Just over two weeks later, on July 29, the jury awarded Pagones $345,000 in damages, about two percent of the amount he originally sought. Sharpton was found liable for $65,000 of the total damages, Maddox for $95,000 and Mason for $185,000.



http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/

From my own recollection, it was a media feeding frenzy and Sharpton was right out there in front leading the parade with many scurilous accusations.

[Judi Lynn]

73. Thanks for the look at this.

I was not aware it happened in 1987. Events like these ALWAYS bring the hate-filled, racially rabid, psychotic right-wingers out, and it appears they can go on and on forever with very little prompting, as if time itself stands still.

Never actually took the time to read about it in detail before, as it was just a blur to people outside the area. I'm sure it was far more publicized there.

People who want to carry this on and on and on apparently feel this case is far more unforgivable than the many, many cases in which white females have claimed to have been attacked by black people, or in the case of Emmit Till, ""a 14-year-old black Chicagoan who was kidnapped, mutilated and brutally murdered while visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955."

Lot of time on their hands, as it seems.

[sherilocks]

78. I'm not sure how that applies to the Tawana Brawley case

Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County in general, the home of FDR, was, at least in 1987, loaded with moderate repugs. It has several colleges, including Vassar and Marist, and a huge population of IBMers, not noted for their ultra right wing ideology. The accusations of Sharpton and the others were taken very seriously by the locals. Time does stand still for me until Al Sharpton apologizes for what he did and I am a proud member of the left wing.

[Laughing Mirror]

74. Yes, on the first page, but not any of the links to the first page

I guess Court TV doesn't want a slander lawsuit either.

A few years ago Maxine Waters was talking about open up an investigation about this whole strange Tawana Brawley affair. I wonder what ever happened with that.

I do try to understand why Sharpton would not apologize for this, from his point of view, that of one of the players. I think he probably thinks apologies about anything at anytime might make him look weak to the people he represents, or weak when he tries to publicize other real cases of horrendous police brutality and murder that do take place, such as Amadou Diallo, etc.

[private_ryan]

44. "We've seen cops selling crack"

what does that have to do with Steven Pagonis? His life was ruined

[DrWeird]

63. It always cracks me up.

The same people who villify Sharpton for accusing Pagones despite Pagones having never been acquitted are the same people who accuse OJ even though he was acquitted.

[sherilocks]

79. Pagones was never officially charged with anything

so how could he be acquitted? The Grand Jury's findings:

<snip>
No Evidence of a Cover-up

There is no evidence that a cover-up occurred or was attempted in this case. The actions of the law enforcement agencies and officials involved were inconsistent with any attempt at a cover-up.

Significant numbers of personnel were assigned to the investigation by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted by the Sheriff's Office while Tawana Brawley was still in St. Francis Hospital. The FBI was contacted based on the racial epithets on her body even before she indicated that a "white cop" was involved;

<snip>

http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/part4.html#pagones

[sherilocks]

72. I was also referring to your reference to the NYPD

Tawana Brawley lived in Fishkill and the matter was handled in Dutchess County where the alleged attack took place. Steve Pagones was a Dutchess County prosecutor.

[Laughing Mirror]

52. For a lot of us disenfranchised, Sharpton IS the face of Democratic Party

Do not forget that ever.

[tinanator]

62. then youve been had

his was a red herring candidacy that despite gorgeous rhetoric and a nicely sharpened tongue did serious, intentional damage to more legitimate/likelier progressive campaigns by stealing the spotlight, much as Dean succeeded in stealing thunder. If this mess doesnt come to a surprise conclusion, we will all have been had quite handily.

[Laughing Mirror]

75. Did you ever believe for a second Sharpton would be president?

The whole point of Sharpton is his voice. I do not know anybody with a better voice than his for what represents the Democratic Party to me. But that's just me and a few million other people. What about you?

[tinanator]

80. Kucinich by a mile

And neither of them represent the actual Democratic Party (tm)
but they both do speak for the average American citizen better than any government official, fascist media frontperson or partisan hack ever does. Sharpton has benefitted from some fairly shady financial and moral support in this last cycle, and served a puzzling purpose benefitting the unrepresented not one whit.

[Laughing Mirror]

83. Politically, to me Kucinich and Sharpton are virtually the same

They represent what the Democratic Party is to me and mine and what I want the Democratic Party to be for everybody.

Yes, Sharpton looks shady and Kucinich looks small. That's what America looks like.

