routicians really boggle my mind sometimes. Last week, it

routicians really boggle my mind sometimes. Last week, it was Republican gubernatorial randidate J. Marshall Coleman (or John M. Coleman if you’re reading the Fairfax County tax records) who was revealed to have made a quick and .tidy $100,000 profit speculating in real estate dur,'ing the past year. Mr. Coleman, according to The Washington Post (Sept. 21, Metro, p. 1), bought four homes from the company owned by his next door neigh, J)or and financial benefactor, Dwight Schar, which the resold within months for a substantial profit — ; ’$80,000 in 3 1/2 months, in one case. * • Mr. Schar, in the meantime, has contributed “more than $550,000 to Mr. Coleman’s gubernatorial campaign. His company, NVRyan, is one of the largest real estate development companies in the country, and Mr. Coleman sits on its board of (directors. ;. * All of this is perfectly legal, mind you, which Sir. Coleman took pains to point out when questioned about the transactions by a Post reporter. “I want to make money,” he said. « Mr. Schar denied that Mr. Coleman received ■ any special treatment in his real estate speculations. When he was asked several weeks ago • about his motivations in contributing such a sub• ‘.jstantial sum to Mr. Coleman’s campaign, he replied, “I just want good government.” v It appears, in fact, the best government . money can buy. Interestingly enough, however, Mr. Coleman ' used the name John M. Coleman when he bought /the first two properties — not J. Marshall Cole. man, which is the name he goes by in his political 1 life. Why did he do that? The question bothers me. His response echoes the pathetic reply of vice-presidential nominee Dan Quayle last summer, when he was first confronted with allegations that he used his family’s influence to join the Indiana National Guard, thereby escaping a stint of active duty in Vietnam. Mr. Quayle said some