Kerry and Special Interest Pork

The AP has a story up about Kerry (and Ted Kennedy) intervening to keep an insurance loophole open for AIG, a NY based insurance company.  The loophole was worth something like $150 million to AIG, and $30k to Kerry through various contributions to his exploratory committee, junkets, etc.

Stephanie Cutter spins it, saying the contributions have no link to blocking the legislation (which was sponsored by John McCain) and occurred "many years later."  This happened in 2000.

So, as many people have asked, why Kerry?  Of the four viable candidates at this point, why is he the electable one?  I just don't get it.  And why is "electability" even an issue?  Isn't it a political version of "keeping up with the Joneses"?

I found the story at Salon.com, but it's available at Yahoo news here.  I hope it hits the mainstream media soon.  Don't see it at CNN or MSNBC yet.

At this point, I'm about ready to head out to my local Meetup for Dean.  I live in Massachusetts, and I'm ABB and ABK in that order.  Hold my nose and vote in November.  But I'd like to see any of the other three get the nomination: Dean, Clark, Edwards, in that order.  A long shot, but Kerry has many skeletons, and many of them are already public.

-Ron