Earlier on Monday, we say a post the child did on Sen. Vince Sheheen. We didn’t pay it much mind, because we don’t pay the person writing it much mind. But, later on in the day, we were alerted to a certain phrase in the post. That line did ring a bell at the time, but there were more important things to do.

Sheheen doesn’t speak with an accent any worse than other well-educated state leaders that are South Carolina natives, but whatever. Witness:

That wording was used in something else he wrote — the ultimately failed blueprint to turn the General Assembly into Gov. Mark Sanford’s rubber stamp.

Guess everybody not from the Lowcountry’s landed class is a bumpkin these days.

Columbia man-about-town and former Rep. Bubba Cromer is quite a character. Even at 140 characters. The sasquatch enthusiast and white-trash chronicler had a burst of inspiration concerning the divorce proceedings between Gov. Mark Sanford and now-former First Lady Jenny Sanford. It’s best read in the voice of our gubernatorial lothario.

Don’t Look 4 me in the courtroom
My Lawyers stand in 4 me
Divorce Ct. Scares Me
My courage skimpy
Just read my statement
And call me WIMPY!

Brilliance knows many mediums.

It appears Lt. Gov. André Bauer has used funds from unknown sources and from his lieutenant governor campaign account to promote his bid for governor. If that is the case, it would be a violation of S.C. campaign ethics laws. At the very least, reporters should inquire about the funding source of Bauer’s recent television advertisement and his use of re-election campaign resources to benefit his gubernatorial campaign.

On Feb. 20, Bauer sent out an email to his supporters asking them to contribute to his race for the Republican nomination for governor. The email contained the logo for his gubernatorial campaign and contained a link to the campaign Web site. The only problem is, the email contained the disclosure that it was paid for by “The Committee to Re-Elect Andre Bauer.” That suggests that the email was paid for with money from the lieutenant governor account, which is forbidden by state law.

Specifically, the law in the S.C. Code of Laws is Section 8-13-1350. In part, it reads, “A contribution solicited for or received on behalf of the candidate is considered solicited or received for the candidacy for which the individual is then a candidate if the funds or contributions are solicited or received before the general election for which the candidate is a nominee or is unopposed.”

In plain English, it simply means that money raised for one office cannot be used to further a campaign of the same individual for a different office. Normally, candidates receive permission from contributors and then transfer funds from one committee to another, which is legal.

You may have already seen Bauer’s first advertisement of his gubernatorial effort. Again, it appears that his campaign is playing fast-and-loose with the rules again. An announcer says it was paid for by “Citizens for Andre Bauer.” Yet, according to the State Ethics Commission, no committee of that name is registered with the state. Bauer’s Web site lists “Andre Bauer for Governor” as the committee of record.

Again, it raises the question as to whether Bauer is using money from one committee to benefit another, or whether his campaign is just that incompetent, not keeping up with what the campaign committee is actually named.

The treasurer for “Citizens for Andre Bauer” that was listed on forms submitted for the advertisement to Columbia’s WIS-TV is Hank Page. Interestingly, Page is a state employee who works in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. While state law is forgiving of what public employees do in their off-hours, if anything involving the campaign happened during work hours that would be a violation of the law, as well.

According to Section 8-13-1346, “A person may not use or authorize the use of public funds, property, or time to influence the outcome of an election.” The only exceptions are ones that are relevant to conducting public business, such as creating informational newsletters, other informational products, setting up public meetings and responding to inquiries from the media concerning a ballot measure.

For more than 10 years, Bauer’s consultant of record has been one of the more colorful figures in S.C. politics, Irmo’s Rod Shealy. For this campaign, Bauer’s been splitting his money between well-known Virginia consultant Chris LaCivita and Columbia lobbyist Larry Marchant’s Black Label Strategy. However, it has been reported that Shealy is still very involved in Bauer’s latest gambit.

While he also publishes community newspapers, Shealy’s claim to fame in this state is what can only be called his circumspect campaign tactics. Perhaps the most well-known of his antics happened in 1990, when he offered to pay an unemployed black fisherman to run for Congress from Charleston as a Republican. By entering a black candidate in the primary, Shealy is alleged to have hoped to scare white voters to the polls in the hopes of helping his sister in her GOP primary bid to become lieutenant governor. The activity spurred a state investigation that led to a fine by the State Ethics Commission. In an interview with Harper’s magazine in October 2007, Shealy called it, “a campaign violation for failing to disclose a candidate I dreamed up.”

