We’ve found ourselves perplexed over the recent months regarding the interesting political flexing going on by Steve Benjamin’s campaign for mayor of Columbia. The man ran as the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2002, and counts among his strongest supporters top Midlands Democrats. And yet, it’s not a cut-and-dry situation.
Benjamin hired the local political consulting firm Richard Quinn and Associated to run his campaign. This is the same firm who ran Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster’s race against Benjamin in 2002, and is running McMaster’s gubernatorial campaign. Naturally, that’s giving Benjamin a free pass on RQ&A’s in-house blog, The Palmetto Scoop. Really — Wheels McGee has been at every Benjamin event we’ve ever attended, which is a tad odd for a GOP political consultant and blogger.
In the meantime, he’s also hired several people who were a part of President Barack Obama’s campaign during South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary (Craig Schirmer and Laurin Manning, among others). Early Thursday morning, Benjamin’s campaign announced it would start running a radio ad playing up his Obama connections in the Democratic-leaning capital city.
COLUMBIA, SC – Steve Benjamin’s Mayoral Campaign broke onto the airwaves this week with a radio ad featuring a 2007 voicemail left by then Senator Barack Obama.
“I’ve saved this voicemail for well over two years now,” Benjamin explains. “It has been a personal inspiration for me because I still believe in what we can do when we work together. I still believe in hope.”
The radio spot, Benjamin’s first, went into rotation this week and can be heard on radio stations all across Columbia and at www.stevebenjamin.com.
This takes an extraordinary amount of hubris, considering that his consultants ran U.S. Sen. John McCain’s Republican presidential primary campaigns in this state not once, but twice. Quinn Sr. was a close, unpaid advisor on McCain’s campaign for president in 2008. Then there’s something else.
Interestingly, the child, who seems fit to consider the majority of Republicans in the General Assembly as socialists, has been slurping Benjamin since the very outset. Baldy ran a line of smack against former Speaker of the House David Wilkins, writing, “Anyway, given how ferociously Wilkins promotes (and protects) his reputation as a “Republican,” we were a bit surprised to see him hosting a fundraiser earlier this week for uber-liberal trial lawyer Steve Morrison, who is running for mayor of Columbia, S.C. on the Leftist Lying Bastard ticket (j/k … it’s a non-partisan election).”
Mind you, he never says things like this about the Quinn firm and its relationship with Benjamin, even while assailing RQ&A when it comes to Innovista. It’s often said that a man is judged by the friends he keeps. Another old bromide is “actions speak louder than words.” Benjamin’s words try to play up his connection to Obama. But his actions in regard to people like the Quinns, Folks and Fogle say so much more.
And at this point, we’ve been totally soured on Benjamin, Morrison and City Councilman Kirkman Finlay III. Somebody put a call in to Aaron Johnson.
The biggest story in Columbia right now is the guilty plea and resignation by E.W. Cromartie from the Columbia City Council. Local attorney Matthew Richardson was given authority to handle Cromartie’s open accounts at the former councilman’s law firm, and a significant group of candidates have already lined up for the seat that’s been held by Mr. Cro for 27 years.
The issue was thousands of dollars of unpaid taxes and conscious actions to avoid IRS reporting regulations as it comes to deposits and withdrawals. It turns out that Cromartie isn’t the only person around city government with tax problems. Mayoral candidate Gary Myers Jr. also isn’t right with the Feds right now.
Some of our friends are obsessed with minor candidates. We like them because they often do things that well-handled candidates won’t even attempt.
Myers contemplated withdrawing from the race today after The State newspaper questioned a 2004 bankruptcy in which court papers said he owed $74,466 in back taxes to the IRS.
Myers, who is not considered a frontrunner in the race, first said he would drop out if the story was written. About an hour later, he said he was consulting with family and friends who encouraged him to run for office. But by 4:30 p.m., Myers said he was sticking with his campaign.
“God knows if this is an opportunity for my city to move forward I can’t run (away) now,” he said. “This has nothing to do with me running the city.”
