Ballentine: Boys Will Be Boys

A lot of people wonder why this state sucks so bad … in everything.

Well, when Republicans (and in particular conservative Republicans) sell out their principles, that’s pretty much what inevitably results.

Take yesterday, for example … while the vast majority of South Carolina Republicans were busy appeasing their RINO leader (and backstabbing their core conservative beliefs), State Rep. Nathan Ballentine was busy demonstrating why he’s got more balls than the rest of the House Chamber combined.

You can read all about yesterday’s State House soap opera by clicking here and here, but the bottom line is that Ballentine was pretty much the only Republican who stood up for the principles his party was founded on – less government, lower taxes, a business-friendly climate and an open, accountable government.

Unlike his colleagues, he refused to go along with elevating a drunk, racist and irretrievably liberal RINO to one of the most important economic development positions in all of state government … thus permitting two petty, vindictive liberals (Bobby Harrell and Harry Cato) to exact their revenge on a true conservative champion, State Rep. Nikki Haley.

In the meantime, so-called conservatives Kenny Bingham, Kris Crawford, Jeff Duncan, Jimmy Merrill and Ted Pitts not only sold out the conservative cause, they added insult to injury by trying to justify themselves in our eyes … which thus far only Duncan has had the courage to ‘fess up to.

Anyway, from Nathan’s News, here is the unedited (emphasis-original) article Rep. Ballentine wrote on yesterday’s sellout … a rare example of an elected official showing some balls and shining a light on what really goes on over at the S.C. State House …

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

By Nathan Ballentine

So another blog already let the cat out of the bag about the “inside baseball” that went on at the GOP Caucus meeting today but I felt the need to write from my perspective this morning.

Since I’ve got to work with these boys, I better just talk in the “hypothetical sense” or better yet, surely I had to have taken a nap during yesterday’s meeting because how else could a plan this crazy get dreamed up?

The setting…

Let’s say you have a person. Well, I don’t know…hypothetically, let’s say she’s a female legislator.

She oozes pro-business and pro-conservative credentials, serves on a powerful committee, and decides to run for the open chairman position of a powerful,business committee in the House.

Let’s assume (hypothetically, of course) this female legislator has skyrocketed in just four quick years to become a very influential member of the body. Let’s say she was elected by her freshman class as Chairman immediately upon arrival in Columbia, she’s received several pro-business and pro-taxpayer awards, and..oh yes, aggressively pushed conservative, common-sense ideas in Columbia.

Then, because a recent turn of events on Tuesday (election night), she now has enough votes to be elected chairman by the committee (regardless of how the deck could get stacked against her with new appointments to fill committee vacancies next month during the House Reorganizational session).

Oh, and let’s say that this hypothetical female legislator just had the largest margin of victory in a contested race on Tuesday for Republicans – winning 83% to 17%. Hmmm….I’m guessing that might mean her folks (and from what I continue to read in the media – others around the state too) appreciate her work and ideas for the people of Lexington and South Carolina.

Now my question is this: How can the boys keep this girl from being the next chairman of the committee?

If you don’t think like the boys in Columbia, you’d answer “They can’t, can they? She’s got the votes, apparently has the credentials, and is within four weeks of being elected. What could possibly happen to keep her from becoming the first female chairman – ever?”

Well, just like boys often do, they change the rules of the game.

Hypothetically, what if instead of having the members of each committee vote for their chairman, the boys change the rules so that only one individual out of 124 House members will now appoint those leadership positions?

Yeh, I know, sounds crazy right? Just days after 300 MILLION voters had their voice heard, how would we here in SC state government squelch the voice of members who will actually work on the committee from choosing their own chairman and instead have one person make that decision for them?

Well, there’s a ploy underway to do just that and it’s on a fast-track to passage.

The thing that really confuses me (again, this must have been a dream I was having yesterday?) is how the folks who don’t want one person (the Governor) to have more control are now so adamant that one person in the House SHOULD have more control?

Wait a minute…….it couldn’t be because it’s still “politics as usual” in Columbia, is it?

Nah, couldn’t be. Could it? I’m sure this idea being pushed through is great for the citizens of our state and our government. I’m sure every future House Member will never feel pressure to “go along to get along” in order to one day keep moving up the ranks and be rewarded for staying in line with the status-quo.

Stay tuned, (hypothetically) this story isn’t over.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why we have never had a FEMALE chairman in the House, currently have NO FEMALES in the Senate and how our state legislature has the THE LOWEST female representation in the entire country….. the boys are working hard to keep it that way.

Then again, I could be all wrong? Maybe this idea being rushed through, just two days after an election that saw the country go Democrat and the SC House lose 2 seats, is really not about the current chairmen races (Agriculture, Education, LCI) and instead part of a bigger plan?

Actually, you got it right Nathan.

Of course, the reason there are no females in the Senate is because Sic Willie (a.k.a. Jay-Z) willed it that way … but that’s another story.

You can read up on those two women here and here and decide for yourself if they would have been good for our state.

All we know is that this guy ain’t …

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