. . . I bet this little tidbit would have gotten a lot more play:

Whatever its effectiveness, street money is burdened with negative overtones stemming from accusations over the years that paid operatives have manipulated elderly voters in some elections or given people cash in exchange for their votes.

But even when entirely legal, the trading of campaign money for active political participation can raise awkward questions.

Mr. Miller, for instance, was a rare black politician who backed Mrs. Clinton in Ohio and had been under tremendous pressure from constituents in his heavily African-American district to support Mr. Obama. In an interview, he acknowledged that the $38,300 he received from the Clinton campaign “looks like I’ve been paid off,” but he said he had kept none of the money for himself.