An AP story from Monday presents an interesting idea. A poll was done of 500 black voters in each state of South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana. Two-thirds of those responding said they were closely watching electoral politics this year and between 3/4 and 4/5 of all respondents said they intend to vote this year. The collective sigh you just heard was from Democratic strategists who are considering that November may not end up as bad as anticipated.
In South Carolina, like the South in general, politics are racially-charged. You can run whatever naive line of thinking you want, but in the states of the old Confederacy, the Democratic party is very black and the Republican Party is very white. That’s just the way it is. Hence, unprecedented black turnout in North Carolina and Virginia in 2008 helped President Barack Obama win those states — something a Democrat hasn’t done in decades.
The last time Dems did anything worthwhile around here, 12 years ago, a well-coordinated and motivated black electorate got to the polls and made it a good year for the donkeys in the Palmetto State. We’re still thinking it will be a big year for Republicans, in this state and nationally, but if there is any truth to this poll, the races in the general election could be a lot better than anticipated.
There’s a lot of celebrating going on in Columbia right now, as City Councilman E.W. Cromartie will be resigning his position in light of a tax evasion scandal that broke on Monday morning. Cromartie, who has been in office since for about as long as we’ve been alive, has appeared to come to the end of his political road.
Few people we’ve run into that have had to deal with the City Council have good things to say about Cromartie, as rumors were traded among insiders about this action or that deal wasn’t on the up-and-up. To us, he seemed like one of those municipal elected officials that you find in mid-size cities that nobody really likes but who never gets a serious challenge.
In 2008, we surmised that the only thing that would knock Mr. Cro out would be a crime, not an election challenge. It’s come to pass, with the Feds getting him on non-payment of $25,000 in taxes from 2006, and creatively doing deposits and withdrawals to not get flagged by IRS reporting rules. According to the AP, Cromartie will plead guilty and serve 366 days in prison.
Well, how about that. The new Wink hit the virtual newsstands this week, containing inside it all sorts of Spring fashions. For women. But, hey, all is not lost fellas. Like we did in the first issue, we went calling on Carolina athletics again for a good story.
This one is about Jack Easterby, head of the USC Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an advisor to the Gamecock men’s basketball team. It, eh, it ain’t bad. Check in on Page 22.
Many Columbians’ unsatisfied desire to raise chickens in an urban setting just got that much closer to becoming a reality. Wednesday morning, the CIty Council gave approval on the first vote on a measure that would allow people to raise chickens — in a coop — in the city. Of course, being that they’re chickens in Columbia, they would probably just be mediocre and produce eggs that are just big enough to be acceptable, even though you wanted better (here ends the absurd allegory).
According to the ordinance, you would not be allowed to have roosters and would be required to maintain the coop so it doesn’t emit a foul smell or attract flies. That’s all well and good, but where’s the push for backyard chickens? Has the organic food movement and other related culinary crazes gone so far that people are clamoring to raise and slaughter their own chickens? Or is it just about the eggs? Is Publix that bad?
Even Mayor Bob thinks it’s funny.
[Councilman E.W. Cromartie's] arguments did not deter Mayor Bob Coble, who voted for the ordinance by saying “Go ‘Cocks.”
Everyone knows how hard Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is on his quarterbacks. Considering how mediocre many of them were after college (OK, we’re just talking about Florida here), it seems to lend credence to the idea that Spurrier’s unorthodox — perhaps even dickish — treatment of his signal callers worked when it was needed.
But like other championship coaches (Paul Dietzel, Lou Holtz) who arrived in Columbia, Spurrier isn’t happy with what’s going down on the field. Especially the play of ‘09 starter and presumed ‘10 starting quarterback Stephen Garcia. What, with quarterbacks transferring (one to play baseball at Alabama), The Head Ball Coach didn’t have much in the bullpen.
So, Spurrier let his opinion be known when asked about it at ESPN The Weekend.
