(Big) Dig this...

Joel Connelly reports that the Washington State Republican Party has already been issuing a series of email hits on John Kerry, but they may want to do a bit more research if they plan to keep it up.

One story they chose to share was an AP story about Kerry's support for a major public works project in his home state (something that kind of goes along with the job description of US Senator, IMO) and the involvement of the American International Group, an insurance company that profited from the project. Subsequently, they made donations to Kerry's leadership PAC and Presidential and Senate campaigns totalling under $50,000.

So, a firm, and it's employees, with an interest in a major federally funded public works project gave financial support to a Senator who provided legislative support for the project. It's a story, I suppose, but in real terms the money involved is modest, the contributions are all within the parameters of legal campaign finance and the whole thing is in many ways completely unexceptional.

Joel notices, though, that what "...was not reported, however, is that the American International Group has made $961,700 in soft money contributions to Republican campaign committees since George W. Bush became president. Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, AIG's chairman and CEO, was a Bush 2000 "Pioneer" -- part of the select group who raised more than $100,000 for the campaign -- and has become a Bush 2004 "Ranger" by raising more than $200,000."

What's that bit about "glass houses"?