A House panel weighing removing Gov. Mark Sanford from office concluded that the bulk of 37 ethics charges against the governor are not impeachable offenses.
In a brief meeting Thursday, the committee voted unanimously to remove 18 counts of Sanford using business class tickets and 10 counts of Sanford improperly using [...]
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, has hired Luke Byars, a Spartanburg native, to head Barrett's run for governor.
Byars has served as U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's state director and has run numerous S.C. campaigns including Dole/Kemp in 1996.
Nationally, Byars served as a deputry director for the Republican National Committee.
“There [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford's attorneys have argued lawmakers are attempting to remove the governor from office by "splitting hairs" over whether Sanford violated state Ethics laws.
A panel of House lawmakers considering impeachment is questioning Sanford's attorneys about nine charges from the S.C. State Ethics Commission about whether Sanford's use of state [...]
Butch Bowers, the attorney for Gov. Mark Sanford, said Tuesday Gov. Mark Sanford did not fly from Myrtle Beach to Columbia on the state airplane to get a haircut.
Bowers said Sanford could have gotten his $11 haircut in Myrtle Beach.
"Even if he did come back to get a [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford only used state aircraft for official business, according to a defense compiled by his attorneys in a S.C. State Ethics Commission investigation.
The S.C. Ethics Commission has charged Sanford with nine violations of state ethics laws, including using state aircraft for personal and political use. A House impeachment [...]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod said Thursday, the state should remove the Confederate battle flag from the State House dome because it is hurting the state's recruitment of industry.
McLeod, a Charleston attorney, unveiled his jobs plan centering on tax cuts, small business assistance and creating so-called "green" jobs.
"The Confederate [...]
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has sent out a letter supporting state Rep. Rex Rice's bid for the Congress in the 3rd Congressional District.
Huckabee's letter asks supporters to donate money to Rex' campaign, and touts his positions on social issues, federal spending and taxes.
The two have long been [...]
Former House majority leader Rick Quinn said he will run for the Lexington County House seat being vacated by Rep. Ted Pitts next year.
Quinn was a leading advocate for statewide tax reform, and despite a commission currently studying the tax code and a 2006 statewide property tax relief plan, there [...]
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat, said Tuesday he doesn't see any point in having a federal Navy brig in North Charleston is it's not used to hold detainees.
Recent media reports have surfaced that the White House may soon send Guantanamo Bay detainees to the state although [...]
Kathleen Parker, the S.C.-based conservative syndicated columnist, will speak at the University of South Carolina on Nov. 19.
Parker, whose columns appear in The State, has been invited by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications for its Buchheit Family Lecture Series.
[...]State Sen. Larry Grooms has won an early endorsement in his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination from two S.C. "Tea Party" activists.
The campaign announced Tuesday that organizers of the grass-roots, limited government activists had endorsed Grooms."While other Republicans were enjoying the pork and hiding their votes, Senator Grooms was [...]
State Sen. Larry Grooms has won an early endorsement in his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination from S.C. "Tea Party" activists.
The campaign announced Tuesday that organizers of the grass-roots, limited government activists had endorsed Grooms."While other Republicans were enjoying the pork and hiding their votes, Senator Grooms was building [...]
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett said he has sponsored three bills preventing the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees from being transferred to South Carolina, after gubernatorial rivals criticized his request they co-sign a letter to President Barack Obama opposing the move.
Obama has said he intends to close Guantanamo Bay, which has [...]
But Haley, a Republican, noted that as a member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett has an opportunity to do more than write letters [...]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod has rejected a plea from Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett to write letters to President Barack Obama opposing the transfer of terrorism suspect to a North Charleston naval brig, telling Barrett to "take your letter and shove it."
Barrett, of Westminster, sent out his [...]
The first gubernatorial debate, featuring all ten candidates, will get underway in Orangeburg in the next few minutes. Each candidate will get one minute to answer. Each candidate gets a 30 second rebuttal. ETV will air the program at 8 p.m. today. Stay tuned...
[...]The open seats include the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Lexington County and part of Richland County, the 6th Congressional District, which includes most of Richland County and the Pee Dee and the 4th Congressional [...]
Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, who is running for governor, has released a plan on how to bring more jobs to South Carolina. The plan includes overhauling the state's Chamber of Commerce, promoting the state's technical college system and developing rural communities.
To see the plan, go to http://vincentsheheen.com/issues/economy. [...]Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod pledged he would not run for any higher offices if elected governor, and challenged other candidates to do the same.
