Politics "For $ale"

Politics can be dicey.  For former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, his way of "politics" is criminal.  After spending more than two years professing his innocence, a federal jury found him guilty on 17 charges of corruption, including trying to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat.  Now Blagojevich  faces up to 300 years in prison, although experts think he'll serve significantly less time than that.

Can a Senate seat ever really be for sale?  What about the president's seat in the Oval Office?  Can it ever be for sale?  Political seats may not be sold or traded, which is illegal, but they can be bought.  More than ever, today's races are all about money.
 

Sen. Jon Tester

 
There may be no Senate race more pricey than Montana's.  Congressman Denny Rehberg, a six term member of the U.S. House, wants to take Senator Jon Tester's Senate Seat in a race Newsweek Magazine calls one of the most important in the country and one that may determine which party controls Congress after the 2012 elections.



Rep. Denny Rehberg

 You don't think politics is about money?  You don't think Montana's Senate seat is "for sale?"  Here's a recent tweet by Tester:  "We need to raise $100K by 6/30 to plant the seeds for a winning grassroots campaign. Help us grow w/$5 now."  Rehberg wrote this on Facebook:  "A contribution of $25, 50, or $100 will allow us to combat the special interest groups who want to keep Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and Barack Obama in the White House."

(For what it's worth, as much as I don't like watching political ads, I'm glad they'll be coming like a tidal wave because in the current economic climate, they provide great financial revenue for small television station like ours.)

Those political dollars are merely "small potatoes" compared to the presidential race.  Check out these eye-popping fundraising numbers from the last two presidential campaigns.

2004:

George W. Bush raised $367 million

Sen. John Kerry raised $328 million

2008:

Sen. Barack Obama raised $745 million

Sen. John McCain raised $368 million

Political insiders at the Washington Post report President Obama, thanks to his online and "in person" prowess, will likely top the one billion dollar mark in fundraising.  Numerically, that's nine zeros or $1,000,000,000.  You still want to tell me political races are not "for sale?"