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02/03/2004 Archived Entry: "You got some 'splainin' to do, Reverend Al."
You got some 'splainin' to do, Reverend Al.
If this is true (and the Voice seems to have the goods), then Sharpton should be banished from anything having to do with Democratic politics forever.
Roger Stone, the longtime Republican dirty-tricks operative who led the mob that shut down the Miami-Dade County recount and helped make George W. Bush president in 2000, is financing, staffing, and orchestrating the presidential campaign of Reverend Al Sharpton.Though Stone and Sharpton have tried to reduce their alliance to a curiosity, suggesting that all they do is talk occasionally, a Voice investigation has documented an extraordinary array of connections. Stone played a pivotal role in putting together Sharpton's pending application for federal matching funds, getting dollars in critical states from family members and political allies at odds with everything Sharpton represents. He's also helped stack the campaign with a half-dozen incongruous top aides who've worked for him in prior campaigns. He's even boasted about engineering six-figure loans to Sharpton's National Action Network (NAN) and allowing Sharpton to use his credit card to cover thousands in NAN costs—neither of which he could legally do for the campaign. In a wide-ranging Voice interview Sunday, Stone confirmed his matching-fund and staffing roles, but refused to comment on the NAN subsidies.
Sharpton denounced the Voice's inquiries as "phony liberal paternalism," insisting that he'd "talk to anyone I want" and likening his use of Stone to Bill Clinton's reliance on pollster Dick Morris, saying he was "sick of these racist double standards." He did not dispute that Stone had helped generate matching contributions and staff the campaign. Asked about the Stone loans, he conceded that he "asked him to help NAN," but attributed the financial aid to his and Stone's joint "fight against the Rockefeller drug laws," adding: "If he did let me use his credit card to cover NAN expenses, fine." The finances of NAN and the Sharpton campaign have so merged in recent months that they have shared everything from contractors to consultants to travel expenses, though Sharpton insists that these questionable maneuvers have been done in compliance with Federal Election Commission regulations.
Replies: 11 people speak up
Roger Stone's manufactured "riot" in the Dade County hallways during the recount was the single scariest item I have ever seen on TV, and I include the Sept. 11 attacks. That was an attack on buildings and people died--but Stone's unleashing of the power of mob rule was like something out of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." It was an attack on the foundations of democracy itself.
That Sharpton would have anything to do with the man, much less the depth of connections revealed in the Voice article, confirms what anybody who remembers the Tawana Brawley case already knew: The Rev is without any principles other than self-promotion. The delusion that he is somehow the "annointed voice of black America" is a construct of a lazy press who would rather have an easy source for a quote on any racial issue than get out and talk to real people.
BTW his "pal" Ed Koch came out the other day to endorse Bush for re-election. Another great Democrat, right up there with Zell Miller.
Posted by Xan @ 02/03/2004 11:30 PM NY
"phony liberal paternalism,"
Wasn't Al Sharpton the black liberal guy? Well maybe he was, but then he figuired there was money in that so he did that until he found a new calling as a Republican shill.
"unleashing of the power of mob rule"
well mob rule after all is the purest form of democracy. The will of the majority, the mob. It's not mob rule that was the, "attack on the foundations of democracy itself." But the voter rolls been done over. The supreme court deciding the outcome illegally. The questionable results of Florida's entire election. Voter irregularities nationwide. These were those attacks on democracy you spoke of.
Posted by IXLNXS @ 02/04/2004 03:21 AM NY
Gang,
You may have seen last weekend's story in the NY Times about the "strange relationship" of Al Sharpton hiring REPUBLICAN political consultant, Roger Stone, to help out with his campaign, and how Stone helped Sharpton undermine Dean with charges of racism. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/politics/campaign/25SHAR.html
Now, the article does mention how Roger Stone was a Nixon "dirty trickster," and that he's "controversial." But NOWHERE do they mention the fact the Roger Stone is has absolutely NO CREDIBILITY with anyone anymore, especially after his downfall during the Clinton Witch Hunt. Stone, like all the other budding Professional Clinton Haters, rose to a certain national prominence on nothing more than a profound hated of the Clintons and the willingness to fabricate whole stories about Big Bad Bill and his behavior. I remember watching on Nightline, Roger Stone made the allegation that Clinton even made a pass at Stone's wife during the funeral for Richard Nixon.
Then it all came out in 1996, while helping to run Bob Dole's campaign, that Roger Stone and his wife were "swingers," and that they both had placed an ad in several swingers magazines seeking out muscular men to come over and bang Stone's wife while he watched. http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/03/09/15_recount.html There then surfaced a picture or Roger Stone photographed at a swingers party wearing nothing but a thong and a dog collar. So much for his "outrage" at Clinton "hitting on his wife." Yet, this goes unmentioned in the New York Times article.
Thought you'd all be interested,
Captain Mike
Posted by Captain Mike @ 02/04/2004 05:41 AM NY
banning al sharpton from politics would be pointless. it would be like banning fish from breathing air, or banning rocks from flying. there is no chance of al winning anything, so whats the point? what we really need is solid proof of any of bush's evil deeds. if we could just find a way to make any of the charges against bush stick the world would quickly become a much better place.
Posted by justin @ 02/04/2004 10:39 AM NY
I think this is huge. On the scale of Watergate. Will the SCLM take this up?
Posted by Joel @ 02/04/2004 10:41 AM NY
Rev Al is a slimebag, he always has been and always will be.
I cringe everytime some wingnut brings him up because usually they're right when it comes to Sharpton.
Hopefully this will be enough to heave his fat pompadoured ass overboard.
Posted by salvage @ 02/04/2004 04:27 PM NY
Yeesh. And here I was,thinking he had reformed, taken in by many of the things he said on the trail, believing that he really was interested in furthering the cause of Black Americans. Instead, he's just interested in furthering the cause of Al Sharpton.
He did wear a wire (and a tacky cowboy hat) for the feds before, so he is one oily creature...too bad some people still believe in him.
Posted by Blue Demon @ 02/04/2004 05:33 PM NY
Al helps more than harms...difficult to see how he anyone could be surprised that he works under his own rules with his own agenda and will align with anyone who will help him...no surprises here and no big deal...sorry but that's how it seems...attacking Sharpton just helps the race-baiting RNC machine run more smoothly
Posted by Dr. Damfa @ 02/04/2004 06:33 PM NY
Damfa - I usually agree with you, but we gotta part ways on this one.
If Sharpton is a Republican stalking horse (and Barrett puts forth a pretty persuasive case), then he should be banished to the wilderness (figuratively).
I always knew he was a relentless self-promoter (used to run into him quite a bit in NYC, and i actually like the guy on a personal level), but when he started taking money from slime like Stone, he crossed the line.
Posted by editor @ 02/04/2004 06:41 PM NY
Fair enough, buddy ... here's hopin no one wants to condemn us Damfacrats for defending Sharpton in this way ...
BTW, unethical, hypocritical, sketchy and self-serving? - OK...stalking horse? can't buy that from this article or previous articles but in the end, if he really was, no way to defend that
Posted by Damfa @ 02/04/2004 07:27 PM NY
Sharpton said what people needed to hear in these times. However, if he really is working on his own agenda of 'paying back the Democratic Party' and will do anything to cause disruption, what can be done about it? He purports to represent Black America and is thus shielded. The average citizen doesn't read as much news as is necessary to keep score so this will be another short-reaching exposure of a betrayal.
Posted by Black ABB @ 02/06/2004 10:13 AM NY