A State analysis of Gov. Mark Sanford's calendar showed Sanford had spent more in time the past two years on national issues and a possible presidential [...]
It looks like Democrat Dwight Drake is the only one up for a Nov. 2 debate.
Phil Noble, head of the S.C. New Democrats, and others were attempting to organize a TV debate for that date.
But, according to e-mails provided to The State, Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden, state [...]
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson will be holding a series of town hall meetings in his district Saturday. Wilson, who gained national attention by yelling "you lie" to the president during a joint session of Congress, has vowed to continue to fight against the health care reform bill making its way [...]
Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington,a gubernatorial candidate, has raised nearly $148,000 in the third quarter. She now has about $273,000 heading into the next quarter.
Haley trails far behind U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett and Attorney General Henry McMaster who each have about $1 million in their war chests as well as [...]
Bauer, 40, who has not officially announced his run yet, now has about $825,000 on hand to fuel his campaign. Bauer has said he plans to announce his candidacy by the end [...]
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican who was thrust into the national spotlight for his opposition to President Obama's health care reform, formally announced his plans to run for a second term.
DeMint made the announcement in this video. He has no Republican opposition, and DeMint is expected to [...]
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Dwight Drake has raised $300,295 in the seven weeks since he declared his candidacy, according to a campaign news release.
Drake, a Columbia attorney and former lobbyist, may have posted the largest fundraising quarter among Democrats. Candidates have until next week to disclose with the S.C. Ethics [...]
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett issued the following statement on Barack Obama's Nobel Prize win.
“Congratulations to President Obama on his prize. I'm not sure what the international community loved best; his waffling on Afghanistan, pulling defense missiles out of Eastern Europe, turning his back on freedom fighters in Honduras, coddling [...]
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada and Speaker of the South Carolina House David Wilkins will chair the fundraising efforts for the SC Republican Party’s recently launched “Milliken Match” drive, the party announced Thursday.
Wilkins agreed to lead the effort announced last week, the goal of which is to pay off [...]
U.S. Rep.
Joe Wilson, a Lexington County Republican, has raised more than $2.7 million
from more than 50,000 individual donors this financial quarter. The campaign
will report over $2.6 million cash on hand in its report with the Federal
Election Commission, according to the campaign.
Wilson, once a little known S.C. [...]
Campaign adviser Lachlan McIntosh said the $100,000 is a sign of McLeod's commitment to change in South Carolina. Democratic contender Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, has [...]
S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster released a campaign video today emphasizing the need for S.C. to protect its water resources. McMaster is representing S.C. in a fight with N.C. over control of the Catawba River, which spans both states.
Gov. Mark Sanford's attorneys argued the South Carolina's highest court should rule on whether or not a state ethics panel investigating the governor can turn over its preliminary findings to lawmakers.
Sanford had asked the court to block the commission from releasing the report, which is similar to an indictment and [...]
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who offered to sit out the 2010 gubernatorial race if Gov. Mark Sanford resigned, is set to formally announce his intention to seek the Republican nomination for governor.
Bauer told editors at The Morning News in Florence of his end of month timetable. Bauer has said [...]
Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat running for governor, has reached his $700,000 fund-raising goal for the first three quarters of the year.
Sheheen, a Camden attorney and Democratic front-runner, announced at a Greenville fund-raising stop Tuesday that he's raised a total of about $700,000 since he announced his run. For [...]
Kershaw
County Republican Sheri Few has announced that she is running for House District
79 next year.
Few, who has run for the seat twice before, said her goals will be
to enact tax relief to allow small businesses to create jobs, protect teachers'
salaries from budget cuts and protect [...]
The S.C. Progressive Network will hold its 14th annual fall retreat Oct. 3-4 at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island. Keynote speaker, Bill Fletcher, Jr., a national progressive strategist, will speak about the current political climate and its implications for organizers. Tickets to the event, which is open to [...]
Lexington Rep. Nikki Haley, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, is holding a fundraiser Tuesday evening.
The event, which costs $25, will be held at Hudson's Smokehouse at 5:30 p.m - 7:30 p.m. 4952 Sunset Boulevard.
[...]The state Republican Party has enlisted Spartanburg textile magnate Roger Milliken to help the party pay off the $340,000 mortgage on its Columbia headquarters building.
In addition, the party hopes to spend an addition $160,000 to upgrade the building to meet environmental efficiency standards as well as adding a media center to [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford has established the S.C. Interagency Transportation Coordination Council, which will help transportation agencies streamline their operations and collaborate more effectively.
