'Contribution' or bribe? Depends on how you look at it!

From John Curry, July 7, 2006

I would like to credit CORE member June Hughes for calling this statement to my attention- it is really appropriate! John

“If a baseball player slides into home plate and, right before the umpire rules if he is safe or out, the player says to the umpire — ‘Here is $1,000.’ What would we call that? We would call that a bribe. If a lawyer was arguing a case before a judge and said, ‘Your honor before you decide on the guilt or innocence of my client, here is $1,000.’ What would we call that? We would call that a bribe.

“But if an industry lobbyist walks into the office of a key legislator and hands her or him a check for $1,000, we call that a campaign contribution. We should call it a bribe.

~ Janice Fine, Dollars and Sense magazine