After intense examination of his iCloud backup, this reporter can reveal that the following email, and the surprising, double-digit contribution to which it refers, are genuine.
From: Mark R Steinberg [email address deleted]
Date: October 8, 2013 at 10:07:01 PM PDT
To: Pete King
Subject: My contribution
Reply-To: Mark R Steinberg [email address deleted]Congressman King:
I have just sent you $50 via your website, but I feel I owe you something more--an explanation for my largesse.
I am a lifelong Democrat who, until now, would have opted for a tofu-only diet over giving a dime to a Republican. Your performance over the last ten days, however, has caused me to reflect on my priorities. I refer specifically to your candid, call-it-as-you-see-it remarks concerning the radical faction of House Republicans that holds the nation in its thrall, and to your bravery in forcefully telling Americans that the current emperor of that faction, Ted Cruz, has neither clothes nor judgment.
The risk posed by those who have thrown sand into the gears of our government goes beyond the transient loss of critical services. Rather, it is the risk that an ideology whose fundamental premise is that decisions must be made on the basis of whether they are "pure" rather than reasonable or, more importantly, in the best interests of the people, might come to be seen as the norm rather than as an aberration. The risk, in short, is that Americans, as those in other nations at other times in history, will fail to recognize the danger in seeing "purity" as synonymous with virtue.
I thank you for the service you have performed at this important, pivotal moment.
Mark Steinberg
Los Angeles, California
[email address delected]PS--Should you decide to campaign actively against reelection of those in your party's radical minority, I'll definitely consider making a further contribution. Absent that, you may wish to direct your resources to matters other than stamps for solicitation letters directed to me.