Sanford signed the executive order Friday, according to a news release from the governor's office.
"We believe this is a small but meaningful step toward better protecting [...]
When asked whether the Confederate battle flag should be removed from the State House grounds, the five GOP gubernatorial contenders sounded a similar note in Tuesday's debate:
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett:"I think we've dealt with that question."
State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley: "It should not be removed. We've had that [...]
Attorney General Henry McMaster said he is taking campaign contributions from attorneys who do business with the state of South Carolina in his bid to become governor. "There's a lot of attorneys, a lot of non-attorneys, who have made contributions to me and my opponents," McMaster said in Tuesday's GOP [...]
During Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial debate in Newberry, the five candidates were asked whether they would be more of a Gov. Carroll Campbell style governor or more of a Gov. Mark Sanford style governor?
* Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he considers himself more of a Gov. Carroll Campbell governor. "He [...]
Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, said she's disappointed with the behavior of her ally, Gov. Mark Sanford. "This has been painful to watch. It has not been a fun summer," Haley said, noting it's time to move beyond the scandal. Haley said there's been much made of media reports about Sanford's [...]
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's recent "You lie" catcall at Pres. Barack Obama was not racially motivated. "We should move forward. He made an apology," Bauer said during Tuesday's first GOP gubernatorial debate in Newberry.
[...]Here's a roundup of GOP gubernatorial candidates' responses to education questions:
* If asked whether S.C. public schools are failing, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett said it's a mixed bag. "If you really looked at the scores, probably so," Barrett said, noting his wife is a first grade school teacher and [...]
When asked how he would help small, minority-owned businesses in South Carolina, Attorney General Henry McMaster stuck to his "low taxes" gun."The main thing is to lower taxes," McMaster told a crowd of about 400 at the Newberry Opera House during the first GOP gubernatorial debate Tuesday. "The best success [...]
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett did not answer a question as to whether S.C. lawmakers should sit down with the NAACP to discuss and possibly resolve the organization's boycott of South Carolina because the Confederate battle flag flies on the State House grounds."I hope that we could come to some type [...]
State Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, said one place where government should be cut is the state lottery. Haley said the lottery commission spends $7 million annually in advertising, encouraging residents to play lottery games. "That money needs to go to education," Haley said.
[...]State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, said creating new manufacturing jobs and growing all types of small businesses is key to South Carolina's future. Also, cutting red tape for small businesses is key, he said. "They need government out of their business," Grooms said.
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer said he won't announce his bid for governor tonight. Calling himself a statesman, Bauer said he's given the governor two months to resign. If that doesn't happen by the end of October, he'll announce his bid. "I think I'm more committed than anyone," Bauer said, comparing [...]
The lights are dimming at the Newberry Opera House where the five GOP gubernatorial contenders will face off for the first time. About 400 people are gathered for the event where candidates will answer questions from WIS's Judi Gatson and others. Stay tuned...
[...]U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a Lexington Republican now infamous for calling President Obama a liar during a joint session of Congress, is becoming a fundraising draw for Republicans.
Wilson, according to The Associated Press, mailed a fundraising letter for one of his Republican colleagues from Virginia.
Here is the AP's story
[...]
Republican Carroll Campbell III is expected to announced a bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, who represents the Charleston area.
Campbell will hold a news conference Wednesday in Mount Pleasant. Campbell will make subsequent campaign stops in Georgetown and Myrtle Beach.
Campbell, of Charleston, is the president of Carroll [...]
A Democratic group has released a TV ad calling U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during the joint session of Congress shameful. Wilson called President Obama a liar.
The ad is being distributed by the Stand Up America political action committee along with a solicitation for donations.
[...]
A point man for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign in South Carolina has signed on to the 2010 gubernatorial campaign of Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the campaign said today.
Trav Robertson, a veteran Democratic campaign adviser, will function in an as-yet unspecified capacity in the Sheheen campaign.
“We are fortunate to [...]
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is circulating a petition demanding congressional Democrats end the calls to discipline U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson. This week, the House passed a resolution largely along party lines that said it disapproved of Wilson calling President Obama a liar during a joint session on Congress.
Steele [...]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dwight Drake is urging voters to voice their disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson calling President Obama a liar during a joint session of Congress.
Drake, a former lobbyist, has a petition on his Web site saying Congress was right to admonish Wilson for his "you lie" [...]
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson today did not apologize to his U.S. House colleagues when he took the floor of the U.S. House as lawmakers debated a resolution of disapproval aimed at Wilson. The Lexington Republican called the president a liar during joint session of Congress last week.
