Lieberman's campaign manager is highest paid among all (including Bush)

[pruner]

Merit Pay? Not Necessarily

By MICHAEL JANOFSKY
Published: October 26, 2003

Chalk this one up as another example of people not getting paid what they are worth.

Perhaps the most intriguing figures in federal disclosure forms filed last week were the salaries of presidential campaign managers. Leading the pack was Craig Smith, the campaign manager for Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, at $15,000 a month before taxes.

Mr. Smith's political skills are admired in Washington, but truth be told (and several rival campaigns were happy to tell the truth last week) if Mr. Smith were getting paid based on the performance of his candidate so far, well, suffice to say that he might be taking a pay cut.

Close behind is Nick Baldick, who is making $10,800 a month for managing the campaign of Senator John Edwards, who, poll-wise, is back in Lieberman-land.

Politics being politics, nothing is ever simple. Take, for example, Joe Trippi of Howard Dean's campaign, for now at least, the hot manager. Mr. Trippi is paid about $7,000 a month before taxes, he said. But that does not include a commission — typically between 5 percent and 10 percent — for the television advertising he buys for Dr. Dean. And given Dr. Dean's success in amassing money for advertisements, Mr. Trippi should be doing quite well no matter what happens to his candidate.

Ken Mehlman, who is managing the campaign of a certain George W. Bush, is being paid $7,858, after taxes. (Mr. Bush's campaign declined to release his pretax salary.) Behind him is Jim Jordan, the campaign manager for Senator John Kerry, who is bringing in $7,714 after taxes.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/26/politics/campaigns/26POIN.html?ex=1067745600&en=b0829bf87cfbd4f5&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[Liberal Veteran]

1. He's overpaid.

Lieberman has run the crappiest campaign imaginable.

[tsipple]

2. I'd Say Trippi Is a Bargain

And a heck of a nice guy to meet with, in fact.

[pruner]

4. I met him at the rally before the NYC debate

very nice guy indeed.

[jenk]

3. I heard he was one of the best

Lieberman's guy at least

but there is only so much you can do when Joe Lieberman is your candidate, this guy is being rejected everywhere he turns.

[LittleApple81]

5. Could we pay this guy to convince Lieberman to get out of the race?

He is hurting all democrats.

[pandatimothy]

9. M-B, Kucinich and Sharpton too

They have no chance IMHO.

[intheozone]

6. Why only give the after taxes amount???

Why won't the Bush campaign release his pretax salary?
You simply cannot trust anything said in connection with Bush! WSo maybe they are paying him an amount much higher than the "after taxes" amount, and throwing a huge amount into income tax withholdings so the after taxes amount is much less. Then, come April of next year, Mehlman file tax returns showing huge refunds due, but those don't get released as income.

Could be the reason for releasing only the after taxes amount.

[pruner]

7. the amount Kerry's manager is getting paid is after-tax too

n/t

[robbedvoter]

8. The real story: Bushco doesn't release manager salary

Just cuz his guy has some awsome tax shelters, doesn't mean he cannot buy and sell all dems - Lieberman included. This is just a piece of smear - and how much he pays his manager is the least of my Lieberman concerns.

[pruner]

10. neither does Kerry

n/t

[maggrwaggr]

11. Lieberman's paying his kids 100,000+ to raise money for his campaign

presumably to pay their own salaries?

Hey Joe Daddy! Can I have a job?