I'm not sure I would say that Sharpton's recent presence has not benefited the unrepresented one whit. This summer, just to give you a personal example, I happened to march with Sharpton on City Hall in New York, marching for decent wages, minority contracts and just plain work, speaking up for Black, Latino and Immigrant workers rebuilding the World Trade Center site, people who need all the voices they will speak up for them. A few hundred people marching around Foley Square during lunchtime. Sharpton speaking. Some local media, I guess not much more.

Unrepresented people like these workers that Sharpton marches and makes speeches for do not make national corporate news, I understand that. But it's still a fact.

[steely]

24. Good for him.

[Osamasux]

25. I gave up wishing he would just go away years ago.

[private_ryan]

26. hey

girlfriends apparently cost a lot money these days..

[AP]

28. He probably had the least money of all the people they asked to campaign

for them.

This makes sense to me.

[Freddie Stubbs]

91. Sharpton has the least money? Probably because the GOP stopped funding him

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=roger+stone+al+sharpton

[Spiffarino]

31. $35,000 plus expenses?

Sounds like a bargain to me. How much did the campaign pay for Bob "0 for 8" Shrum? They should have given Al a lot more to do and paid him accordingly.

[private_ryan]

45. stop attacking shrum

he lost 8 races but at least he run positive campaigns.

[Spiffarino]

100. Yep. Good ol' Bob.

He's such a NICE loser...

[private_ryan]

101. that's all that counts

this SOB should be run out of DC...yet he keeps getting hired.
We deserve to lose

[AusTexDem]

32. i don't know Mr .Sharpton personally

I have never "looked into his soul". All I know is that every time I hear him speak I agree with every thing he says.I like his style and I like that his life story isn't picture perfect. Real,imperfect people can be great leaders too.

[Bouncy Ball]

82. I like what you wrote

AusTexDem, and I totally agree. Everytime he opens his mouth, I end up standing up in my living room and clapping.

[AusTexDem]

103. Thanks Bouncy Ball

His convention speech was a must see for me.
It was great. To me his and Obama's speech spoke about what being a Democrat means and all the great things our party has done for America. You don't hear that very often. I made me feel proud at a time when it feels like the whole country wants to make feel ashamed of being a Democrat.

[msgadget]

33. How much did they pay Keyes to run against Obama?

Look, Al's always been an operator. He let Republicans finance part of his campaign and threatened to march on the Convention if they didn't let him speak. He's an opportunist who somehow made a living and muscled his way to the limelight by force of will alone. Face it, he's got a thick skin and never goes away. I don't consider him a representative of the civil rights movement or the Democratic Party but he is, like Al Franken and Ann Coulter, adept at the polemic. And, with nothing to lose he was able to raise and define issues in a manner his 'running mates' were not during the primaries. If Falwell and the rest can look directly into a camera with no feeling of shame, he has the right to do the same.

That being said, this sort of expose comes along with fame and, frankly, I'd have missed it if he didn't make a point of mentioning it on Crossfire. I guess all publicity is good publicity after all.

[Laughing Mirror]

54. please provide a list of Republicans who financed his campaign

I'd love to see it. Thanks.

[msgadget]

58. I only need to provide one,

Roger Stone.

[Laughing Mirror]

61. How much did Roger Stone contribute?

Other than time and labor. He was being paid (by whom?) to run the campaign. I have not found his name on a list of contributors. But if you know of a list with his and all the other Republican contributors, please do not hesitate to hold it back from DU scrutiny. A lot of us would like to see it.

[msgadget]

64. 'A lot' of you

are beyond accepting the good AND bad about someone you admire?

Time and labor is enough of a monetary contribution for me. I'm not hunting down dollars and cents because I don't give enough of a damn. He utilized the services of Roger Stone and let him pay his expenses and round up votes for him to get him on ballots. That's all *I* need to know.

Even if he's your hero you have to acknowledge his never having had a church or truly verifiable source of income. I didn't need the Village Voice or NYT to tell me that, it's pretty obvious.

[Laughing Mirror]

70. I accept the bad, the baggage, because I have my own too

Who amongst us does not? Yes I will always stand up for a man I have marched with on more important issues, because he is the man who has always defended me and the people of my community.

I have never had a church either in the past 40 years, nor a truly verifiable source of income for a good part of the past 30 years. I'm nobody's hero either.

In the larger scheme of things, however, why isn't somebody challenging the corrupt electoral college corporate campaigns themselves? That's where the real problem is. Why pick on Al Sharpton and his few hundred thousand dollars? He would never ever have been the president anyway, because our system today is: Whoever has the most money wins. What kind of Democracy is that? That's corruption at the most flagrant. The whole campaign finance corporate media system that supports this is about as rotten as any country could have.

