Republican party leader Linwood Parker is featured in campaign ads for Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge.   Why is the longtime Republican campaigning for Democrat Etheridge?  According to this article in the N&O here, Parker’s price was $340,000 federal stimulus check for Four Oaks and a NCDOT road for the Four Oaks industrial park.  In my opinion, Etheridge got a good deal.  He uses taxpayer money to buy a Republican who is helping him buy the election.  So much for campaign finance reform.  Why use interest group money for your campaign when you can use taxpayers money.  No wonder Tea Party activists are angry at both the Democrats and Republicans.