| Buying a Second Term |
21 April 2003
|
Bush's Money Men Want $200,000,000
Having spent $101 million to become president on a minority of the popular vote last time, President Bush and his handlers have set themselves a target of $200 million for the 2004 campaign. Since there will be no primaries to fight, all of that money will be focused on the general election in November. This time, he'd better get most of the votes.
The figure of $200 million is less impressive, though, and less ambitious when one takes into account the fact that the limit for personal contributions has doubled to $2,000. The same people simply have to make the maximum contribution again.
The argument that money poisons American politics is an old one. Governor Jerry Brown took that issue on in 1992 -- and lost to money and the organization it bought for ex-President Clinton. Special interest buying access undoubtedly goes back to the founding of the republic and Alexander Hamilton's debt plans.
In 2004, it's simply going to be worse.