.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Dear Mr. Berko:

Dear Reader:

Every day during the past several months, there have been a minimum of five letters in my mailbox requesting my personal comments on those who are campaigning for their party’s presidential nomination. I’ve been writing this column for 30 years, and although economic events are affected by politics (and vice versa), I have never commented on a party or candidate. But yesterday you could have knocked me over with a fender – 57 readers asked me to cast asparagus on various candidates, believing that my comments would be a panacea for what ails the Dow.

I have no political philosophy, nor do I favor any presidential candidate.

First you must know that my definition of politics is parsed into two words: “Poli(y)” is a Latin word meaning “many” and “tic(k)s” are bloodsucking parasites. Put the two together and you’ve got a lot of bloodsucking parasites! After voting in every election of the past 48 years and hearing the same shuck and mush (reduce government spending, better schools, smaller government, get tough on drugs, campaign finance reform, reduce welfare, lower taxes and tax reform, etc.), I’m reminded of the Roman philosopher Repetitious and his definition of stupidity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So I’ve decided that I won’t be stupid again.

I realize that a great many Americans view the election process as off-putting, circus-like, demeaning, infantile and downright insulting.

Too many Americans are profoundly disappointed because politicians openly pander to large contributors and special-interest groups. After decades of in-your-face sleaze, graft, sex junkets, gifts and personal favors from lobbyists, we have become contemptuous of our ruttish and larcenous representatives. We have the best politicians money can buy, and we are the only nation whose elected officials are jailed for taking bribes.

Our president and representatives are elected not because we stand in line at the polling booth like trained seals to cast a vote. No, they are elected by terribly expensive Madison Ave-nue marketing and PR firms that are paid to organize the voters and shape their opinions for whom to vote. It’s big business, special-interest groups and the wealthy that pour billions into the political coffers every four years. Ordinary people like us don’t attend $10,000 a-plate dinners or write $50,000 checks to their favorite political party.

These influential contributors don’t give that kind of money from the goodness of their hearts. When their candidate is elected, you better believe that he/she is expected to deliver. And it doesn’t make any difference which party controls Congress or the White House, because those in power represent less than one-half of 1 percent of the citizenry. The remaining 99.5 percent of us are the peons, drones, pawns and peasants, the necessary detritus who work for a living, reproduce, pay taxes and for whom Congress doesn’t give a tinker’s damn.

Sorry my friend, you’re on your own. But I think the following quotation from Harry Truman is worth repeating: “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.” Please address your financial questions to Malcolm Berko, P.O. Box 1416, Boca Raton, Fla. 33429 or e-mail him at malber@adelphia.net.© Copley News Service