Here is another case of spending money to help elect another Democrat who will not advance the Democratic Party's agenda, on any front that i can see.
I know we have had discussions about sitting senators and congressmen, but here is a case where the Party is looking at this guy as "our best hope"
What is the point of giving this guy a dime? i understand some bluedogs are worthless on some issues and stand with the party on others, making it a "hold your nose and vote" situation, but this guy seems to be a sleeper cell GOP to me.
Democrat Chad McGowan is hoping to unseat Republican Jim DeMint next year.
(CNN) – The Democrat who wants to be South Carolina's next United States Senator might not see eye to eye with President Obama if he's elected next November.
In fact, Chad McGowan - a Rock Hill trial attorney who national Democrats see as their best hope to unseat conservative Republican Jim DeMint - appears to oppose the bulk of the White House's economic agenda, including the stimulus package and "a government takeover of healthcare."
McGowan's campaign outlined those stands Tuesday in a statement disputing the DeMint team's claim, made Monday, that McGowan supports Democratic health care reform legislation in Washington.
"DeMint's folks get their facts from the same place they've gotten their imaginary economic figures," McGowan spokesman Tyler Jones said in an e-mail to CNN. "The accusation that Chad McGowan has endorsed President Obama's health care plan is blatantly false. And Chad is on the record opposing the stimulus, opposing the bailouts, and opposing a government takeover of healthcare.
"This is the second time in as many months DeMint and his folks have outright fabricated Chad's positions," Jones continued. "Those games may work in Washington, but they won't work here in South Carolina. Instead of making up positions, Chad will continue to present real ideas to fix our economy, create jobs and help South Carolina's hard working middle class families."
That McGowan might not march in lockstep with other Democrats in Washington isn't exactly a surprise: He told CNN in October that he was once registered as a Republican and voted for Lindsey Graham in last year's Senate election. McGowan also called himself "a gun person."
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces ethics charges he broke state laws more than three dozen times by violating rules on airplane travel and campaign money, according to details of the allegations released Monday.
It's up to the state attorney general to decide whether to file criminal charges. Sanford's lawyers have claimed the allegations involve minor and technical aspects of the law.
It's about time.
My only question is, given the way both South Carolina and the IIE works, is THIS enough to get him impeached?
My coffeemaker is on the fritz. This is neither news, nor likely of much interest to you. However, since I had to go out yesterday (and today) to buy my coffee, I picked up a copy of theUSA Today. Here are the tidbits from yesterday, I'll have today's tidbits tomorrow since I don't read the paper until the evening.
First, a South Carolina update. We told you back in December the state legislature wanted license plates to be able to sold with a cross and "I BELIEVE" on them. (Link and image of plate here.) Judge Cameron Currie, who had slapped an injunction on the state last year to preclude the plate sales, has now ruled that the license plates violate the separation of church and state, and cannot be sold.
Next up, if you live in Kent, CT, Bill O'Reilly is coming your way. A town resident who lost a son at the Twin Towers went to a local Selectwoman about putting up a plaque, inscribed with words including "Muslim terrorists." The Selectwoman, and the rest of the board, felt that would be inflammatory and rejected the request. O'Reilly is planning on marching on Kent.
If you don't live in Kent, do you live in any of the following towns?
Grand Rapids, MI*
Fort Wayne, IN
Noblesville, IN*
Cincinnati, OH*
Columbus, OH*
Washington, PA
Rochester, NY*
Roanoake, VA
Fort Bragg, NC*
Birmingham, AL*
Jacksonville, FL
The Villages, FL
Orlando, FL*
Springfield, MO
Fayetteville, AR
Plano, TX
Sioux City, IA
Sioux Falls, SD*
Bloomington, MN*
Albuquerque, NM*
First thing: the asterisks indicate cities in counties won by President Obama last year. All the cities comprise the current list of Spunky's book tour. You'd think she'd play to the base...but it looks like she's headed to blue country, too.
