Follow the Money

Hillary Clinton is raking it in from defense contractors:

An examination of contributions of $500 or more, using the Huffington Post's Fundrace website, shows that employees of the top five arms makers - Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics -- gave Democratic presidential candidates $103,900, with only $86,800 going to Republicans.

Senator Clinton took in $52,600, more than half of the total going to all Democrats, and a figure equaling 60 percent of the sum going to the entire GOP field.

Ron Paul is raking it in from harmless eccentrics.

Paul's third-quarter financial disclosure report is sprinkled with supporters whose self-descriptions of their occupations are unusual, to say the least. Wade Talkington of Panama City, Fla., who donated $1,000 to Paul, lists his occupation as "tax slave to the Federal Govt." Erik Hovden of Olalla, Wash., is the "Head slacker in Chg" at Simpson LLC, and housewife Pamela Schuberg of Moorpark, Calif., a $2,300 donor, lists her employer as "our children."

…

Starchild, a San Francisco-based escort and exotic dancer who ended up on Paul's list as "Star Child," contributed $300. Starchild, formerly Chris Fox, is a perennial Libertarian candidate in the Bay Area, having run unsuccessfully for district supervisor, the state assembly and the school board. Self-described monetary architect Bernard Von Nothaus, who has said Paul is the "Internet's favorite presidential candidate," has created a $1 Ron Paul coin and is listed in the disclosure report as giving a $2,300 in-kind contribution of coins.

On this I'm with Andrew Sullivan: God bless America.

Tim Cavanaugh's 2000 interview with Starchild is here.