They say you shouldn’t talk politics at the bar. But, when every waking moment is spent dealing with politics — and a number of slumbering ones (don’t even say you haven’t had a dream about legislation or a campaign), it’s impossible not to talk shop.

Several years ago, we thought of doing something called “Drunk Pundit.” The idea would be that we’d be outside a bar, or on a back deck, dressed in a suit and a fedora, and talk some random bullshit about a leading topic of the day. A friend of ours came up with the idea after a few nights of going out to bars and noticing we could pull together a brilliant Lewis Black-esque takedown. Needless to say, that idea never came to fruition.

Then there was the plan with this site to go to a random local bar with an elected official/consultant/lobbyist and do something similar, but that didn’t go as planned, either. Fortunately, consultant and Senate Republican Caucus political director Wesley Donehue had a similar idea, and this one worked.

The idea, called, “Happy Hour,” includes a point-counterpoint idea. The first one featured Donehue and Senate Democratic Caucus director Phil Bailey at Flying Saucer in the Vista.

The S.C. Republican Party state operations account was pretty active over the last four months, as the party went to pay off its mortgage. It’s a little strange to see a state party drop half a million in an off year, but if you’ve got the cash, spend it.

SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY
State operations account
Contributions: $408,821.90
Expenditures: $500,609.62
Cash-on-hand: $73,011.94

Significant contributions
S.C. Coastal Conservation League, $400
Non-profit
BMW Manufacturing, $5,000
Auto company
Joe Edens, $15,000
Real estate executive
Roger Milliken, $12,121.30, $50,000, $20,000, $90,000
President of Milliken & Co.
Harry Cato, $5,000
State representative
Dan Cooper, $5,000
State representative
James Harrison/House District 75 Campaign Fund, $5,000
Campaign committee
Robert Royall, $5,000
Former Commerce secretary
Progress Energy, $5,000
Energy company
Jim Dyke, $5,000
Consultant
Joe Wilson for Congress Committee, $25,000
Campaign committee
James Edwards, $1,000
Former governor

Significant expenditures
Gadsden & Greene Strategies (direct mail), $440, $520
Under the Power Lines (media services), $2,000×2, $200
New Level Strategies (media services), $3,750×3
Northbound Design (Web design), $2,899, $2,396
Direct Mail Systems (direct mail), $2,688, $1,694.09
Richard Quinn & Associates (poll), $12,250
FLS Connect (fundraising), $2,169.05

Larry Marchant, the gentleman who runs the Palmetto Policy Group and shills for big-time insurance and private school choice, apparently won’t use his stacks of the long green to call a cab. God forbid — that’s what the poors do! So, he got pulled for driving under the influence just after midnight on Dec. 23.

You see, the thing about Larry is that he has a tendency to speed. That’s what led to this charge.