But that’s not all.

In 2007, a robo-call with racist overtones was launched in the special election runoff between Randy Bates and Rep. Shannon Erickson for House District 124. Rumors among Beaufort County political insiders implicated Shealy in the move. His son, R.J., was managing Bates’ campaign and denied the campaign was involved.

When Sen. Tom Davis was making his run in 2008, he became engaged in a primary battle against then-Sen. Catherine Ceips, who hired Shealy as her consultant. Over the years, Davis had a house in Beaufort that had rooms for rent, at times to reporters from the Beaufort Gazette. During the period of leaving his position as Gov. Mark Sanford’s chief-of-staff and announcing his campaign, he began renovating the residence with the intention of making it his own.

Reportedly, Bates, who was Ceips’ chief of staff, showed up with a translator to the house and encountered a supposed illegal alien named Josias Mirales Ayala. This came on the heels of Davis’ wife securing contractors with the express intent that everyone working on the house would be legal, documented workers. The man who owned the company painting the house said he never employed anyone by that name.

Bauer knew of Shealy’s reputation when he hired him for his run for state representative in the ‘90s, and kept him on for his special election race for state senate and the 2002 and 2006 lieutenant governor’s races. Needless to say, those decisions cast some light on Bauer’s evaluation of whom he wants close to him and what he is willing to get into for his campaigns.

Starting in summer of 2009 and continuing into this year, South Carolinians have been inundated with more than they would like to know about the personal life and personal shortcomings of the Governor. In addition to everything else resulting from his behavior, the State Ethics Commission launched an investigation into Sanford’s misappropriation of state funds and campaign donations. An exhaustive initial investigation revealed 37 potential ethics violations.

During the discussion of whether the Governor should be impeached, censured or resign, more than a few people expressed concern about Bauer assuming the state’s highest office. Most South Carolinians already know the famous incidents – the plane crash, speeding at over 100 miles-per-hour and the like. But, it also involved his campaign practices.

It wouldn’t make much sense to replace one man with personal behavioral and professional ethics problems with another one.

Haven’t had enough of watching Gov. Mark Sanford getting publicly filleted because of his misdeeds in his personal life? You may be in luck. A Thursday report from The Post & Courier says a hearing regarding the divorce hearing of Sanford v. Sanford will be open to the all-seeing electronic eye.

Per the story, at least three television networks have asked to broadcast the proceedings, with requests to do it live. While the philandering Governor does not have to attend, the still-current First Lady Jenny Sanford will probably have to testify.

It’s no doubt that a lot, if not most, people in South Carolina would like to put this whole episode behind them and let the Sanfords deal with their personal issues on their own. But, you can’t slag on news organizations, because this hearing certainly fits in with the best definition of “newsworthy.”

Whether U.S. Rep. Henry Brown had the support in the First District to win reelection, he certainly had the cash-on-hand to run the full-out effort needed to win the seat. Every body else is getting in the game late, and Tumpy Campbell would be facing a Mulvaney-esque deficit in comparison. Also, Gov. Mark Sanford still has money, and it’s just sitting there, as it always does.

Not running:
HENRY BROWN
Republican
Contributions: $65,038.42
Expenditures: $14,365.12
Cash-on-hand: $724,324.18

Significant contributions
Chip Campsen, $1,000
State senator
Ray Cleary, $500
State senator
Butler Derrick, $500
Former U.S. representative
Arthur Ravenel, $250
Former U.S. representative

Significant expenditures
None.

MARK SANFORD
Republican
Contributions: $0
Expenditures: $0
Cash-on-hand: $127,342.25

Significant contributions
None.

Significant expenditures
None.

Active candidates:
TUMPY CAMPBELL
Republican
Contributions: $24,865
Expenditures: $33,001.91
Cash-on-hand: $42,693.50

Significant contributions
Mark Buyck, $1,000
Attorney
Gedney Howe, $500
Attorney

Significant expenditures
20/10 Design (Web site design), $1,800
J.R. Rowell Printing (printing), $1,266.35, $102.13, $1,922.10, $677.25
Littlefield Consulting (consulting), $2,783.63, $2176.99, $1,758.43
Millard Mulé (consulting), $3,000×2, $3,087.66
UPT Strategies (consulting), $2,696.01, $2,008.21, $1,750

ROBERT BURTON
Democrat
Contributions: $2,950
Expenditures: $4,891.83
Cash-on-hand: $3,058.17
(Loan: $5,000)

Significant contributions
None.

