Bustamante's many friendships are a blessing and a curse 

Bustamante took nearly $80,000 from tobacco companies during his five years in the state Assembly. During that time he voted against a smoking ban in restaurants and bars that voters later approved. He then unsuccessfully pushed for a delay in implementing the ban in bars. . . .

And Bustamante has plenty of supporters who say he doesn't always follow the money. They note he has stood up to big tobacco, supporting a new cigarette tax in 1998 and this year proposing another price hike. [This graph only]

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