On Sunday mornings, Al Sharpton hosts a talk show, which is broadcast on the AirAmerica station in New York. I wanted to create a diary about the contents of the show because Al devoted most of his show to responding to two recent articles in the Village Voice, in which reporter Wayne Barrett accuses him of several incendiary charges, including exposing Jesse Jackson's affair and out-of-wedlock-child to the press, being a tool of the right, financial shenanigans and having an affair with Marjorie Harris, the chairman of NAN (an organization he founded). On the same show, Sharpton also spoke about the future of the DNC and his feelings on Dean winning the slot.
Here's one paragraph from the article down below:
"Though [Marjorie Harris] specifically refused to answer questions about her sudden surfeit of expensive accessories, [Harri's then husband] Smikle noticed a $7,000 Rolex, mink coats, and David Yurman jewels appraised at $1,500 and $4,000. She bought a Caddy at Dick Gidron's Bronx dealership, where NAN did all its business and where the owner, a convicted felon, was one of the Rev's financial supporters, even paying off part of his personal debts. Telling the Voice last Friday that she was still making payments on the car and did not get a discount, she registered and insured it in New York under her own name, and sent it off to North Carolina for her mother. Sharpton was so close to her mother he called her every Sunday night. Smikle did not know she also bought a Mercedes in December 2002 until the dealer called him at home to see if he was happy with it. He could not figure out how she was paying for it all."
You can click here to read the whole thing. Here's the link to the article on Jackson
Based on another diary I read on this site a few days ago, my sense is that Sharpton is not a popular figure on this site. I know that in another article by the same Voice reporter (written in February 04), Sharpton was painted as an operative for the right whose main purpose in running for president was to bring down Dean. What's interesting to note is that Dean supporters ignore Sharpton's charge that he fired his first campaign manager because he believed he was a Dean operative planted to sabotage his campaign. What's also interesting to note is that one of the February story's most important angles--that Sharpton was out to sink the Democratic party's chances--never came to fruition.
Here are some of Sharpton's responses:
On accusations that he had an affair with Harris, to whom Sharpton funneled an excess of NAN funds so that she could live a life of luxury: Sharpton said that he was not having an affair with Harris and that his ex has never publicly accused him of cheating (unlike the ex-wife of Rudy G, who, Sharpton pointed out, is flying around the country on Air Force I). Harris was also on the show and she said that at the time of her divorce, her husband made no allocations of her having an affair. As for money being funneled to her, enabling her to live in Trump Tower, Sharpton said that the article failed to mention that Harris has a law degree and that she came to New York with her own stack of cash. Both of them were pretty outraged that her wealth was being so closely examined and opined that it was because she was black.
On commingling of NAN funds with Sharpton's election campaign funds: Sharpton didn't touch on this subject for very long, but said that if there was any problem, it was that his campaign had put too much money into NAN and not the reverse.
On accusations that he was the person who leaked info about Jesse Jackson's affair to the press: Sharpton vehemently denied that he was the person who leaked the story of Jackson's love child to the press. He said that the story had been out there first months and was first brought up by the mother in a court proceeding. When the story did blow up, Sharpton pointed out that he went on Larry King to defend Jackson and held a rally in New York to do the same. He also had a guest, a man who largely worked with Sharpton, but who also had dealings with Jackson. The guest confirmed that Sharpton never spoke poorly of Jackson and in fact often defended him. He pointed out that Sharpton didn't always agree with Jackson's tactics, but that he would never cross the line by attacking him as a person and a brother.
On the future of the DNC: Sharpton clearly doesn't like Dean. He pointed out that, votes-wise, he came out ahead of Dean in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Washington D.C. and because of that, he questions why Dean should be leading the party. He also added that right now there is no clear front-running candidate and that there is no way that black people should not ultimately have a power position when all is said and done. Clearly, Sharpton sees that power coming through the appointment of his candidate, Harris, as vice chair. He said that in 2004, there was not enough allocation of resources ton black communities. He added, "The party is always with us until we get to the table and ask for a seat at the table. Then they tell us to enjoy the crumbs we throw at you after we cut up the pie." He also rightly pointed out that without the power of the black vote, Democrats would lose a lot of city and state races.
He also proudly stated that even though the Voice has painted him as an underhanded crook out to drag down the party, that John Kerry asked him for his support, gave him a prime time speaking spot at the convention and paid him a consulting fee.
Now the last thing I want to do is become a cheerleader for Sharpton. I don't think the guy is a saint, but I want to make sure I'm using the same scale to judge him as any other politician. And then too, I keep in mind that when life gives you a 100-pound handicap at the start of the race of life, you manage to get ahead cause the gods blessed you with some extraordinary talent that no one can ignore, you can tap dance like nobody's business or you're a hustler baby.
Take the poll and let's talk about Sharpton's place within the party.