Here's a good Black Commentator piece you might have read from earlier this year when all this about Roger Stone came out.

The Problem with Al Sharpton

Every story such as this one, in which small men on transient stages act out petty passions, must be framed by a larger perspective. The overarching corruption in America is centered in the White House, where a racist cabal of pirates and thieves prepares to swamp the coming election in fantastic, unprecedented waves of money. At this writing, George Bush has $91 million dollars in the bank. According to Charles Lewis, author of “The Buying of the President,” Bush’s presidential campaign account swells at the rate of $600,000 per day.

In puny contrast, Al Sharpton finds himself – through his own moral and character flaws – the poor captive of Roger Stone, a rich, cynical, misanthrope who pummels democracy for sport. It is a great irony that the electoral process that Sharpton did so much to enrich, in which his formidable presence deterred white Democrats from reverting to racist type, has resulted in more palatable choices for Black voters, but negligible delegate clout for himself.

We must ask why Al Sharpton emerged as a contender for national Black leadership via the presidential primaries. The answer is simple, and should be deeply troubling: He was the only one to step forward. Such was also the case in the decades of Sharpton’s rise to prominence in New York. When police brutalized African Americans, Al Sharpton was there. When demonstrations needed to be mounted, Sharpton was on point. When Black anger rose, Sharpton rose to the occasion – year, after year, after year.

Whites of all political persuasions denounced Sharpton as an opportunist and publicity seeker – as if they were telling Black folks something we didn’t know. But we desperately needed publicity, and an opportunity to be heard. Rev. Al seized the spotlight and shook things up, which was a lot better than nothing.

[msgadget]

77. Believe it or not,

you and I don't have a beef over this. Where we differ is I hold ALL those who position themselves as crusaders to the same harsh light.


He's a great organizer, can gather together hundreds of people to publicize a cause like no one else and he does serve a purpose. However, his history and opportunism overshadow his good works and soon he will do more harm than good by lending his name and appearance. I don't hold him to a lower standard because he's black and I don't want Al to disappear. I love to hear him orate and his Convention speech was spot on but I listened and nodded enthusiastically all the while knowing he'd bullied his way to the pulpit and it probably wasn't just for the benefit of me and mine. He earns 'capital' every time he busts into a race and spends a great deal on himself.

[Laughing Mirror]

81. Absolutely hold up that hard light ... to everybody, not just Sharpton

Sharpton earned the promoting stripes of his large talent to the music business he came up in, behind the scene with Mahalia Jackson and later James Brown. Since I have worked in the music business too, I understand some of how the promotional aspects of it operate, not always above board. Where Sharpton gets his money from doesn't bother me.

Many people forget that Sharpton is not only a media figure, but he is an irrepressible street marcher and fighter for a number of unpopular causes. In the freezing ice and cold, he led a brilliant protest march around the Supreme Court building during the Bush inaugural January 2001. I don't know any other presidential candidate who did that. I am a gay man and Sharpton was the first candidate to say same sex marriage was a civil rights issue and he was for it. Kucinich soon took the same stance. This strong stance filtered over to the other candidates, who adopted various softer (leave it up to the states) versions. For a disenfranchised gay person, Al Sharpton's voice is a good voice to have.

Sharpton is really an outsider, and being outside the legitimate (illegitimate?) world of corporate fund-raising mega politicians, he can promote himself as much as he wants and he can use the media or whatever money that comes to him anyway he wants, as far as I'm concerned.

He has sides to him that rub a lot of people the wrong way, but I believe that he is the doing the best he can with what he has, the gifts that he has. He was a childhood prodigy after all. And prodigies that come out of the slums do not operate under the same rules and logic as the mediocre kids that come out of trust funds.

I'm willing to understand and accept all the bad things about Al Sharpton and put them in perspective, and that it is why I support him the way I do with any political activist I march with. Our fight is the same.

[msgadget]

85. I really do,

that's why I assured you we had no beef. I'm oh so familiar with Sharpton, having watched his rise in NY over the many, many years he's been doing his thing. And, I'm all for grassroots even though his roots don't extend that far. He doesn't play well with others and has done little to affect real change. I'll grant that he's a great promoter and publicist. I can say that and still appreciate the man for the good he has done.

I respond so strongly to admiration posts about political figures because we can't wonder how the other side overlooks the obvious shortcomings of their heroes if we do the same. Gotta take the good with the bad and, above all, be prepared.