And finally, today's money fact. I hadn't known this. While we often look at lobbyist money in terms of how much is spent by individual industry, I'd never looked at which single entity spent the most on lobbying. Turns out it is the Chamber of Commerce, which has spnet $65.2 million so far this year, and $527.5 million from 1998-2009. This dwarfs everyone else. For example, this year, the 3 next largest lobbyists were ExxonMobil ($20.8 million), Pharmaceutical Research of America ($20.2 million) and General Electric ($19.7 million). Over the prior 10 years, the runners up were the American Medical Association ($212.6 million) General Electric ($191.3million) and AARP ($169.8 million).
House Speaker Bobby Harrell on Tuesday turned aside an impeachment resolution brought by another Republican. He says lawmakers can only deal with a limited number of items in their abbreviated session this week. They came back to Columbia specifically to deal with unemployment benefits.
Harrell said state Rep. Greg Delleney can file the resolution next month in advance of the regular legislative session starting in January.
But there's a new sex scandal in South Carolina. Meet Roland Corning, age 65. Former State Legislator. Really recently former Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Soon to be formerly married. And of course, a proud IIE member. No, he's not dead, but the cemetery is integral to the story.
On Monday, Roland went to lunch with a friend. They chose to "have lunch" at the cemetery pictured at left. In a secluded spot. Which is where the police spotted them.
As the officer approached, Mr Corning sped off, then pulled over a few blocks away. He and the 18-year-old woman with him, an employee of the Platinum Plus Gentleman's Club, gave conflicting stories about what they were doing in the cemetery, Officer Michael Wines wrote in his report, though he did not elaborate.
Mr Corning gave Officer Wines a badge showing he worked for the state Attorney-General's Office.[...]
He then searched the SUV, where he found a Viagra pill and several sex toys, items Mr Corning said he always kept with him, "just in case", according to the report.
W-e-l-l-l-l-l- the officer decided to check on his employment. And his identity. Who did he call? Mrs. Corning, who also happens to be an employee of the state Attorney General's office. She verified his identity, and then marched into her boss' office, and by the end of the day, Roland was unemployed.
There haven't been a lot of nice things to say about South Carolina lately. But yesterday, the State Supreme Court struck a blow against the insurance industry.
An insurance company's "reprehensible" decision to rescind a South Carolina man's coverage after he tested positive for HIV warrants a $10 million punitive damage award, the state Supreme Court ruled. [...]
The trial court ruled in Mitchell's favor, awarding him $186,000 in actual damages and $15 million in punitive damages.
The state high court upheld the awards, but reduced the punitive damage award to $10 million based on the ratio of the projected $1 million cost of Mitchell's treatment.
"We find ample support in the record that Fortis' conduct was reprehensible ... Fortis demonstrated an indifference to Mitchell's life and a reckless disregard to his health and safety," Justice Toal wrote.
I've read about $2 million dollar rescission decisions in California, but this appears to be the largest single financial hit an insurer took on one case. There have been sealed judgments for multiple claimants in both California and Connecticut that are rumoured to be higher, but those data are not available.
As we wait with bated breath for Congress to act (properly), hold to this thought: wouldn't it be nice if every insurance company had to write a check for $10 million dollars for every person to whom they denied legitimate care, with or without direct rescission? Not only would it be morally and ethically pleasing, but just imagine what it would do to pump up the consumer portion of the economy.
It seems to be the year of the boycott. First Glenn Beck's advertisers, and now this:
State and local tourism officials are being flooded by emails and calls from people across the country, saying they won't vacation in South Carolina because they're upset by GOP Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst at President Barack Obama.
So yes, give some money to Rob Miller (over a million from all sources, and rising) but also drop an email to South Carolina and let them know how you really feel. Let them know that you'll never swim, golf, eat, play in their state.
If you want to really have some fun, you can allude back to their previous state tourism promotions. Below are two tourism campaigns run by the state. Both were designed by advertising agencies. One was used for a long time. The other was banned within days of it's launch. See if you can guess which is which.