DURING THE LISTED INCIDENT DATE AND APPROX TIME REPORTING OFFICER WAS SITTING STATIONARY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY FACING WEST BOUND ON THE 2500 BLOCK OF DEVINE STREET RUNNING STALKER II RADAR. REPORTING OFFICER OBSERVED THE LISTED VEHICLE TRAVELING EAST BOUND ON THE 2400 BLOCK OF DEVINE STREET AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. SPEED WAS CONFIRMED BY STALKER II RADAR AT 47 MPH IN A 30 MPH ZONE. REPORTING OFFICER INITIATED A TRAFFIC STOP ON THE 2600 BLOCK OF DEVINE STREET. UPON CONTACT WITH THE LISTED SUBJECT, WHO WAS THE DRIVER OF LISTED VEHICLE, REPORTING OFFICER DID SMELL A STRONG ODOR OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COMING FROM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SUBJECT STATED THAT HE WAS COMING FROM HAVING A FEW DRINKS. REPORTING OFFICER ASKED SUBJECT TO EXIT AND STEP TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. SUBJECT HAD A STRONG ODOR OF ALCHOLIC BEVERAGE ABOUT HIS BREATH AND PERSON, SPOKE WITH SLURRED SPEECH, AND WAS UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. REPORTING OFFICER CONDUCTED HORIZONTAL
GAZE NYSTAGMUS TEST, WALK AND TURN TEST, AND ONE LEG STAND TEST ON THE LISTED SUBJECT, WHO DID FAIL ALL THREE TESTS GIVEN. DURING HORIZONTAL GAZE NYSTAGMUS SUBJECT HAD LACK OF SMOOTH PUSRSUIT IN BOTH EYES, DISTINCT AND SUSTAINED NYSTAGMUS AT MAXIMUM DEVIATION IN BOTH EYES AND ONSET OF NYSTAGMUS PRIOR TO 45 DEGREES IN HIS RIGHT EYE. SUBJECT ALSO CONTINUED TO MOVE HIS HEAD DURING THE TEST AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED SEVERAL TIMES NOT TO DO SO. DURING THE WALK AND TURN TEST, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED ON A FLAT AND LEVEL SURFACE, SUBJECT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP BALANCE DURING INSTRUCTIONS, SUBJECT STARTED BEFORE BEING TOLD TO DO SO, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO TOUCH HEEL TO TOE WHILE WALKING AND STEPPED OFF OF THE LINE SEVERAL TIMES. DURING ONE LEG STAND SUBJECT PUT HIS FOOT DOWN TWICE, CONTINUED TO USE ARMS TO KEEP BALANCE AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED NOT TO DO SO, AND SWAYED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP BALANCE. SUBJECT WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, AND SPEEDING 47/30. SUBJECT WAS THEN READ HIS MIRANDA WARNING. SUBJECT WAS TRANSPORTED TO CPD HEADQUARTERS WHERE HE WAS READ HIS IMPLIED CONSENT RIGHTS AND WAS OFFERED A BREATH ALCOHOL ANALYSIS TEST, WHICH HE REFUSED. SUBJECT STATED THAT HE DID WISH TO HAVE AN INDEPENDANT TEST OF HIS OWN CHOOSING CONDUCTED, BUT REFUSED TO ADVISE REPORTING OFFICER WHERE HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT DONE AT. SUBJECT WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO A.S.G.D.C. LISTED VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE BY ELGINS TOW SERVICE LOCATED AT 1220 LAURENS ST. SUBJECT’S SCDL WAS MAILED TO THE SCMDV ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE NOTICE OF SUSPENSION DUE TO THE SUBJECT’S REFUSAL TO TAKE A BREATH ALCOHOL ANALYSIS TEST.

Lt. Gov. André Bauer has allied himself with Marchant, and considering Bauer’s adventures behind the wheel, this could turn out bad for his campaign. As well, there are rumors about other campaigns that may have enlisted the services of the Marchant consulting firm that was created in May, but we won’t know those for sure until the Jan. 10 disclosure reports.

The police report

President Abe Lincoln has got his $5-bill hat worn to the side because he’s laid back, like the state parties’ financial operations, at least dealing with the Federal accounts, in November. There was a little fundraising, usual payments, a little action to stay active, but nothing that screamed out anything interesting. Except, that is, a poll paid for by the Democrats. That looked interesting.

S.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Contributions: $90,565.14
Expenditures: $78,397.16
Cash-on-hand: $54,371.22

Contributions of note
Marguerite Willis, $500
Attorney, Nexsen Pruet
Lawrence Chewning Jr., $500
Oral surgeon, Chewning & McDonald
Stephen Wukela, $1,000
Attorney, Wukela Law Firm
Ronald Maxwell, $1,000
Attorney, Maxwell Law Firm
Sun City Hilton Head Democratic Club, $1,000
Local party
Joe Erwin, $1,000
Former S.C. Democratic Party chairman
Charles Patrick, $1,000
Attorney; Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brick
General Electric PAC, $2,500
Corporate PAC
AREVA, COGEMA, Framatome ANP PAC, $1,500
Nuclear energy PAC
IBEW-COPE, $2,500
Electrical workers’ PAC

Expenditures of note
Schedule B
Brilliant Corners (research consultant), $30,000

Schedule H4
American Airlines (airfare), $207.70
ResultsMail (email marketing), $625

S.C. REPUBLICAN PARTY
Contributions: $46,329
Expenditures: $38,843
Cash-on-hand: $39,936.30

Contributions of note
Mary Davis, $500
Retired
First Command PAC, $5,000
Financial services PAC
Shirley Knox, $1,000
Homemaker

Expenditures of note
Schedule B
On The Mark (printing), $9,470.90
Under The Power Lines (Web services), $2,000
Homeyer Strategy Group (fundraising consulting), $2,500
Fisherman’s Wharf Sheraton (lodging), $1,013.72
US Airways (airfare), $674.80

Schedule H4
New Level Strategies (communications consulting), $3,750
Northbound Design (Web design), $2,899

Gov. Mark Sanford hasn’t learned a damn thing from 2006 and 2008, if a recent post by political operative and friend of Sanford, Jeffrey Sewell, is to be believed. In the past two cycles, Sanford has tried with poor success to enlist allies like Howard Rich to help him take out fellow Republicans in primary fights. The last time, we were proud to be a part of the effort to shine some transparency on the plans between Sanford, Will Folks and S.C. Club for Growth to do it.

