ANOTHER KERRY SCANDAL, this one from the Los Angeles Times:

Sen. John F. Kerry sent 28 letters in behalf of a San Diego defense contractor who pleaded guilty last week to illegally funneling campaign contributions to the Massachusetts senator and four other congressmen.

Members of Congress often write letters supporting constituent businesses and favored projects. But as the Democratic presidential front-runner, Kerry has promoted himself as a candidate who has never been beholden to campaign contributors and special interests. . . .

Asked what he did to repay the money, Kerry’s campaign said Wednesday he had donated $13,000 to charity on Feb. 9 — which was two days before Majumder’s guilty plea.

Capt. Ed observes:

As in the Liu Chaoying case, which is mentioned in this article but curiously doesn’t mention Liu or her status as a spy, there is no indication that Kerry was aware of DR. Majumder’s illegal activities. However, this clearly demonstrates the extent to which Kerry can be bought.

In this, he’s not terribly different from some other politicians. But he’s claiming to be.

UPDATE: Reader Dave Perron notes that this story has been around for a while. True enough, but Kerry’s now campaigning — absurdly, as Howard Dean pointed out — as the anti-special-interest candidate. Presumably, that’s why the Los Angeles Times thought the latest developments were big news.

And read Shannon Love’s comment to Capt. Ed’s post, which captures a sad truth about money in politics: “I am less upset that politicians can be bought than I am that they come so damn cheap.”