Significant expenditures
None.

This is why this feature needs to be done after each day the General Assembly is in session. Like a college football team playing its first game of the year, we were a little rusty out of the gate — and absent-mindedly short of AAA batteries for the voice recorder. Regardless, a lot happened in the first week of this year’s session, and here’s a few of the highlights.

TUESDAY
HOUSE
Statement from Rep. Ted Pitts

• Today, on the first day of the 2010 legislative year, it disappoints me that I cannot be there at the opening of what will be my last year as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. If plans do not change, the next time I step on the floor of the House, it will be as a former member. Serving the County and State I love so much in the S.C. House has been one of the greatest honors of my life and the memories and friendships will be cherished. The House truly is a great institution, bigger than any one person and an embodiment of what our Founding Fathers intended, with South Carolinians deciding collectively through a representative democracy, what is best for South Carolina. During 2010, I have been called to serve our State and Country in a different place and on a different front. Like many after the attacks of 9/11, I found myself wanting to do my part to protect and defend the greatness of this Country. It is now my turn to go do my part in the ‘War on Terror’ as a Captain in the South Carolina National Guard, like Luke 12:48 says “To those much is given, much is expected.”

Special presentation

• Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell and the Charleston delegation presented former Rep. Wallace Scarborough with a showing of their thanks for his service in the General Assembly.

Reported out of committee favorably

• H. 4219, sponsored by Rep. Jim Harrison, a censure resolution of Gov. Mark Sanford. It was ordered to be taken up on Wednesday.

SENATE
Introduced

• S. 1040, by Sen. Mike Rose, to allow games of Texas hold ‘em, or any other poker game, to be played at Federal military installations in the state, as permitted by the base commander.

Received from the House

• H. 4022, by Ted Pitts, to provide that firearms, ammunition and accessories manufactured and kept in South Carolina are exempt from Federal firearms laws.

Debate interrupted

• S. 424, by Sen. Lee Bright, relating to the rights of South Carolinians under the Ninth and 10th Amendments. A strike-and-replace amendment to the bill was offered, to address actions by Congress relating to health care and bailouts. The action surprised Democrats, who began a filibuster.

WEDNESDAY
HOUSE
Motion

• Rep. Tom Young requested that the House adjourn in memory of former state Treasurer Grady Patterson.

Introduced

• H. 4298, by Rep. Joan Brady, related to reform of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
• H. 4299, by Rep. Dan Cooper, to allow spending flexibility among public schools in a number of areas.
• H. 4303, by Rep. Kenny Bingham, immediate reforms to the Employment Security Commission, including parameters for disqualifying some applicants and upgrading technology.
• H. 4327, By Rep. Mike Sottile, to provide an exception to Sunday beer and wines laws, so as to allow an establishment already allowed to sell beer and wine to purchase a permit that would allow them to sell on Sunday.

Reported out of committee favorably

• H. 4253, sponsored by Rep. Tim Scott, a concurrent resolution to urge the Department of Commerce to start a business recruitment initiative that emphasized South Carolina’s right-to-work status.

Ordered to third reading

• H. 3279, by T. Young, to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow the voters to decide as to whether they would support removing the secretary of state from the number of constitutional officers on the ballot. It passed, 77-41.

Passed

• H. 4219, by Harrison, to censure the Governor. The concurrent resolution passed with a margin of 102-11. Most no votes were by Democrats who wanted to see a sterner resolution.

Debate adjourned

• Debate was adjourned for two bills relating to the budget until Feb. 2. One was the actual budget bill (H. 3561), and the other was a bill to amend the tax code (H. 3854, by Cooper).
• H. 3543, by Brady, implementing a dating violence policy to help local school districts to develop their own policies and to create reporting requirements. Rep. Walt McLeod wanted to see how much such a measure would cost, and requested the bill be taken back up on Jan. 20.
• H. 3280, by T. Young, to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow the voters to decide as to whether they would support removing the superintendent of education from the number of constitutional officers on the ballot.
• H. 3608, by Rep. David Mack, to establish early voting centers, a way for a voter to register and vote early, and other matters related to the issue.

