The chatterbox column in yesterday’s Sunday Journal Sentinel contained even more hard hitting, relevant journalism than usual when they informed us that – get this! – the money raised by a campaign often goes to pay the people who run it!
Kennedy is not the only one to have benefited from his campaign’s fund-raising prowess. Since January 2005, Kennedy’s team has paid $73,185 in salary and expenses to Democratic Consulting, a one-man shop run by Kennedy’s buddy and ex-student Bill Elliott.
Granted, Bill is a friend of mine, but when I read this over dinner yesterday I couldn’t help but wonder why the busybody ‘Spiceboys’ were trying to make a big deal out of the fact that Brian Kennedy’s campaign manager actually got paid.
But on the other hand, that’s what they get paid to do: make even the most routine happenings seem like big deals.
The only difference that I can see between this example and every other political campaign in existence is that Bryan was paying Bill’s company whereas most campaign managers are actually employees of the campaign itself.
So what’s the big deal? Good question.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
You can get paid for running campaigns? Who knew?
The real surprise is those “reporters” (I use the term very loosely) get paid at all.
What surprises me is how much. I think I’ve been working for the wrong side.
Ha! It was definately distorted in the article. In the 20 month window that they talk about,a large amount was in campaign related expenses. The truth is that I charge Bryan much less than some of my friends running other Congressional races, but yes, I do get paid!
I don’t care, Bill. If I ever run another campaign again, I’m sticking with that number and saying, dammit, I’m at least as good as a Democrat. :)
Go for it!