Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Candidates seeking any and every advantage.
UPDATED TO INCLUDE ENDORSEMENTS THROUGH March 26 It's debatable how much endorsements from fellow politicians actually matter in this day and age. That doesn't mean candidates don't seek them out, especially in a competitive race like the one for the First Congressional District. The biggest boost for a candidate in SC1 would be the endorsement of the former occupant of the seat, Tim Scott. But Scott has consistently said he's staying out of the contest. The next most influential endorsement would be from Gov. Nikki Haley. In the last week, multiple sources have told Patch that Sen. Larry Grooms is actively seeking the governor's support. But sources close to Haley told Patch that it won't be coming, and furthermore, Grooms hasn't even …
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The two-term Senator has a number of significant facts working to his advantage.
The latest round of protests against Sen. Lindsey Graham reached a fever pitch when he slammed Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s 13-hour filibuster last Wednesday. Graham's criticism prompted a vocal group of conservatives inside and outside the Palmetto State to think the episode might finally be enough to bounce him from office. But, the fact is Lindsey Graham will likely be re-elected in 2014 to a third term as the senior Senator from South Carolina. Paul was holding up the nomination of John Brennan for CIA chief by protesting the Obama Administration’s policy on drones, a policy that Graham supports. The crux of Paul’s argument was based on the fear that Obama might have the power to use drones against American citizens on American soil. …
Friday, March 1, 2013
The measure passed anyway.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed both Houses of Congress on Thursday without the votes of any of the Republican members of the South Carolina delegation. In response, the likely Democratic nominee in the First Congressional District, Elizabeth Colbert Busch slammed all seven GOP members representing the Palmetto State. “I am horrified by the complete disconnect between the danger that women in South Carolina face, and how their Republican representatives voted,” said Colbert Busch in a statement. South Carolina was recently ranked number two in the U.S. for the rate at which women are killed by men. “These are the very same politicians who are always claiming that they have South Carolinians’ best interests at heart,” said …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A dozen current and former elected officials endorse the longtime Senator.
On Tuesday afternoon, a group of 12 current and former Lowcountry officeholders endorsed the candidacy of Larry Grooms in the First Congressional District race. The following people endorsed Larry Grooms: The endorsements of Keith and Elliot Summey are significant for Grooms as he looks to build his base of support beyond his native Berkeley County. Last week, South Carolina Congressmen Mick Mulvaney and Jeff Duncan endorsed Grooms. North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said, “When Boeing was looking to build their 787 Dreamliner in another state, Larry and three other legislators, rescued the deal and paved the way for the largest economic development project in our state. Larry knows how to get people to work together, a talent greatly …
Friday, January 4, 2013
Bill passes anyway.
Video of Rep. Trey Gowdy discussing his vote against the bill has been embedded to this story. -------------------- On Thursday the US House of Representatives passed a $9.7 billion Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill by a margin of 354 to 67. The bill is intended for flood insurance programs. Four of South Carolina's Republican members of the House--Jeff Duncan, Trey Gowdy, Mick Mulvaney and Joe Wilson--voted against the measure. Tom Rice, of the newly created 7th District, voted in favor of it. Democrat Jim Clyburn did not cast a vote. The delay in passing the bill caused controversy in the Republican Party. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie blasted House Republicans for playing …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Potential appointees come from across the state and with different backgrounds.
Since Jim DeMint announced his resignation from the Senate there has been rampant speculation about who Gov. Nikki Haley might select to become the state's junior senator. There was initially speculation that Haley might choose herself, but on Friday she put that rumor to rest. There was also some thought that Haley might select a so-called placeholder. On Monday, Haley put that suggestion to rest also: “As I continue to consider the impending U.S. Senate vacancy, many have discussed the possibility of a ‘placeholder’ appointee who would pledge to serve for only two years and not seek election to the seat in 2014. While there are some good arguments in favor of that approach, I believe the better case is against it. “I do not want to tie …
Same poll shows Tim Scott the slight favorite among possible Senate candidates.
Last week a poll from Winthrop University showed Gov. Nikki Haley's job disapproval numbers slightly higher than those approving of her performance. On Monday, a poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) showed a wider gap between those who disapprove of Haley's work as governor versus those who approve. The PPP numbers showed 49 percent of voters disapproving of Haley and 42 approving. The Winthrop Poll showed 41.3 and 38.3, respectively. The PPP poll had 520 respondents and the Winthrop poll had 929. The PPP survey was conducted over this past weekend. According to PPP, Haley's polling numbers rank her 35th out of 43 sitting governors. The full poll is attached to this article. Elsewhere in the PPP results, Tim Scott (R-1) is the preferred …
Friday, November 23, 2012
Republican House members part of group of 97 who oppose Rice promotion.
Most of South Carolina’s Congressional delegation is at odds over Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Rice has been mentioned as a possible successor to Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, but before her candidacy is even official it’s encountered strong opposition, particularly from South Carolina’s Republicans. The opposition stems from comments that Rice made while appearing on Sunday talk shows following the attack on the United States embassy in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11 that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. During her appearances, Rice said that the attack on the embassy was spontaneous, when later investigations proved that it had been coordinated. Last Wednesday, Rice said …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Constitutional Amendment passes; Haley's endorsees have mixed results.
Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term as 44th President of the United States on Tuesday. Obama defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by 332-206 in the Electoral College and by 1.7 million total votes, 56.7 to 55. Obama captured every state he won in 2008 except for Indiana and North Carolina. South Carolina easily went to Romney, one of the first states to go into his column. ---------- All six of South Carolina's Congressmen won re-election. Tim Scott (R-1), Jeff Duncan (R-3), Trey Gowdy (R-4) all won with 60 percent (or more) of the vote. Joe Wilson (R-2) and James Clyburn (D-6) ran unopposed. Mick Mulvaney (R-2) won his race over Joyce Knott 55-45 percent. The first occupant of the seat…
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Tracking the Presidential and congressional races.
Updated results: If you don't see election results above, or you're on a mobile device, click here for results. 8:15 a.m.: SC Influential Conservatives Say Romney Won Ground Game Former Gov. Mitt Romney won the South Carolina ground game on the way to the presidency, said participants in our final Red Palmetto survey of nearly 100 influential conservatives across South Carolina. Of the 30 conservatives who responded to our final poll, 63.3 percent said Romney "by a wide margin" had the best ground game. And 46.7 percent said Romney had the better media/advertising effort in the state. But convincing undecideds, which lis a goal of large advertising buys and compelling efforts on the ground, is not an important piece of winning South …
Ajay Jain
4:18 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013
Watch the ONLY debate between Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Mark Sanford and decide who to vote for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpPy5u7EszM more ›