(2004-02-10) — The chairman of the Democrat National Committee (DNC) today defended the right of children, and even household pets, to make political contributions.
The remarks came after a story in The New York Times highlighted the fact that children as young as two-years-old legally make contributions to political parties and candidates.
“If your 2nd-grader really believes in a party, or a candidate,” said DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe, “you can’t prevent her from giving, just because some skeptics think its nothing but a way for rich people to violate the contribution caps for individual donations. And if your pet is really committed to a set of ideas and the person who represents them, he or she shouldn’t be disenfranchised from contributing.”
Mr. McAuliffe said that since Howard Dean’s so-called “I Have a Scream” speech in Iowa, the DNC has been deluged with requests from family pets who want to contribute money to the Dean campaign.
“Apparently there was something in that speech which resonated with dogs in particular,” he said. “The Bassett Hound and Dalmatian donations have been pouring in.”