He's broke, his challenger has raised over $350,000, and it turns out he was one of only 7 in SC legislature to vote to keep the confederate flag flying AND he's a member of the sons of confederate veterans!!!!
We're going to get that seat as well as Cao's seat.
I wrote back:
I disagree. I think its unlikely we pick up his seat. From what I read earlier today his district is very red. His voters likely agree with his comments about Obama.
Well, score this one DocJess: 1, Matt: 0 :
In a matter of seconds Wednesday night Joe Wilson went from being pretty safe for reelection to one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the country.
Wilson trails Democratic challenger Rob Miller 44-43 in a PPP survey conducted Thursday night and Friday morning. Last year Wilson defeated Miller 54-46.
62% of voters in SC-2 disapprove of Wilson's actions while just 29% think they were ok. By a 48-41 margin Republicans think what he did was fine, but independents are opposed to it by a 66/25 margin and Democrats are 84/10. ... It will be interesting to see if there is a push now for Wilson to not seek reelection. In a Republican climate there's no reason this seat should be competitive next year, but as long as Wilson is the GOP candidate it will be. If he stepped aside it would probably go back to being safe Republican. -PPP
Don't you wish election day in SC was today and not 14 months away?
Update: Rob Miller has raised almost $800,000 since Wilson's tirade. You can see the numbers and donate at ActBlue.
Things just got more difficult for SC Gov. Mark Sanford:
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer urged the state’s governor, Mark Sanford, to step down at a Wednesday news conference, saying Mr. Sanford’s “serious misconduct” had made it “virtually impossible for our state to solve the critical problems we’re facing without a change in leadership.”
Mr. Bauer, who would be promoted to governor if Mr. Sanford did resign, also repeated an offer he had floated earlier this summer: that, if the governor stepped down, he would only serve out the remainder of Mr. Sanford’s term and not seek reelection in 2010. -NY Times
Bauer said that if Sanford does not resign, he should impeached and removed from office by the end of the year.
You may have thought that Mark "Don't Cry for me Argentina" Sanford had gone back to work, with private time dedicated to his various personal relationships. I know I had.
But, it turns out that the South Carolina state REPUBLICANS are thinking of throwing him out of office. In a move that surprises even my jaundiced view of the IIE, there is a closed door meeting this weekend in Myrtle Beach.
Lawmakers, once reluctant to discuss removing Sanford, will weigh what it would take to force the Republican governor out and how the process would work.
Republicans expect the meeting — an annual gathering to discuss agenda, issues and politics, and to play golf — will be dominated by discussion of Sanford’s future — and what role the House will play in it.[...]
Senate Republicans have asked Sanford to resign, but he has refused. House leaders, who have been quiet on whether Sanford should resign, have yet to address whether the House should impeach Sanford, saying only it is unlikely the House will do anything before returning to Columbia in January.
But some House members — including state representatives Sanford has targeted in elections — want the governor to go.
Personally, I'll believe that the IIE will hold one of their own responsible when I see it. The party has a long history of allowing their own to do anything, and then protecting them. But, it may be that exile has convinced them that they need to act reasonably. Probably it will just be good golf weather.
Even though Gov. Mark Sanford has seemingly escaped an official investigation of his use of state aircraft, more misuse has been found:
Records reviewed by the AP show that since he took office in 2003, the two-term Republican has taken trips on state aircraft to locations of his children's sporting events, hair and dentist appointments, political party gatherings and a birthday party for a campaign donor.
According to state budget law, "Any and all aircraft owned or operated by agencies of the State Government shall be used only for official business." -AP
In 2006 Sanford used a state plan to return home from a political trip in order to make a haircut appointment. Also that year he used a state plane to attend a meeting of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. And all this from someone who once asked state employees to use both sides of post-it notes to save money.
