After Failed Run At Congress, Candidate Tries To Erase Campaign Debt On Ebay

KSTP5 Eyewitness News ^ | 12/19/06 | AP

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Coleen Rowley's campaign buttons and bumper stickers weren't enough to get her into Congress, but she's hoping that selling them on eBay will get her campaign out of debt.

The Democrat and former FBI whistleblower is selling autographed yard signs for $20 each, and buttons or packs of campaign literature for $19.95 each. She said she has roughly $35,000 to $40,000 in campaign debt, but has been trying to avoid asking supporters to pay it off.

The former FBI attorney was named one of Time magazine's Persons of the Year for 2002 after she criticized the agency for ignoring her calls to aggressively investigate terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She lost to Republican incumbent John Kline in November.

"I'm not terribly proficient at asking for money anyway, even in the best of times, let alone after the campaign," she said on Monday.

She said she had entertained the idea of using the old yard signs as insulation. But former campaign staffer Russell Simmons suggested the eBay store, and set it up about two weeks ago.

"I have never ever been to the eBay Web site before this," Rowley said.

Sales have been slow, although Rowley said she has now sold at least one of each piece of campaign material offered on the site.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Nelson Muntz moment.

[Rakkasan1]

if she appears on some toast, I'd buy that for a dollar.

[SmithL]

You gonna butter her up?

[Patrick1]

I guess being Time's Person of the Year doesn't pay like it used to. I was named the Person of the year this year and I still haven't received my check.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Nope....I don't see any......

http://stores.ebay.com/Coleen-Rowley-Campaign-Memorabilia

[PGalt]

She should sell autographed whistles, good for one blow.

[theDentist]

sHe's a looker.

[Izzy Dunne]

has been trying to avoid asking supporters to pay it off.

asking her supporters is not good, but asking random strangers is OK?

[Red Badger]

Her fifteen minutes of fame are up............for sale on eBay...........auction closes in 10 minutes.......

[Izzy Dunne]

She recently ran for Congress in MN but was defeated by Bush Administration supporter John Kline.

Trying to make "Bush Administration supporter" into an epithet.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Yeah, she was all about that. She brought Murtha to town to stump for her, figuring THAT was going to be a big help.

[ErnBatavia]

She's about as feminine looking as that "female" sprinter from Bahrain...

[Froufrou]

This was good for a snicker, thank you! And I love your pen name...

"two wrongs don't make a right, but..."

[Thrownatbirth]

She said she had entertained the idea of using the old yard signs as insulation.

First instincts are usually correct. Have a nice winter.

[Puppage]

MY EYES! MY EYEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Mo1]

FYI Ping

[Vigilanteman]

Didn't she ask Uncle George Soros to buy her a congressional seat like so many others in this year's freshman class?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

She could do a spread in Penthouse....er, I meant Pethouse.

[DManA]

Is she selling her photo-shopped picture of Congressman Kline dressed in a Nazi uniform?

[bigfootbob]

If she's using plasticized corrugated material, she's lining her walls with solidified petroleum. Should make for a spectacular fire.