TRAFICANT From the big house to White House?

The Traficant campaign faces an uphill battle, political experts say.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- President Traficant?
Although he is probably more interested in getting out of a federal prison, former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is being touted by a small group of fans as a Democratic nominee for the presidency in 2004.
Marcus Belk, a 30-year-old Jersey City, N.J., man who recently left his job in juvenile retail, said he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to create a draft committee to run the imprisoned former congressman for president.
Ian Stirton, FEC spokesman, said Wednesday that the agency had not received Belk's documentation, mailed last week.
Belk, the draft committee's campaign manager, said he is a Democrat who is not satisfied with the people seeking the party's presidential nomination. Being a fan of Traficant's style in Congress, Belk said he sees the former congressman as a viable alternative.
"Jim Traficant best represents what the average Democrat believes, putting America first in her policies at home and abroad," Belk said.
Challenge
Belk said he has written to Traficant at his federal prison cell in Pennsylvania about a presidential bid.
"He appreciates our support, and challenged us to build support and legitimacy for his candidacy," Belk said.
The next step, Belk said, is to get Traficant to approve the formation of an exploratory committee and to start raising money.
It is nearly impossible for a Traficant-for-president campaign to succeed, said John Green, director of the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, and Paul Sracic, a Youngstown State University political science professor.
"The guy didn't even win his district the last time," Sracic said about Traficant's failed 2002 congressional bid from prison. "He's kind of spun off to the fringes. But I'm not surprised by this because he is a cult hero."
Traficant ran last year as an independent candidate for Congress, finishing a distant third. Traficant served in the U.S. House for 17 1/2 years before being convicted last year of 10 felony counts including bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. He was sentenced to eight years in prison; next Wednesday is the one-year anniversary of when he started serving his prison term. Before being sentenced, he was expelled from Congress, becoming only the second House member since the Civil War to be removed from office that way.
Belk's stance
Belk said Traficant is innocent of the crimes, and was targeted by the federal government because of his outspoken views.
Belk has a Web site touting Traficant's candidacy at www.traficant2004.com.
Presidential draft campaigns have never worked before, and it's going to be difficult to garner much support when the candidate is in prison, Green said.
Also, getting on the ballot for primaries in states is very difficult for minor candidates such as Traficant, Green said.
This isn't Traficant's first flirtation with the presidency.
Traficant formed a committee to explore the viability of his presidential candidacy in April 1987. He campaigned through the year, but failed to garner much interest. In the May 1988 presidential primary in Ohio he received enough votes in 12 of 21 congressional districts to send one delegate to the Democratic national convention. He ended his presidential bid in July 1988.
skolnick@vindy.com