We got our Malik Rahim campaign sign, and it is proudly on display in front of our house.
I chatted with Christian Roselund a bit when he dropped the sign off. He informed me that Malik’s candidacy has caught the attention of many Greens across the country. Some of them are, as one might expect, a little flaky, bless ’em. But the monetary support is pouring in, and the campaign is using that money for media buys.
Therefore I read with some interest Michelle Krupa’s article in this morning’s paper, about the Republican candidate’s fund-raising efforts. After detailing Anh Joseph Cao’s financial situation and comparing it to William Jefferson’s, toward the end there is a mention of Malik’s campaign.
Jefferson’s other two challengers do not appear to have had much success raising money. Rahim reported that he collected about $2,000 from individual and corporate donors during the six-week period starting Oct. 1, and had pumped another $3,000 of this own money into the campaign. Records show he spent $900 on T-shirts.
But that is substantially less than the numbers mentioned to me by Christian. Sure enough, Christian has since confirmed by e-mail that, according to the FEC, Malik’s campaign raised a total of $10,985. He even supplies a link. He adds that by this time the campaign has raised closer to $20,000.
It’s also worth noting that Stephanie Grace’s recent opinion column made no mention of any candidate other than Cao and Jefferson.
Regardless of who you support, I think we should be very concerned about the TP’s obvious lack of editorial review. This reporting is inaccurate and misleading.
From the article: “…The sum of those efforts gives Cao access to more than $200,000 to promote himself in the 10 days left before the Dec. 6 general election. ”
Joseph Cao Total Receipts $110k:
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_08+H8LA02112
They are totaling potential financial pledges to Cao to inflate his numbers. Biased reporting indeed.
jeez. Malik is a convicted bank robber who did time in a fed pen. tho i am not goin to vote for any of these folks, at least Jeff is indicted but unconvicted
It’s just like on the fund drives for public radio when they say they need 5 more calls to fulfill the challenge. News flash! The DJ’s have no idea where the money is coming from.
Obviously the T-P is a worthless, biased, unreliable newspaper. That said, I go back and forth on Rahim. It’s extremely, extremely important to me that Jefferson’s seat remains black, and since I disagree with Rahim on some major issues (mostly having to do with Common Ground), it’s hard for me to see his candidacy as anything but a potential vote drain to Jefferson.
Which I realize is the most infuriating thing that can be said about a third-party candidate, but I voted Nader in 2000 and have no regrets about having done so… “they’re just siphoning off votes!” is not a position I generally hold w/r/t 3rd party candidates.
Go Dollar Bill, show ’em all! The more angry your detractors get, the more I dig you! And way to stand firm against the bailouts… that’d get my vote if nothing else did.
…and there is the scenario of Jeferson getting elected, found guilty, and then we vote Cedric Richardson or Rahim in…
or we turn our back on politics entirely because the system is broken beyond all repair…