Sharpton's Bid Aided by an Unlikely Source

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Mr. Stone, who describes himself as a Republican-libertarian, has had a hand in some of Mr. Sharpton's most effective attacks on Howard Dean, aides to Mr. Sharpton said. By extension, he has played a role in shaping the dynamic of the Democratic primary, political strategists and observers said.

Mr. Stone, like Mr. Sharpton, is a larger-than-life character with a flamboyant personal style who is both revered and reviled for his work. A 1985 cover story in The New Republic magazine described Mr. Stone as "the State-of-the-Art Washington Sleazeball." Mr. Stone called the article a "political hit job."

Today Mr. Stone says he loves helping Mr. Sharpton.

"Frankly," Mr. Stone said in a recent telephone interview, "there has not been a candidate with this much charisma since Ronald Reagan. He is a natural talent. Who else could do the funky chicken on television and get away with it? I don't share his politics. Let's be very clear, if you check the F.E.C. records you will see I am supporting George W. Bush. I am a Reagan Republican."

But the men have found a common agenda in the Democratic primary. They have delighted in skewering Dr. Dean, with Mr. Sharpton generating one of Dr. Dean's lowest moments in a debate when he forced him to admit he had no blacks or Hispanics in his cabinet when he was governor of Vermont.

"I saw Roger's fingerprints all over that," said the developer Donald Trump, who has worked with Mr. Stone over the past two decades.

Mr. Stone did not want to discuss the specifics of his relationship with Mr. Sharpton, but aides Mr. Sharpton confirmed his involvement in that and other aspects of the campaign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/politics/campaign/25SHAR.html?pagewanted=print&position=

[POed_Ex_Repub]

1. Okay... whose side is he on?

:shrug:

[cjbuchanan]

2. Why Al, why?

I had fear that a story like this would come out. It just makes no sense why Al would allow this if he really wanted to earn more respect in the party. So, does anyone think a candidate will call Al on this? Could be a Sister Souljah moment be coming?

[ikojo]

10. No, the one person who could call Sharpton

on his receiving money from a pug was Carol Mosely Braun. Only she could not be demonized and ran out of town and called a racist. If any of the other candidates calls him on this then they will be skewered by the press who love nothing more than fomenting a racial incident when one does not exist.

[RandomKoolzip]

3. I suspected something like this was going on.

Fuckin' Sharpton.....why, man? Don't you realize you're selling out your voters? I knew his attacks on Dean were paid for in advance....Thanks, Al.

[Blitz]

4. LOL

Anybody who is even a little surprised by this doesn't know squat about Sharpton or his history.

[Zinnola]

9. agree

Sharpton does have quite a past and is not revered as he thinks he is. Tawanna Bradley anyone...race baiting....he is a poseur who is trying to get stature in politics.

[loudnclear]

5. Is this a set up to smear Al? Be sure of the facts.

"Aides" what "aides" Who are they? Has this support been documented in any of Sharpton's campaign records? I would be very very wary of these charges. It's a way to kill two birds with one stone. Dean and Al. (although Al is already dead).

[dmr]

7. I'm not buying it either

It doesn't make any sense. Spins like a pug trick.

[SadEagle]

8. It's perfectly consistent with the Sharpton that endorsed Al D'Amato.

eom

[stickdog]

14. Maybe because Sharpton has spent his career servicing them?

[are_we_united_yet]

6. I said it before and I'll say it again

There ain't no black people in Vermont Al.

[Syrinx]

11. Isn't Roger Stone...

Isn't he the family values guy that placed, along with his, personal ads in swingers' magazines looking for "fun couples?"

[Jim Sagle]

12. Sharpton ain't nuthin' but shit. THE WHOLE POINT of his campaign is to

bash Dean.

[johnfunk]

13. Roger Stone's Shagadelic Lifestyle XXX-posed

A few convenient links:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/09-96/09-13-96/a04wn026.htm

http://www.citypages.com/databank/17/825/article2955.asp (about half way down)



Roger, baaay-bee! BEEEE-HAAAAAAAAYVE!

[stickdog]

15. Al, tell us what you think about the Federal Reserve.

Or maybe just trash Dean again with a sound byte that we can play during every debate summary instead.

We don't care.

[PatrickS]

16. Sharpton is a disruptor

Nothing more

[Abigail147]

17. Not many replies here to such interesting news.

Now why is that? This is something I suspected all along, but I thought it was the publicity his candidacy would generate and therefore the money.