To Sin By Silence
LATEST LEATHERMAN SCANDAL MARKS A LINE IN THE SAND FOR SOUTH CAROLINA’S REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP
FITSNews - January 30, 2008 - We could honestly give a rat’s ass who the next S.C. Supreme Court justice is. Seriously, we know a lot of people way more important than us have their panties in a wad over it, but we honestly haven’t taken the time to look at either Kaye Hearn or John Kittredge, although we have heard from our pro-business friends that Kittredge is the better choice.
No matter what side of that race you come down on, though, the accusations we published two days ago against State Sen. Hugh Leatherman concerning intimidation tactics and outright vote-buying on behalf of Hearn’s candidacy are deeply troubling, and judging from the lack of any effort to discredit what our sources told us, decidedly on target.
Frankly, it amazes us that something which everyone acknowledges to be true hasn’t resulted in Senate leaders Glenn McConnell and Harvey Peeler stepping up and taking action against Leatherman. Or for that matter Gov. Mark Sanford, Attorney General Henry McMaster or SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson.
Seriously, how long is this sort of crap going to be tolerated in our state government? Leatherman has been accused by his colleagues of illegally bribing fellow legislators in the past, but then - as now - the justified anger of those raising the allegations is always tempered by an abiding fear of retribution.
This much was painfully-evident to us back in March of last year, when one of the Senators who accused Leatherman of buying votes via the so-called “competitive grants” program initially permitted us to attach his name to the allegations, but then called us frantically the following morning begging that we keep his comments anonymous. Which we reluctantly agreed to do.
It was also evident just this weekend when we conversed with another State Senator about Leatherman’s latest scandal. He was insulted, mad even, that the Senate Finance Chairman had so flagrantly attempted to blackmail him on a Supreme Court vote, but his fear of Leatherman’s budgetary power trumped his willingness to come forward.
“He (will) deny it, nothing (will) happen and my people (will) get screwed in the budget,” he told us. “I’ll be a dead man walking in that (Senate) chamber.”
Another Senator who spoke with us confidentially about Leatherman’s tactics used the analogy of not wanting to “shoot the devil in the back … and miss.”
Enough is enough, people.
We got an excited phone call late last night from a lobbyist friend of ours concerning this whole mess, a jubilant expression of thanks for bringing these accusations to light because, in his words, we “took the club out of (Leatherman’s) hand” and apparently “prevented several votes from switching.”
Whatever. Just as we didn’t have a dog in the last Supreme Court voting scandal, we don’t have a dog in this fight, either.
Our concern is that it now seems abundantly clear that the most powerful budget writer in South Carolina is once again abusing his position of public trust in the worst possible manner - and the leaders of his institution and his party aren’t doing a damn thing to stop him.
We’ll be publishing another story soon about similarly-reprehensible tactics being employed by another powerful Palmetto politician in an overt effort to curry judicial influence, but until people like Mark Sanford, Glenn McConnell, Harvey Peeler, Henry McMaster and Katon Dawson grow the balls to do something about it, what’s the point?
We’ve had our differences with each of these politicians in the past, but we believe them to be men of integrity at heart - most of the time, anyway. But as was noted long ago by someone much smarter than us, “To sin by silence when we should protest, makes cowards out of men.”
This scandal is about much more than differences in ideology or the proper role of government in our society. It’s also about more than petty partisan disputes, or even an inter-party dispute. It’s about right and wrong, people. Period.
Our hope is that these leaders will stand up and take the necessary action in this case, but until our legislative branch gets rid of the bad apples and learns how to run a clean judicial race, all of these jokers should be stripped of their right to elect judges in this state.
Lord Acton was right, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Comments
By Silence Dogood on January 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am
There is nothing better than sinning by Silence - but I digress…
By kING RICHARD on January 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
You have reported that this year there will be no funding to pass out to anyone. If Leatherman is passing out a promise he must be taking it out of his personal money. WHICH IS IT?
By bUzz on January 30th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
And Kay Hearn is married to George Hearn, the man charged with keeping integrity in the SC Bar Examination process, right?
By Tim on January 30th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Why do we live in the most ‘conservative’ state in the union, yet not one of our legislators is actually conservative? Sure, they’re Republican, but they’re all Big Government Republicans, just like Congress. This crop of jokers is going nowhere. There’s a reason Sanford got elected. The idea of small government resonates with average people, and they’re getting more and more restless.
By Gal Leo on January 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Your points are all well taken. But recognize that, while anonymous tips and dubious sources are good enough for the blogosphere, and for even getting the ball rolling…. you are talking about the VERY real world here.
Accusations just don’t cut it. Facts are what count. Facts that can be backed up by real (and admissible) evidence.
And that is as it should be. The law is there to protect everybody, even those accused of this sort of abuse. I commend to your attention the comments of St. Thomas More about the dangers of cutting down the laws to get at the devil.
Until somebody who has FIRST HAND INFORMATION about this is willing to go to the Senate Ethics Committee, McMaster, or some other appropriate agency — or even on the record here or in the newspapers — all of this NEVER HAPPENED.
And all the complaining about it in the world won’t change that.
So, don’t blame Sanford or McMaster or McConnell or anybody else on the outside. Don’t even blame Leatherman. Blame those who have the ability — and the evidence — to stop this, but choose not to.
By Climate on January 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Great post, will…
I have been in and around state government for 20 years now and I never, ever cease to be disappointed by our elected and appointed officials. The level of care or concern for the “average Joe” by the folks in state government is shockingly low.
They talk the talk while on the campaign trail, but when it is time for the deals to be done they turn into greedy, deal making thugs without any thought to cost, waste, or inefficiency. Your Leatherman example is just one of MANY that include virtually anyone with power, authority or influence.
The Republican party leadership is media hungry, power hungry, and money hungry…and the absolute lack of transparency or accountability by ALL three branches of government will keep the public clueless for years to come.
In the end it all comes down to personal honor. And that boils down to the one basic equation that is calculated a thousand times a day…and that is “what is best for ME”. For politicians and lobbyist alike, it is their ability to barter the public’s money and rights for THEIR profit. ..with the public paying all the bills.
By Believe It Not on January 30th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
First, how funny to read sic(k) willie say “…it all comes down to personal honor.” How would he know?
But, back to the “crime of the century.”
Now that sic(k) willie says he has knowledge of a “crime,” is he a party to “the crime” if he doesn’t go to the authorities? Yes!
Priests have the right to honor confidentiality of penitents, but sic(k) willie sure ain’t a Priest. He still owes Hail Marys from his college days when… Never mind. The Charlotte Boyz will cover that later.
By I Can't suffer fools... on January 30th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
It is not my business to be an apologist for Will Folks…but let me say this. He is being productive, and is having success in pushing state government towards accountability and transparency.
What the hell have you “believe it or not boys” done lately?
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on February 3rd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Hey, “fool,” you’re right. sic(k) willie’s posts are “productive.”
Like a good bowel movement!
They make him feel better and sometimes they create a stink (which is usually his only objective). But all they’re good for is compost.
We have listed sic(k) willie’s scoops of kitty litter here many times, but you seem illiterate or just unwilling to understand.
Remember his claim of a Midlands official with a Strom problem? And his infamous Ethics’ complaint demanding access to the gub’ernator’s laptop? We could go on, but you seem to enjoy the smell from willie’s “productive” posts too much. The fumes have clouded your vision.
And, do you think anything will come out of his latest kitty litter post regarding Leatherman? Nope. It’s in the sic(k) willie septic tank like his other scoops of kitty litter.