SENATE
Introduced

• S. 1042, by Sen. Jake Knotts, to allow teachers to administer corporal punishment on school grounds without being subject to civil or criminal penalties, and extending that protection to administrators and the district.

Reported out of committee favorably

• H. 3488, by Rep. James Smith, to develop a committee to address veterans’ issues.

Recalled, sent to committee

• H. 4219, by Harrison, to censure the Governor. Knotts suggested that the bill should go through the normal committee process, and the resolution was sent to the Judiciary Committee.

Passed on second reading

• S. 1027, by Sen. Yancey McGill, to prohibit hunters from using dogs on private property without permission.

Debate interrupted

• S. 424, by Bright, relating to the rights of South Carolinians under the Ninth and 10th Amendments. A strike-and-replace amendment to the bill was offered, to address actions by Congress relating to health care and bailouts. Democrats continued their filibuster.

THURSDAY
HOUSE
Special presentation

• Harrell and the Charleston delegation presented Mack with his Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Picture Award for “going above and beyond” his service to the community.

Introduced

• H. 4336, by Cooper, to extend the deadline for a report and recommendations from the Taxation Realignment Commission from March 15 to Nov. 15.
• H. 4348, by Rep. Anton Gunn, to require minutes of full committees and subcommittees of the House be recorded by voice recorder, archived, available online and to require that votes on all actions be taken by roll call vote.

Ordered to third reading

• H. 4299, by Cooper, to allow spending flexibility among public schools in a number of areas.

Ordered to third reading, as amended

• H. 4303, by Bingham, immediate reforms to the Employment Security Commission, including parameters for disqualifying some applicants and upgrading technology. It passed, 112-1.

Rejected

• H. 3279, by T. Young, to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow the voters to decide as to whether they would support removing the secretary of state from the number of constitutional officers on the ballot. It failed by lacking a two-thirds majority, 72-38.

Adopted and sent to Senate

• H. 4253, sponsored by Scott, a concurrent resolution to urge the Department of Commerce to start a business recruitment initiative that emphasized South Carolina’s right-to-work status.

Debate adjourned

• H. 3280, by T. Young, to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow the voters to decide as to whether they would support removing the superintendent of education from the number of constitutional officers on the ballot.

SENATE
Introduced

• S. 1053, by Sen. Glenn McConnell, to mandate that no fee, penalty or tax can be raised in the general appropriations bill, and only by separate legislation, and to provide exemptions.

Passed on second reading as amended

• S. 517, by Sen. Tom Davis, to prevent any part of state government from administratively raising a fee or penalty without said increase first being approved by the General Assembly. The provision would expire at the end of the session.

Ordered to third reading

• H. 3488, by J.E. Smith, to develop a committee to address veterans’ issues.

Passed on third reading, sent to House

• S. 1027, by McGill, to prohibit hunters from using dogs on private property without permission, as amended by committee.

Debate interrupted

• S. 424, by Bright, relating to the rights of South Carolinians under the Ninth and 10th Amendments. A strike-and-replace amendment to the bill was offered, to address actions by Congress relating to health care and bailouts. Democrats continued their filibuster.

QUOTES
Statement by Sens. McConnell, Billy O’Dell, Larry Martin, Thomas Alexander, and Hugh Leatherman in regard to the vote to adjourn on Thursday.
Today, the opponents of the Sovereignty Resolution, S. 424, who had been engaging in extended debate to block passage offered to conclude the debate on Tuesday if the Senate would adjourn. Those of us who wanted to pass the Resolution did not have the cloture votes to conclude the debate today and vote up or down. Therefore, the offer by the opponents was reasonable and made good common sense. There was no need to sit here today in a filibuster and then be back in a filibuster on Tuesday when we could conclude the matter on Tuesday. To vote against adjournment meant no deal and no end to the debate. A vote by supporters of the Resolution with the opponents today to adjourn assures an end to the filibuster.

This was explained to the other supporters of the Resolution who chose instead to oppose adjournment. That vote, in our opinion, was supposed to apparently make them appear more determined than some of us to pass the Resolution; but, in actuality, their votes, if they prevailed, would have left the Resolution to die in extended debate.