Right now, the Governor as a ton of money in his gubernatorial campaign account. More than $1.8 million, and in fact, for a significant amount of time, people were wondering what the hell the philanderer in the Governor’s Mansion was going to do with all that junk, all that junk in his trunk. Well, here we go again.

Sources close to the governor confirm to SCHotline.com that there is in fact ‘Enough dirt to bury prominent grandstanding adversaries’ built over seven years of opposition research. Our sources tell us this could be “lost trust times ten”… Developing…

We sincerely hope that asshole (and we could think of some more uncouth names to call him) tries to pull the same crap he has the past two cycles. Bring it on, fool.

The past week has seen some interesting polls put into the field, one by the Republican-leaning Rasmussen and one by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. Depending on who you believe and what you believe, you’ll come out from looking at the polls with your own idea about South Carolina’s U.S. senators.

The Rasmussen poll took a look at the dichotomy between U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham. For almost five years, it’s been pretty clear that the Palmetto State’s representatives in the nation’s most deliberative body are fairly different fellows. You can explain it this way and that, but it comes down to this: DeMint won’t compromise with Democrats. Graham will. Everything beyond that is spin for whichever side you support.

According to the poll, which has a 4.5 percent margin of error and a sample of 500 people, 38 percent want the S.C. Republican Party to be more like DeMint. About 32 percent want it to be more like Graham. The balance doesn’t know or doesn’t care. The favorability/unfavorability ratings for both men are about the same — which is to say, they’re both a little more than 60/30 positive, with the difference between the senators being within the margin of error.

According to Real Clear Politics, that looks good for DeMint keeping his seat in next year’s election.

DeMint’s favorable rating in this survey is 63 percent, while 25 percent have an unfavorable view. That number is certainly in the range where incumbents can be considered safe.

But hey, PPP is giving Democrats some hope. That poll had a margin of error of 4.1 percent and a sample size of 570 people. The rub here is that President Barack Obama, DeMint and Graham are all below 50 percent approval (O: 46, D: 44, G: 43). The real difference is that Obama’s negatives are pegged at 49 while the GOP senators have much lower negative ratings (D: 29, G: 35). Also, support for the Democratic health care plan is just getting hammered here, 53-35 against.

Democrats looking for a positive outlook could play up the 47-38 advantage DeMint has over a generic Democratic opponent. That gets donkey types breaking out their “The Candidate” DVDs to analyze the McKay-Jarmon race. We’re still extremely suspect of any chance a Democrat has of defeating DeMint next year. The “generic Democrat” number is bolstered because Democrats really don’t like DeMint, and there’s an anti-incumbency vibe going down (like ‘92, ‘94, ‘06 and ‘08).

Unless there’s a seriously game-changing event in this race, we’re still putting the over/under at DeMint by 10.

Going into November, the S.C. Democratic Party raised more money spent less money and had more cash on hand in its federal account than its counterpart at the S.C. Republican Party, but didn’t do much with it. The Republicans, on the other hand, were pretty active on the Internet, printing, polling and fundraising.

S.C. REPUBLICAN PARTY
Contributions: $34,484.51
Expenditures: $62,340.61
Cash on Hand: $32,450.34

Contributions of note
None.

Expenditures of note
Schedule B
Drea Byars (fundraising consulting), $2,600
FLS Connect LLC (fundraising), $2,169.05
On The Mark (printing), $1,798.20
Under The Power Lines (Web services), $2,000, $6,000
Direct Mail Systems (direct mail), $1,694.09, $2,688

Schedule H4
Gadsden & Greene Strategies (letterhead and envelopes), $520
New Level Strategies LLC (media services), $3,750
Northbound Design (Web design), $2,396
Richard Quinn & Associates (survey research), $12,250
Under The Power Lines (media services), $200

S.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Contributions: $60,370.30
Expenditures: $46,566.17
Cash on Hand: $42,203.24

Contributions of note
New Jersey Democratic State Committee, $25,000

Expenditures of note
None.

