September 14, 2004
Cards Lead in Political Fund Raising Race, too
More than a dozen current and former owners and family members are among the president's top re-election fund-raisers, an Associated Press review found. Seven are Bush ``Rangers,'' each raising at least $200,000, and six are ``Pioneers'' who have brought in $100,000 or more. Three of Bush's former fellow investors in the Texas Rangers - Bill DeWitt, Marshall Payne and Craig Stapleton - are campaign Rangers. Stapleton's wife, Debbie Stapleton, who is Bush's cousin, is a Pioneer.
The Cardinals in particular have feathered the Bush nest. Former Texas Rangers partner DeWitt is now owner and chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals, whose owners and executives have been among the most generous to Bush's re-election campaign. The team's ownership group includes two Rangers (DeWitt and Kimmy Brauer, wife of owner Steve Brauer) and one Pioneer (Robert Castellini). Several Cardinals owners have made individual contributions to the Bush campaign. The team's contributions to Bush extended to the front office and even to the bullpen: General Manager Walt Jocketty and pitcher Cal Eldred each gave $2,000 to Bush, FEC reports show. The Cardinals' previous owner, August Busch III, chairman of beer giant Anheuser-Busch, is also a Ranger fund-raiser. Bush threw out the first ball at the Cardinals' home opener this year.
The Bush campaign has also received direct contributions from owners and executives of more than half of the sport's 30 teams, the AP analysis of Federal Election Commission reports found. Drayton McLane, owner of the Houston Astros, is on board as a Bush Pioneer while Bush has received $2,000 contributions from owners George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, Fred Wilpon of the New York Mets, Carl Pohlad of the Minnesota Twins, Peter Magowan of the San Francisco Giants and Michael Ilitch of the Detroit Tigers.
Bush received $2,000 contributions from Orioles slugger Rafael Palmeiro, who played for the Rangers when Bush was an owner, and from New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, the highest-paid player in the game. Bobby Valentine, axed by Bush as manager of the Texas Rangers in 1992, gave the president the maximum $4,000 this year.
John Kerry also has received some baseball support - Cardinal co-owner Michael E. Pulitzer, gave $2,000 to Kerry. The Democratic nominee has also received $2,000 contributions from Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and San Diego Padres owner John Moores. The Kerry campaign also picked up $3.68 in loose change found by some batboys.
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