(via EDSBS)
Some people in the South Carolina political discussion are so ignorant as to come up with polemics whenever government spends one dollar of taxpayer money. However, we believe that certain things that don’t immediately deliver a return on investment are worth investing in. Consider among those the Palmetto State’s historic sites.
In the South, the past is never really past. We love our history. We love our ancestors. We don’t necessarily like the government putting its hand in what’s happening, but corporations aren’t exactly lining up to thoroughly bankroll historic sites. That’s where the government comes in.
Right now, money for work at the Fort Moultrie visitors’ center on Sullivan’s Island is being held up by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky. The former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers has hurled a wild pitch. The whole idea is under some misbegotten concept of fiscal responsibility.
The action comes as a result of Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning’s decision to block key legislation that would have extended several critical priorities for middle class families. That legislation covered tax credits for COBRA health coverage, unemployment insurance for 400,000 people, as well as the short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund. The Fund supports all surface transportation programs for the nation -– highways, bridges, transit and safety inspections, as well as efforts to encourage seat belt use and to fight distracted and impaired driving.
“As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This means that construction workers will be sent home from job sites because federal inspectors must be furloughed.”
Let’s put this out there, though. Would the Sons of the American Revolution endorse this action? Would the Sons of Confederate Veterans? It’s a fairly good assumption that most members of both fraternal organizations. despite their conservative ideological beliefs, would be against it. That’s because preserving our nation’s history, and making it available to the American public, is one of the things that the Federal government should be doing.
It’s just a shame that it took a post by the S.C. New Democrats on Indigo Journal to bring this to our attention. This is not an ideological or a partisan issue. We’re desperately seeking S.C. Republicans that will take up the banner for our state’s historical sites.
If we didn’t have The Onion, self-described as America’s finest news source, where would we be? Surely, it would be without the news that archaeologists have uncovered the remnants of a truly epic keg party here in Columbia. Indeed, it was quite the kick-ass shindig.
[University of South Carolina Archaeology chair Winston] Eng said that the party can be divided into three generally agreed-upon eras, each marked by a watershed event. These include the Arrival of the Three Great Kegs, Brian Crying Like a Little Bitch, and the Lighting of the Bottle Rockets.
In addition to alcohol receptacles of every size and several cast-off contraceptive devices, Eng and his team also uncovered evidence of advanced toolmaking. The most prized discovery to date is a high-volume gravity bong, the sophistication and ingenuity of which appears to be unrivaled by similar THC-delivery devices found at other sites.
If you truly doubt the enormity of this event held in late February of 2010, just cast your eyes on the intricate illustration that shows what went down by the railroad tracks.
Only in Columbia could such an amazing kegger of such significance take place. We look forward to hearing more dispatches from the excavation.
Remember the last debate over the use of the Kenny’s Auto site? Of course you do. It consumed downtown Columbia two years ago, and it’s not over yet. The discussion went back and forth as to whether there should be a tiered garage behind Claussen’s Inn or on the Kenny’s property.
The idea that was most discussed what a multi-level parking garage with stores on the ground floor at the Kenny’s site. Concerns over the integrity of the neighborhood essentially scuttled the plan. We didn’t have a problem with that, but the neighborhood’s integrity has been shot to hell with Starbucks replacing Joyful Alternative, a bank replacing Hiller Hardware and Adriana’s going the way of the dodo.
Anyway, with the Kenny’s site reduced to a Walgreens and some other stores, the developer involved is going to court.
Stan Harpe and Ron Swinson of H.R. Development Inc. had planned to build a six-story retail and condo project on Blossom Street that would have included two stories of public parking.
The project, called Five Points South, cratered when City Council at the last minute lowered the amount it had offered to pay for the parking by $500,000.
As a result, H.R. Development scrapped the plans developed with the city and built a one-story, three-storefront project called the Shoppes at Five Points.
The Shoppes will be home to a Walgreens drugstore. No formal announcements have been made about the two other stores.
Harpe and Swinson are seeking to recoup their expenses for engineering the Five Points South building and making changes in the project in reaction to neighborhood and city concerns.
Chalk this up to another fuck-up by city government.
