Comments on: Is McConnell Serious About Slowing Government Growth?

By: Wilma

Wilma — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:31:22 +0000

Sanford was for it…therfore it was destined to lose.

Very simple, actually.

By: Chronicler

Chronicler — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:47:29 +0000

Mr. Biz: that bill died, violently, in Senate judiciary. Try to do better in keeping up if you want to play.

By: Charles Durning

Charles Durning — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:36:30 +0000

Senator Glenn McConnell reminds me of Charles Durning in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mNDHTfdn1A

By: Mr. Business

Mr. Business — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:14:42 +0000

unpassable bill. It passed the Senate and died in the House. It also is interesting that Daniel will blame McConnell for it not passing even if he introduces it, gets it through committee and to the floor and loses on a vote. That would be like blaming Sanford introducing an idea and blaming him if it did not pass because he secretly tried to kill it.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:07:25 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame McConnell for the macro-level failure to pass restructuring. I’m simply pointing out the similarity between McConnell’s new-found calling to champion spending caps and his banner-carrying for restructuring several years ago.

McConnell convinced everyone that letting him put together an “omnibus” restructuring bill was the best way to go, and that nobody was more for resturcturing than he was. He wrote a ~900 page bill, and it never even came close to passing, due to its complexity. McConnell knew better than anyone that he would be able to have his cake and eat it to – he looked like he was on board with Sanford in public (and, most importantly, with the Post and Courier and State editorial boards), but he protected the B&CB and his cronies in the Senate by drafting an unpassable bill.

I’m not criticizing McConnell for outsmarting the restructuring proponents; I just think it’s important to recognize his strategy for what it was. And to keep it in mind when reading about the fervency of his desire for spending caps. Nobody wants true spending caps more than me. But again, I’ll believe McConnell is serious about getting it passed when I see it get passed.

By: verity

verity — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:01:16 +0000

it is odd that instead of embracing McConnell’s spending cap plan that the Governor instead attacks. It seems like they would rather fight than win. What a sad statement.

By: Disappointed

Disappointed — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:38:09 +0000

Finding it “difficult to blame McConnell for the restructuring failure” is an absolute scream.

By: A sheep takes to the waves

A sheep takes to the waves — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:32:48 +0000

As a legislator well-schooled in coasting on existing waves (as opposed to taking contrarian positions that might actually result in desperately needed NEW waves being created), I will more than happily jump on my board and ride the Sanford-induced tsunami to limit spending. Baaaaaa, baaaaa, baaaaa. McConnell is a freaking sheep.

By: FITSNews

FITSNews — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:28:42 +0000

Daniel-son,

We share much of your skepticism, but we find it difficult to blame McConnell for the restructuring failure.

When Sanford’s office told legisators they could vote for individual constitutional offices (and not the entire restructuring package), that’s when bill died. You could literally see our ethically-challenged, change-averse legislators divvying up who would vote for or against individual offices – assuring that none of them would get the votes needed to pass.

A pretty pathetic display on the part of legislators who are supposed to be “voting their conscience,” but to his credit, McConnell warned the governor’s office that’s what would happen.

-FITSNews

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:12:48 +0000

I feel the same way about Glenn McConnell championing a conservative government restructuring idea as I do about the Gamecock football team being good “next year” – I’ll believe it when I see it.

McConnell has already shown his mastery of this game with his government restructuring “proposals.” He initially put everything into one bill, destined to sink under its own weight. Then, when the issues were split into individual bills, he ensured behind the scenes that none would survive intact.

Now he’s all for a spending cap? Most likely, it means the issue is officially dead.