Less than a week after she was arrested inside the Capitol for unlawfully
demonstrating against the current state of campaign finance laws in this
country, 90-year-old Doris Haddock, a.k.a. "Granny D," tried to crash a Republican
gala last week to deliver a similar message to GOP leaders.
She didn't get far. "They brought security and said that they would
push me out if I didn't get out," Haddock told National Public Radio.
Dressed to the nines for the D.C. fundraiser that raked in a record $21 million,
Haddock and her handlers said aides to Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) cut
Granny off at the pass. They told the nonagenarian that she would have to
pony up $1,500 if she wanted to get inside the glitzy black-tie event.
Haddock spokesman John Anthony pointed out the hypocrisy of the Bush campaign,
which recently criticized Vice President Al Gore's campaign for having denied
Granny access to a $500-a-head fundraiser in Little Rock, Ark., that she
came upon during her well-publicized cross-country walk last year.
In March, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer flogged Gore for the faux pas, charging
that "from monks who took vows of poverty to Granny D, Al Gore will raise
money from anyone to get elected." Now, however, the tables have been
turned on the Bush presidential campaign team.
Calling the Bush people "foolish," Granny settled for a short note to Bush,
in which she explained to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee that she
travels "as a pilgrim and (does) not have $1,500 to come to your dinner."
She noted that Gore had "apologized, said he was a flawed messenger, but
would make campaign finance reform his first White House #1 Domestic Policy...
How about you?"
Fleischer was on the road traveling last week and could not be reached for
comment, but other press aides to the governor failed to see the parallel
between the two experiences - or so they said.
"It really wasn't a Bush event, it was an RNC event," one Bush press aide
said defensively.
Whatever the case, one thing is clear. Granny only missed dinner. But Bush
missed an important opportunity to show he is as serious about campaign finance
reform as he says he is.