What’s the matter with Spartanburg County? It’s always something with those guys. This week, The Herald-Journal revisited the resolution that was passed by the county Republican Party executive committee this summer, as campaigns are gearing up for the 2010 run. To speak to the executive committee (and the rule will likely begin to move to precinct organizations, if not already), the candidate has to sign a statement saying he or she supports the S.C. Republican Party platform and the U.S. Constitution.

We can see it now. Candidate X looks at the thing and exclaims, “No illegal search and seizure? No forced quartering of soldiers? This thing is bullshit.”

Really, though, the issue is more the SCGOP platform. If a candidate has disagreements, those must be explained. Former county chairman Rick Beltram, not above his own strange actions, said the new rule “smacks of Nazism.” Hyperbole aside, it looks to us as one more bomb thrown into the internal state Republican battle.

In the movie “Reds,” John Reed’s wife, played by Diane Keaton, finally gets fed up with his shenanigans, lecturing him about the idiocy of fighting to see “which part of the left of the left is the real Communist Party in America.” This is more like fighting over which part of the right of the right is the real Republican Party in South Carolina.

The precinct this all came from is West View B, which is represented by former House candidate Ken Roach on the executive committee. He said that “the idea was borne out of a desire to bring more transparency to campaigns, to go beyond the ’slick mail pieces’ that inform many voters.” Well, Roach would know. In his primary campaign against Rep. Mike Forrester last year, he had a few “slick mail pieces” attacking his opponent done on his behalf by groups like South Carolinians for Responsible Government.

Seventh Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, laid out exactly what’s going down.

“If you’re using it and it’s a fair tool, where you say, ‘Look, if you disagree, we’re not going to prevent you from speaking, we’re not going to summarily execute you, we just want to know the areas where you disagree,’ then that’s fine,” Gowdy said. “… But there are two things that turn people off: People who are running as something they are not for political expediency, and … the moral vanity that causes someone to think they can pick who the ‘real Republicans’ or ‘real Christians’ or ‘real Americans’ are.”

Gowdy said a litmus test designed to weed out people who score 99 out of 100 on a test resulted in “cannibalism.”

Numbers from the October monthly federal fund disclosures revel that the S.C. Republican Party holds a money lead on its Democratic counterparts by more than two-to-one. The SCGOP also raised more money than the S.C. Democratic Party over the period, though the Democrats spent more.

S.C. REPUBLICAN PARTY
Contributions: $37,075.03
Expenditures: $40,347.96
Cash on Hand: $60,306.44

Notable contributions
Tobin Cassels, $2,500
President, Southeastern Freight Lines
William Tobin Cassels, $2,500
CEO, Southeastern Freight Lines
Nelson Mullins, $1,000
Law firm
SCANA Corporation Federal PAC, $5,000
Energy PAC

Notable disbursements
Direct Mail Service (direct mail), $2,871.56, $454
Homeyer Strategy Group (fundraising consulting), $2,500
Richard Quinn & Associates (survey research), $3,250
Under the Power Lines (Web services), $2,000, $415
Jump! Media Services (Web services), $370
Grand Hyatt Washington (lodging), $1,306.34, $867.96
Sam Holland Photography (photography, Silver Elephant), $2,186.50

S.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Contributions: $26,171.34
Expenditures: $49,722.75
Cash on Hand: $28,399.11

Notable contributions
Walt McLeod, $50
State representative
Jay Cox, $1,000
President, Tuomey Healthcare Systems
DNC, $5,000 (transfer)
National committee
Unitemized Contributions/Dollars for Democrats, $24,249

Notable expenditures
ResultsMail (email marketing) $522.30

The S.C. Republican Party is working on taking a new direction on Internet involvement, starting with the video below featuring a number of people, including RNC National Committeeman Glenn McCall of York County. It looks to be a part of the continual work of reestablishing the party’s brand, something that nationally was talked about following the November ‘08 elections.

It’s a well-done spot, and something that the Democrats should have been doing already, if they wanted to capitalize on last year’s success. It’s not like one party has a corner on Web effectiveness, but the state GOP seems to be putting the state Dems to shame on this one.