McConnell Launches Counter-Offensive

Confederate General … err, S.C. Senate President Glenn McConnell … launched a ferocious counter-offensive today against Northern aggression … err, S.C. First Lady (and Chicago native) Jenny Sanford.

And once again, the pages of the Charleston Post and Courier were soaked with the blood from the skirmish, which stems from a steadily-deteriorating relationship between the powerful Charleston Senator and the first lady’s husband, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford.

Last week, Mrs. Sanford took McConnell to task for criticisms aimed at the S.C. Governor’s Mansion, accusing the Senate President of “cheap political shots” and drawing distinctions between her record of saving taxpayer dollars and the S.C. legislature’s record of wasting them.

Today, McConnell responded in a Post and Courier op-ed, saying the governor and first lady were “easily wounded,” and accusing Mrs. Sanford of “a long list of unfair and inaccurate allegations.”

From McConnell’s response:

Mrs. Sanford is not correct in her claim that members of the General Assembly commonly use security guards to drive them to parties and legislative receptions. Senate security provides protective services for legislators, staff and visitors. They are the first responders at times of threat at the Senate. There are only seven Senate security officers on duty during the day, and after business hours only one. That person does not transport leadership to parties or receptions. I think it is a disservice to impugn the work of these brave law officers by characterizing their work as trivial.

From there, McConnell moves quickly to draw a bead on his real target …

I truly do regret the governor’s decision to take every opportunity to attack the General Assembly in the media. By now, it is painfully clear he believes such a negative approach is good for his image as a would-be agent of change. Sadly, he has damaged the cause of change by constantly choosing controversy over cooperation and reaction over result.

Wait … what is everybody fighting over again? Oh yeah … a relative non-issue.

At any rate, McConnell is smart not to have his spat perceived as being exclusively with the first lady, arguably one of the most powerful conservative women in the state.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell – who is currently taking on two of the state’s most powerful conservative women at once – would be wise to emulate this strategy.

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