Wilson said again [...]
Roxanne Wilson, the wife of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, said she is proud of her husband, agrees he should have apologized for calling President Obama a liar during and is appreciative Obama graciously accepted Wilson's apology and has apparently moved on.
Roxanne Wilson said she does not agree with the U.S. [...]
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson on Fox News Channel with Chris Wallace. In the interview Wallace said he will not apologize again for yelling "you lie" at President Obama during a joint session of Congress.
[...]The leadership of South Carolina's Republican Party will hold a conference call this afternoon to discuss Gov. Mark Sanford's future.
The call, scheduled for 5 p.m., will follow a mid-afternoon Sanford press conference to discuss "recent political developments."
In July, the S.C. GOP executive committee held an hours-long phone debate before deciding [...]
Richland Rep. Joan Brady is among the 71 House Republicans who signed the letter asking Gov. Mark Sanford to resign.
Sanford, who secretly left the state for five days in June to see his Argentine lover, has been under pressure to resign.
[...]Alan Wilson, a former Lexington County assistant solicitor and state assistant attorney general, announced Monday he will seek the Republican nomination for Attorney General in 2010.
Wilson, the son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, is a veteran of the Iraq War who said he will emphasize protecting state families by prosecuting [...]
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is one of Washington, D.C.'s top party animals, according to Politico.com, a newspaper based in the nation's capitol.
Graham, according to Politico, makes the list because he is outgoing, attends a variety of Washington functions and is quick with one-liners and Southern charm.
Click here [...]Democratic gubernatorial
contender Dwight Drake reiterated his call Friday for the state's constitutional
officers to remove Gov. Mark Sanford from office or explain why they won't.
In a
letter to Attorney General Henry McMaster who is also running for governor,
Drake wrote "the only activity Sanford has engaged in [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford is asking state research universities about their use of planes to conduct business.
In a letter sent yesterday, Sanford's office is asking those universities -- which include Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina -- [...]
Freshman Rep. Tim Scott, R-Charleston, has raised $150,000 in his bid to become lieutenant governor.
Last year Scott became the first African American Republican elected to the Legislature in more than 100 years.
He is a former member of the Charleston County Council, where he served 13 years.
Scott is likely to be [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford's staff has released Sanford's public schedule for this week:
Monday: Orangeburg Kiwanis Club at 1:00 p.m. (2745 Griffith Drive, Orangeburg, SC).
Thursday: Budget and Control Board at 1:30 p.m. (Governor's Conference Room, Wade-Hampton Building).
Among other meetings of note this week, Governor Sanford will be briefed by the Department [...]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dwight Drake is again urging state leaders to remove Gov. Mark Sanford from office, this time in a video entitled "500 days of Sanford."
Last week, Drake called on the state's constitutional officers to remove Sanford. Under the S.C. Constitution, the attorney general, secretary of state, [...]
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn will be in the foursome playing golf with President Barack Obama this week as the president vacations in Martha's Vineyard.
The New York Times reports Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat, will be in the golf foursome that also includes Robert Wolf, the chief executive of UBS, and [...]
Attorney General Henry McMaster will make a formal announcement about his plans to enter the 2010 governor's race at a Columbia small business Tuesday at 11 a.m.
McMaster, who is expected to seek the Republican nomination for governor, will outline his economic development plan at Thermal Engineering Corporation in Columbia.
Friends of first lady Jenny Sanford told the "CBS Early Show" Jenny Sanford is aware she is a role model for women dealing with unfaithful husbands.
"She's very grounded in faith and principles," said Sanford friend Marjory Wentworth. "... Everyone has horrible things happen to [...]
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson will host another town hall meeting to discuss health care. Wilson has moved the meeting to a larger venue, expecting a big crowd.
THURSDAY
What: U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson hosts a town hall
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Lexington High School Cafetorium
Charleston businesswoman Linda Ketner, who lost in her 2008
Congressional bid for the first district, has endorsed state Superintendent of
Education Jim Rex in his bid for governor.
“Jim
Rex is a man of honor and integrity – a real servant leader,” said Ketner. “This economy is in [...]
Democratic gubernatorial contender Mullins McLeod has
begun a petition demanding Gov. Mark Sanford resign from office.
"When Governor Sanford’s behavior was first
exposed, I reserved judgment while others tried to score political points on
what initially appeared to be a personal matter," said McLeod in a prepared
statement.
[...]
House Minority Leader Harry Ott,
D-Calhoun, has decided not to run for governor and is instead backing
Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw.
