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In Brief...
World News Review

Contributors: Cecil Maranville and Darris McNeely

The Money to Select a President

Millions and millions of dollars are being collected and spent in the U.S. presidential bid. The most ever spent by candidates for president was $343.1 million in the 2000 election. The actual total of money spent was much higher, $528.9 million, which included general election public funding and convention public funding.

The rate at which money is being spent in this election cycle indicates that it will probably set a new record. As we go to press, the latest totals of funds raised for Senator John Kerry is $180 million. President George W. Bush raised $215 million for his reelection before stopping to raise funds for others.

There was a great ballyhoo over undue influence on candidates through large campaign contributions during the 2000 election cycle, which led to the U.S. Congress' passing of a campaign finance reform law. No sooner had the law taken effect than organizations and individuals began to pour money through loopholes.

One way is through groups supposedly not controlled by the political parties, such as MoveOn.org and The Media Fund, both opposing President Bush, which have spent about $25 million as of the end of May.

There are countless ways to rain money into a campaign. Linda Chavez, former union official and author of Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics gives us this shocking insight: "Unions spend [an] estimated $800 million [on the presidential campaign], much of it hidden in the form of salaries for union officials assigned to work on political campaigns, get-out-the-vote efforts, and other unregulated contributions" ("Union Influence," Townhall.com, June 16, 2004, emphasis added).

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0407/inbrief0407.htm


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