Pushing some buttons, student pays for college in alternative way

George W. Bush and Al Gore are paying for Brian Richards' college education. \nHe sells campaign buttons at political rallies to earn money for school.\n"Of course, this year I took the year off, it being an election year and everything," he said.\nRichards said the money he expects to earn this election season ' about $30,000 ' will be enough to cover part of his tuition to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.\nHe has been following the candidates to campaign events since April, selling buttons to supporters in about 50 cities so far this election year.\n"I've been just about everywhere I can go," he said at the Bush rally in Indianapolis Sept. 6. "I'm willing to go as far as I can go in a car."\nMany other souvenir vendors follow campaigns of both parties selling memorabilia to supporters who want mementos of their trip to a political rally or are looking for a way to express their loyalty to a candidate.\nDaniel Richards, Brian's older brother, has been in the business for 20 years. \n"My grandpa and his grandpa started working campaigns in the early '30s selling buttons," he said.\nHe runs a wholesale company in Springfield, Ill., that specializes in buttons and other gifts like T-shirts and lapel pins for both the presidential and congressional races. He said working political events has given him a chance to see the country.\n"You get to see the American people come out for something that carries a lot of major importance," he said. "You get to see both sides of the story, you get to see voter turnout, you get to see who's coming out to support who, the different speeches ' what they're going to do for Americans."\nHe said the events have spurred conflicts, such as confrontations between people in some northeastern states over the Roe vs. Wade case.\n"In Toledo, Ohio, I saw a fistfight break out between Gore supporters and Bush supporters," he said. "That was the first time for that."\nBrian Richards said his work has drawn compliments from candidates themselves, like Republican vice presidential nominee Dick Cheney.\n"Mr. Cheney, I gave him a button once," Richards said. "He said, 'Thank you very much, son. That's what I like to see, young entrepreneurs out here. You guys really know how to get the crowd pumped up."\nThe business of selling political novelties can draw in substantial business, said Robert Slater, co-owner of N.G. Slater Corporation. He said his company is the largest manufacturer of campaign buttons and political items in the world, selling to clients like the Democratic and Republican National Committees.\nHe said that while it produces buttons for various types of advertising, in an election year, the amount of business increases about 50 percent, or about $1.5 million.\nFor vendors, the business can also be rewarding. But there can also be fierce competition between sellers at high-profile events, Brian Richards said. \n"I've worked days at certain rallies where I've been the only one, and I've gone as high as $2,000," he said. \nHe said that because many of the same people travel to the same rallies, he knows who his competition will be.\n"It's a real pain sometimes ' so much competition sometimes," he said. "You think, 'Is it worth it?'" \nFor Daniel Richards, the business of selling buttons is about more than just the money. It's a way to complement the resurgence of interest in the elections by citizens who are frustrated with politics, he said.\n"The people are wanting to make their voices heard. They're tired of just getting walked on by the government, by the political candidates," he said. "There's always a way to get the voice out and the message in, and the campaign buttons are a good way to do it"