Spartanburg Flap: Not Everybody Loves A Parade
It goes without saying that Spartanburg County, S.C. is home to the most divided, dysfunctional, ideologically-dyslexic group of Republicans in the entire country.
Things got a little bit better after several fiscally conservative reformers won posts in the recent GOP primary elections, but all that has done is spark a battle for control of the County party that has begun to spill over into … local parades?
Yup, people up there are that petty.
Seriously, it’s a three-ring circus up in Spartanburg, and its current partisan “ringleader,” Mr. Potato Head, is once again in the middle of the circle jerk.
Without exaggerating, Rick Beltram is the poster brat for Republican retardation – a complete ignoramus whose sexist stereotypying, delusions of statewide grandeur and ethically questionable business dealings make him an annual candidate for our “Slow Zebra Of The Year” award.
But Beltram is good at one thing – creating penny ante political drama like the current flap amongst Spartanburg lawmakers over who is to lead their local legislative delegation.
Things have turned so nasty and personal that one of the status quo combatants, Rep. Lanny Littlejohn, refused to participate in a Christmas parade in the town of Pacolet recently because conservative Sen. Shane Martin was also invited.
As it stands now, there are two lawmakers claiming to serve as delegation chairmen – Littlejohn and newly-elected Rep. Joey Millwood.
Standing with Littlejohn are Reps. Steve Parker, Harold Mitchell (D), Rita Allison, Durham Cole, Mike Forrester, Mike Anthony (D), Keith Kelly and Sen. Harvey Peeler.
On Millwood’s side are Senators Lee Bright, Shane Martin and Glenn Reese (D).
Littlejohn has the most supporters, but according to state law Senators’ votes are weighted (based on the fact they represent more people), which tips the balance to Millwood.
As Chairman, Millwood has scheduled a meeting this Thursday (January 8) to begin the process of making appointments. Littlejohn and his supporters have been instructed to boycott that meeting.
For his part, Beltram has been stoking the fires in the press while placing frantic phone calls to his Lowcountry master, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, who (surprise, surprise) has a dog in the fight.
Without question, Harrell does not want Millwood serving as delegation chairman. Why? Well, in addition to being a fiscal conservative, Millwood was one of the few freshman Republicans who didn’t go along with Harrell’s recent vindictive power play in Columbia.
That’s why he has sought to have the battle portrayed in the Spartanburg media as a “House v. Senate” spat, which avoids the whole ideological component.
Yet despite Harrell’s maneuverings, it appears Millwood’s chairmanship has a trump card – Gov. Mark Sanford.
“State law says it is a weighted majority,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer told FITS. “As long as there is a weighted majority that signs off on the appointments, we we’re going to seat them.”
Comments
By baker on January 6th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Not so sure about the ideological component. I mean, yes, I think Lee Bright and Joey Millwood are way out there on the right-wing extreme. And, yes, both took money from Howard Rich in the GOP primary.
But Glenn Reese, a Democrat, certainly isn’t on that scene. It would appear that his involvement has to do with being a Senator. Meanwhile, Reese’s Democrat affiliate is on Lanny’s side in this whole mess.
Mike Forrester and Derham Cole, Jr. are newbies; are they status quo? Maybe. Not sure where they really are this whole mix. (I do know that Cole was opposed by a very, very strong Democratic contender, but this being practically a one-party district where the “establishment” is extremely strong, it was too steep a climb for the Dem.)
Anyway, this whole rift all started over the business of electing a county delegation chairman. The Senate guys, along with Millwood, demanded the weighted formula, which does apparently apply for certain kinds of delegation businss — but the law doesn’t appear to require the weighted formula for the election, within the group of legislators, of a leader. In my opinion, Bright and Millwood’s group should have let there be a majority vote among the legislators and just let the matter be. They claim the law to be on their side, but, again, that isn’t clear at all.
I seriously doubt it has a whole lot to do with ideological purity or standing up Bobby Harrell. If so, seems like this is an awfully silly way to go about it.
By Nope on January 6th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Whatever it’s all about, Rick Beltram is an ass.
By rick beltram on January 6th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
FITSNews:
Stay tuned for a further evolving situation!
Bad news for some elected officials.
Rick Beltram