Posted on 07/31/2003 8:38:01 AM PDT by presidio9
Al Sharpton said Wednesday he's tired of the notion that there are two tiers of candidates in the Democratic presidential race.
Sharpton questioned why Sens. John Edwards of North Carolina and Bob Graham of Florida are considered top-tier candidates and he is not, even though they are polling at about the same level.
Sharpton said they may have more money than he does, but he thinks it's dangerous for America if elections are determined by money. Edwards has raised $11.9 million, Graham $3.1 million and Sharpton $137,415, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
"If we are going by polls and money, why even have an election?" he told the audience, mostly interns working on Capitol Hill this summer. "Let's just declare Bush the winner.
"I'd rather take my pennies to bring Bush down than be intimidated."
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President Bush (news - web sites)'s campaign goal is to raise at least $170 million. And even though he has no primary opponent, the money won't sit in a bank account.
"Just watch," he said Wednesday when asked about spending it.
In his first news conference since announcing his bid for re-election in May, Bush said he's not worried about appearing that he's paying too much attention to his wealthy backers. Bush and Vice President Cheney have several fund-raisers planned for August.
"I think American people, now that they've realized I'm going to seek re-election, expect me to seek re-election. They expect me to actually do what candidates do," Bush said.
The campaign has raised at least $41.4 million so far, well ahead of any Democratic contender. Sen. John Kerry (news, bio, voting record) of Massachusetts leads the field of nine Democratic presidential hopefuls with $13 million, followed by Sen. John Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina with $11.9 million.
"It's kind of an interesting barometer, early barometer about the support we're garnering," Bush said.
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John Kerry's advisers are working on a contest to build support for his presidential campaign, and they are offering a day with the Democrat as the prize.
Details are still being worked out, but the contest already is being promoted at his Web site, www.johnkerry.com.
The promotion includes a photo of the Massachusetts senator at a campaign stop, his arm around a blackened silhouette. Text over the photo reads, "This could be YOU!"
Kerry spokesman Robert Gibbs said the contest will be announced in the next few days. It will focus on grass-roots organizing and small dollar fund-raising, with the winner getting the chance to accompany Kerry on the campaign trail in Iowa or New Hampshire.
*snicker*...yeah, that'll work...
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So true. In a TV debate where the zinger is king, there is no Dem as lethal as the good Rev.
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Second prize is two days with the democrat. And we won't even talk about third prize...
Yeah, Al, money talks, feces walks.
The Republicans should make hay out of the way the Democrats are trying to send Reverand Al to the back of the electoral bus. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to hear the tortured explanations of the Democratic "party leaders" trying to explain this phenom away...
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