Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Reverend Al's New Gig

I was waiting for the MSM to discover this one; career activist cume Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton has a new gig--pitchman for a title loan chain. I saw one of Sharpton's ads for the loan sharks--er title loan stores--on a local TV station last Friday night; in the spot, Sharpton touts the virtues of the firm, which (like most title loan operations) charge annual interest rates approaching 300%.

Never mind that these predatory lenders prey on many of Sharpton's constituents. And, rest assured, the Rev Al hasn't pawned the title to his wheels, and I'm sure he's getting a six-figure check as a celebrity spokesman. Sharpton, predictably, sees nothing wrong with his new job.

So far, there has been no reaction from other members of the professional "activist" fraternity like Jesse Jackson and Julian Bond. But the ever-alert LaShawn Barber did find a quote from Congressional Black Caucus member, Ohio Representative Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, who refers to predatory lending as "the civil rights issue of this century." Wonder how Congresswoman Jones feels about Reverend Al getting rich from the loan sharks she so roundly condemns?

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