The two served in the House together
from 2001 to 2004.
"South Carolina is at a pivotal juncture,” Ott said
Tuesday in a prepared statement. “I believe it’s time [...]
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint has been targeted by the Democratic National Committee over his opposition to President Obama's call for Congress to mandate health insurance for all Americans.
DeMint said a failed bid by Obama to get a health care reform plan through Congress would be Obama's "Waterloo." DeMint [...]
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint calls President Obama's health care plan radical and his chief economic policy a failure in an exchange of words between the politicians over the president's efforts to get a health care reform bill through Congress.
President Barack Obama referenced DeMint's comments -- though he did not call him by [...]
Danny Frazier wants a new political title.
The Lexington Town Councilman is running for state representative in the Republican primary in House District 69.
The district sprawls across a mix of established and new neighborhoods in West Columbia, Oak Grove, St. Andrews, the town of Lexington and the south-eastern shore of Lake [...]
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said President Barack Obama has nominated "someone of good character" in U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. But Graham also said he's undecided if he will vote for her.
Monday the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee began its confirmation hearing for Sotomayor, who if confirmed would become [...]
The Senate overrode Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of V-Safe, or the Volunteer Strategic Assistance and Fire Equipment Program Tuesday, by a vote of 41-1. The bill, which Sanford also vetoed last year, and almost apologized for vetoing it again this year, provides grants to volunteer and combination fire departments to [...]
The Senate voted 34-9 Tuesday to override the governor's veto of a bill that restructures the State Ports Authority. The House overrode the bill earlier, and it now becomes law. Several senators took to the floor over a three-hour period to defend the governor's veto, but it was not enough.
[...]The Senate adopted a conference committee report Tuesday that establishes a comprehensive tax study commission. The vote was 41-3.
The proposed commission would consist of 11 members, none of them House or Senate members.
The House-Senate conference committee approved the measure unanimously, which will look at all the state's tax laws and [...]
By one vote House lawmakers overrode Gov. Mark Sanford's veto Tuesday of a bill that prohibits local governments from enacting their own sex offender residency requirements.
If the Senate agrees with the House, local governments must comply with state law, prohibiting offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds [...]
The S.C. House has voted to overturn Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of a bill that creates new rules by which the payday loan industry must conduct business.
The vote, 105-4, means the Senate must also agree by at least two thirds to turn back Sanford's bid to block the bid.
Lawmakers agreed [...]
The Senate voted 33-10 to override Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of a bill Tuesday that gives incentives to out-of-state vendors to subcontract with in-state vendors on projects involving state contracts.
The Small Business Chamber of Commerce said the change in law would help create more jobs and be fairer to in-state [...]
Former S.C. Secretary of State Jim Miles was given the Palmetto Patriot Award in the S.C. Senate today. Miles has resigned as Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's chief of staff and will enter private business summer.
Miles, a Republican, served as secretary of state from 1990-2002. Miles ran for governor in [...]
Look for House Democrats to vote to override all of Gov. Mark Sanford's vetoes today.
The House Democrats said they plan to vote to override Sanford's vetoes on payday lending and a bill to restructure the State Ports Authority.
House Democrats also said they would for a tax realignment study committee [...]
A conference committee has approved a compromise bill to study the state's tax structure.
The 11-member panel would propose changes by next March in an attempt to make state revenues fairer and more efficient and reliable.
The compromise would not include changes to a statewide property tax reform bill for homeowners. The [...]
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint met Wednesday with Columbia native Charles Bolden, who President Obama has nominated to be the next head of NASA.
DeMint, who serves on the Senate Commerce Committee that will vote on Bolden’s nomination, said he will work hard to make sure Bolden is confirmed.
Bolden, a Marine [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford has vetoed a bill that would put limits on the state's payday lending industry. Sanford, known for his libertarian leanings, argued in his veto message that South Carolinians should be free to make whatever financial decision they choose.
Sanford was also disagreed with establishing a statewide database [...]
The Senate passed a payday lending bill today, a controversial measure proponents call a compromise, and consumer advocates call disappointing.
The Senate vote for passage, 41-4, broke a four-month long General Assembly impasse.
Sen. Joel Lourie,D-Richland, a co-sponsor of the compromise amendment that broke impasse, said he expects the House of Representatives [...]
House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, said that even if the Senate strikes an agreement on a payday lending bill, that the House does not want to rush a bill through in the session's final day.
Harrell said the House wants time to consider the Senate version, and was not interested in [...]