= = =

On H. 4219, the resolution to censure
Harrison: Ladies and gentlemen, we have lived this nightmare for the past seven months.

= = =

As Harrell and the Charleston delegation stood at the podium on Thursday
Rep. Harry Cato: Mr. Speaker, if I knew how to turn you on, I would.
Laughter
Cato: Mr. Speaker, if I knew how to turn your microphone on, I would.

= = =

While speaking in opposition to the superintendent of education constitutional amendment.
McLeod: The Speaker wants to adjourn debate, and whatever the Speaker wants, I want.

Gov. Mark Sanford can be a crafty fellow when he wants to be. He could have used his considerable wealth to pay for his defense in the impeachment debate back-and-forth. It’s doubtful that Jenny Sanford would have been down with that. So, he dipped into his well-stocked campaign account and shelled out some big dollars to his attorneys, as well as his consultant.

MARK SANFORD
Contributions: $2,412.21
Expenditures: $259,052.40
Cash-on-hand: $1,405,225.07

Significant contributions
None.

Significant expenditures
Hall & Bowers (legal), $65,000, $70,663.16, $49,683.80
Red Sea LLC (consulting), $62,000, $4,100

There’s been much hullabaloo over recent days involving Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster and yet another of his Quixotic quests — to investigate the dealings between U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Ben Nelson involving a deal to get the Senate Democats’ health care bill passed. We’re not saying that it didn’t look shady, but shady deals in the furtherance of passing legislation is just a part of doing business, no matter which party to which you belong.

And here’s the thing — it’s a national effort. Against machinations in Congress. If the deal, and the one involving U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, are to be investigated, shouldn’t it be by elected officials in Congress? Or someone involved in Federal-level law enforcement? What exactly does the chief law enforcement officer of our state have to do with Federal legislation, and what generates that legislation? Moreover, why the hell is he wasting his time on this matter?

Yeah, we know it’s mind-boggling, but it’s just another campaign ploy on the road to the S.C. Republican gubernatorial primary. Like the poker idiocy and the Craigslist debacle before it. We’d still like to see an all-out action to curb crack use, which hits the least fortunate members of society and drives up crimes like theft, robbery and burglary, among others. But that wouldn’t raise favorability ratings among the GOP base, so it’s left to local officials and cash-strapped agencies.

Seriously, while this mess is going down, McMaster has had an ethics report on actual misdeeds by a state official — that would be our illustrious Governor — on his desk for months. That’s something he can actually do something about. Too bad any sort of investigation is continually put off by these grandstanding stunts.

Sen. Jake Knotts, who is one of the foremost experts on Gov. Mark Sanford’s nefarious activities, said that the Senate needs to take a closer look at Sanford’s trips to Argentina and other actions that will lead to his censure by the House. He’s saying that the House didn’t do its job in respect to a thorough investigation.

“I don’t intend to participate in a cover-up the House did,” Knotts said to the Associated Press. “I just don’t believe in playing political whitewash on an issue of this magnitude to the people of South Carolina.”

Ironically, it was a revelation from Knotts last summer that started the ball rolling on finding out to where Sanford had disappeared. As of right now, though, there doesn’t appear to be much support for readdressing the issue, even though senators typically have more power to get what they want accomplished.

Gov. Mark Sanford nearly impeached for cheating on his wife in Argentina while taxpayers payed the tab.

Former State Treasurer and rising political star Thomas Ravenel sent to prison on charges he operated a cocaine ring.

Former Sanford spokesman Will Folks pleading guilty to criminal domestic violence.

Lobbyist and political consultant Larry Marchant thrown in jail for driving under the influence.

A four-star failure, and embarrassments, all of them. Thus has been the public lives of four of the major players in South Carolina’s antagonizing school choice movement. The policy proposal that was once considered the most divisive in the State House is now hurdling to Earth in a fireball of humiliation and seems set to peter out to the lonely sound of a lone blogger’s key strokes.

How many of these guys are going to implode this effort, one personal scandal at a time? And when are people going to start connecting the dots? This so-called “reform movement” is having a meltdown, principal by principal, consultant by consultant.

You can’t trust an issue being peddled to you when you can’t trust the people pushing it and the lawmakers writing bills about it.