Since you were glued to the Don't Cry for me Argentina coverage last week (like all political junkies) you are certainly aware that it was the South Carolina newspaper The State that had a large part in the story. It was The State that had received the emails last December. Based on that, it was a reporter from The State who staked out flights coming in from Argentina. Then, The State published the emails. Some of us wondered why they hadn't published sooner, but the explanation that they couldn't confirm the authenticity made sense.
The people calling for Gov. Mark Sanford’s resignation — from The New York Times to state Sen. Jake Knotts — either want to ensure that Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer wins the 2010 gubernatorial election or else haven’t thought through the effect this could have on the outcome of that crucial race.
Reasonable people can disagree over whether it would be better to have Mr. Sanford or Mr. Bauer in the governor’s office for the next 18 months. And if Mr. Bauer were not running for governor, this might be a more difficult call. But Mr. Bauer is running for governor, and it simply is not responsible to overlook the tremendous advantage he would have if he were able to use the bully pulpit of that office for the next year.
You can read the whole thing, but they don't endorse anyone. Just slam Bauer. The only thing they didn't do is repeat the rumour that he's gay.
It's funny - this whole thing could have come out in December when it would have hurt Sanford less because the economy was in free fall, people were focused on out-with-the-horror show-old-in-with-the-new, it was the holidays, Ted Stevens was still a felon, and it would have been just another IIE lowlife. But they held the information. Maybe they thought they would never have to out him for being a philanderer and responsibility-abdicater, and then published the emails only because the cat was out of the bag. Perhaps the reporter who staked out Hartsfield wasn't quite with the program? Whatever. In December, there was a better chance that Sanford's political future could have been saved. (Think David Vitter.)
BUT...
As Oreo wrote when he first posted about the possibility of Bauer being gay, neither he, nor any other progressive, cares who Bauer may want to date. Is there any chance that even the potential of "gay" would make a newspaper throw journalistic ethics away, hide damning emails, and protect a morally-bankrupt straight white guy? The State claims that a governor has a bully pulpit that other candidates wouldn't have. Yes, but, a Lt. Governor also has a bully pulpit that other competitors wouldn't have. Especially when Bauer has disagreed with Sanford on so many substansive issues over the years.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state finds that 55% say Sanford is about as ethical as most politicians. Another 18% say he’s more ethical than his peers, and only 18% say his ethical standards are lower than those for most pols.
Yes, I know that politicians are thought of as being untrustworthy, but we're talking adultery here. Not to mention abdicating all his duties (and his state) for the mistress he loves.
It's truly hard to imagine that most politicians cheat on their spouses.
And I cannot think of a single other elected official not under current indictment who fled the country. (I'm sure if there is one, someone will let me know.)
If South Carolinians, or anyone, believes that just upping and running away from one's job is ethical, they should think what would happen if they just didn't show up to work. And didn't say where they were going nor when they'd be back.
Taxpayer money helped fund Mark Sanford's Argentinian affair, as we reported before. Now, it appears that the governor will be repaying at least part of the money. His statement:
As noted by the Department of Commerce, I attended a trade mission with the Department of Commerce last June. As the agenda notes, the mission was spent meeting with government and private business officials in both Brazil and Argentina. This trip was handled very professionally by the Department of Commerce, and I'm proud of their work there.
However, while the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with. That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip.
Since he's made a number of trips, and has known her for years, it's likely that there is other public money that found its way to helping pay for his affair. So, he doesn't want taxpayer funds for things like health care and education, only for paying off debt (the court case he lost recently). He must really hate debt, since he doesn't even want to pay for his own plane tickets. I read somewhere (but can't find the source) that his most recent trip was funded by frequent flyer miles (which, by extension, would have been earned from trips made on the government dime).
Right now, our poll is running about 50/50 that Sanford will resign. If you haven't voted yet, you can here.
But there's a new sex scandal in South Carolina. Meet Roland Corning, age 65. Former State Legislator. Really recently former Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Soon to be formerly married. And of course, a proud IIE member. No, he's not dead, but the cemetery is integral to the story.
