March (Web-only) 2000

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A 90-year-old great-grandmother, suffering from arthritis and emphysema, has completed a 14-month, 3,200-mile (5100km) walk across the United States in a holy crusade for the reform of politicians' massive spending in election campaigns. Doris Haddock, known affectionately as Granny D, claims that the very soul of the nation is at risk if US citizens do not convince their elected officials that political spending must be brought under control. While members of the US House and Senate have struggled unsuccessfully for years to cap spending by politicians in election campaigns, Granny D, from the state of New Hampshire, has been consistently drawing attention to the issue since January 1, 1999 when she set out from the West Coast of the US.In the past 15 years, presidential politics in America have become known more and more as "a rich man's game." George W. Bush, son of the former US president and now the man expected to be the Republican party's candidate in the presidential election to be held late this year, raised more than $50 million last year in just the first few months of his campaign. Neither Bush nor Vice President Al Gore—expected to be the Democratic presidential candidate this year—share Granny D's sweeping vision of reform. However, both their political parties are coming under increased scrutiny and criticism for what is considered political fundraising and campaign spending that are out of control.According to CNN television reporter Bruce Morton, "political parties spend less money on making sure they are following the [financial] rules throughout the campaign than they do on balloons for election night."Granny D is following a long tradition of religious crusaders who have crossed America to prove a moral ...