The Nation: The Pedaling Pol

Major Benjamin Coxson’s troubles worsened when he moved into the White House. Not the one in Washington, D.C., but one in Camden, N.J., that Coxson has been remodeling to look like the original. The idea was to dramatize his candidacy as a political independent in the city’s mayoral race next year. It worked so well, he says, that a political enemy asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate him, and he was subsequently hit with an outstanding $80,000 claim. While Coxson was trying to appeal the case, the feds moved in and seized his white Lincoln Continental Mark IV and his custom-built black Cadillac limousine. Undaunted, Coxson went right out and bought another set of wheels: a $300 kelly green tandem bicycle with dual horns and chrome fenders.

The result is a novel, colorful campaign on wheels. Coxson’s liveried chauffeur sits up front and does the pedaling; the candidate lounges on the back seat, waving to his would-be constituents. Coxson, 42, who once owned a nightclub and an auto-leasing firm, jokes: “I don’t like the way that IRS works. If they keep it up, I’m going to stop doing business with them.” Moral: In the wheeling-dealing game of politics, there is more than one way to peddle a candidate.