[Cookie wookie]

35. So, they paid his expenses and paid

him as a consultant. So what. Dems are not supposed to get paid for what they do? They are supposed to run around in rags and take a vow of poverty.

I love Sharpton. Not only a great wit, but also not afraid to speak truth to power.

He gave such an impassioned speech at the Dem convention that I was in tears. It was real and from the heart.

Brawley -- get over it. He believed someone who was lying. At least he fought for what he thought was right, which is more than can be said about most of our great leaders in Washington.

[livinginphotographs]

46. Well said.

You could probably dig up dirt on any Democratic politician in office, and it would be especially easy on republicans.

It was like what I heard about Michael Moore after F911 came out: "If he really believed what he said, he'd donate all the profits to charity."

Funny how Democrats are supposed to never make money off of anything, but Rush Limbaugh can take in enough money to support his huge oxycontin habit and then some.

I think Al Sharpton is great. If you ask me, he's one of the few Democrats who can still find their sack.

[HeeBGBz]

40. Did they need to pull a "rabbit?"

Sorry. Big fan of Boston Legal.

[OneTwentyoNine]

42. How much did the Swift boat fools get in backdoor funds??

Those fuckers and their builder buddy in Houston didn't finance that whole episode alone. The RNC paid them handsomely....

[livinginphotographs]

47. The Village Voice has thoroughly pissed me off when it comes to Sharpton.

It reminds me of the Clinton/Lewinsky crap. All they report on is gossip about affairs and girlfriends. You can tell they're just pulling up anything they can to drag Al through the mud.

So he was paid a whopping $35,000 for his work. So what? As much as he could make in speaking fees, that's practically charity. They should've paid him more, because he's worth it.

[sendero]

48. I can't decide what I think of Sharpton...

... but there's nothing remotely wrong with this, it is done all the time.

People with influence expect to get paid for their time, but it seems like only Republicans are supposed to get paid, Dems are supposed to work for free.

More double standard.

[Laughing Mirror]

50. Kerry should have given ALL his campaign funds to Sharpton

So voters could have a chance at a REAL people's president for a change.

[Tacos al Carbon]

51. The man endorsed Al D'Amato

and helped Pataki and Guiliani get elected. Is anyone really surprised by this? If he wasn't paid what he demanded he may well have endorsed Bush.

[Laughing Mirror]

57. Yeah, right.

Just like you, I suppose.

[Tacos al Carbon]

68. Just like me, what?

I never endorsed D'Amato (as Sharpton did, against the Democratic candidate). What do you mean?

[Laughing Mirror]

71. Democrats sometimes endorse Republican candidates in New York

That's the grisly grey world of politics in that town and state, like many others. Why single out Sharpton. Kerry endorsed Bush didn't he?

[Blue_in_VA]

59. I should care?

Long-time lurker, first time poster.
Why is this news? It's legal. No doubt in my mind Sharpton advised the Kerry campaign and help with strategy.. He brought a perspective and POV to the table that Clark, Gephardt, Dean, etc. couldn't. That's what consultants do. Why shouldn't he be paid?

[RealLiberal4U]

60. Well, after all, Al is in it for Al n/t

[dryan]

65. I have no problem with this....

my girlfriend who worked for Bush/Cheney was given a $5,000 wardrobe, a cellphone, a laptop, an American Express card, an all expenses paid trip to the RNC Convention and some other goodies including giving her fiance a cushy job. Al deserves it!

[RealLiberal4U]

66. Nor Do I

But like I said, Al is only worried about Al.

[prolesunited]

76. Your girlfriend worked for them

and got *you* a job with them? You don't have any moral qualms with that? :shrug:

[dryan]

86. Wow Nellie.....

re-read my post, I said my girlfriend's (woman + friend) fiance( her boyfriend - not me). I have my own job.

[dryan]

87. Wow Nellie.....

re-read my post, I said my girlfriend's (woman + friend) fiance( her boyfriend - not me). I have my own job.

[phasev]

84. don't blame me I voted for Sharpton n/t

[proudbluestater]

93. I don't see why this is news and election fraud is not news

Should a man not be compensated for his work? With Sharpton you ALWAYS get your money's worth, and then some. You send that man out to do a job, and by God, he DOES it big time. He's been a breath of fresh air in the campaign and in public life in general. Always speaks truth to power.

[theHandpuppet]

95. So? Mary Cheney got 100 GRAND

Rev Al has been up front about it so I really don't see the problem.

[Tight_rope]

98. So what...I'm sure the RNC gave money to many of their supports too!

[dryan]

104. Exactly....

the point I was trying to make with my previous post.