We’re All Just Co-Pilots For André
S.C. Lieutenant Gov. André Bauer took a break from running for governor … err, handing out blankets to old people … yesterday morning to show up unannounced at a government transparency press conference in Anderson, S.C.
But Bauer – who was spotted in the crowd by Sen. Kevin Bryant and invited to participate in the event – wasn’t there to show his support for the transparency movement, he was there to lead it.
And like Jesus after John the Baptist had introduced him, that’s exactly what Bauer did.
Specifically, he thanked everyone in attendance – specifically Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom – for supporting his big idea.
Which, coincidentally, is exactly what he wrote in the online edition of La Socialista (a.k.a. The State newspaper) yesterday, too.
“I applaud him for embracing my initiative,” Bauer wrote of Eckstrom’s transparency efforts.
Wait … what?
Did we just enter some parallel universe where André has been fighting for transparency all this time and now the rest of us are flocking to his banner?
Apparently so.
Because in the real universe this is pure B.S. – or Bauer Spin.
Without question, the first people to bring this issue to the forefront of the Palmetto political debate were the good folks over at the S.C. Policy Council, whose research on the subject was first published last August.
Shortly thereafter, the gauntlet they threw down was picked up by General Eckstrom and Reps. Nikki Haley and Nathan Ballentine, with support from Gov. Mark Sanford and other conservative lawmakers.
Where was Bauer when all this was happening?
Presumably setting up his Senior Scam organization … but he sure as hell wasn’t busy leading the transparency fight, which as you’ll recall at the time was quite unpopular with the state’s political establishment.
Anyway, next to the whole “blankets for old people” routine, this sudden ownership of a popular issue is as sure a sign as you’re ever going to get that Bauer is running for governor – which let’s face it, we didn’t need a crystal ball to ascertain given Karen Floyd’s fund raising efforts on his behalf.
The only question is whether or not Bauer and Eckstrom – who share the political consulting wisdom of Rod Shealy – have gotten together and agreed to let Bauer take the credit for the transparency issue in anticipation of his goobernatorial campaign.
And why wouldn’t Shealy try and exploit that opening? After all, it’s not like this is an issue fellow GOP goobernatorial candidates Tweedle-Dumb (Gresham Barrett) and Tweedle-Dumbest (Henry McMaster) can lay any claim to …
If so, this is quite a sad state of affairs, because Eckstrom truly deserves the praise for making this a priority and challenging municipalities across the state to get involved – and empowering them with the tools they need to get involved.
Frankly, Bauer has sat back and done what he’s always done … not much.
Comments
By VN on March 10th, 2009 at 8:17 am
You are a idiot just like SANFORD
By liz on March 10th, 2009 at 8:35 am
No Transparacy in South Carolina politics and government…. if there were, why would the state be picking up the tab for subsidized and fraudulent ghost accounts inside Medicare Part D??????
That is OPAQUE people
By Silence the Noise on March 10th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Last time I checked Ashley Landess had nothing to do with, and simply hijacked, an issue brought to light by conservative Representative Nikki Haley.
Get your facts right Sic.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on March 10th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Would giving blankets to old people be tantamount to bribery? My grandmother thinks Bauer is a huge phony, but I’m afraid most other seniors might not.
By x on March 10th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Go back to stock car racing andre!
By Max on March 10th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Has anyone else noticed the blankets have the palmetto tree and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer on them? Is he shameless?
By Fashizzle on March 10th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Nikki herself credited the Policy Council’s study on roll call voting for starting this transparency push. Will can post a few of her quotes in the local papers saying as much last fall if he really wants to. Funny how you people always questioning Will’s accuracy whither and disappear once he crushes you — speaking of which, where is BIN these days? All that taxpayer money he was getting to rip on the truth must have dried up.
By Roscoe P. Coltrane on March 10th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I though Bauer ditched Hot Rod for greener pastures????
By Bauer Cynic on March 10th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
The way to kill germs and maggots is to bring them into the open, where they are recognized for what they are. It is when they are allowed to propagate under stones and in darkness that they grow strong and more harmful. Challenge Bauer to let “the sunshine in” and see if he shrivels up.
By Clint on March 10th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Transparent…hahaha
When Senior Shield (also known as Bauer’s taxpayer slush fund) discloses all of its record he can talk about transparent. Till then he better stick to bribing seniors with blankets.
By Jonesy on March 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Will is right that the Policy Council started the debate with their research, but why wouldn’t they? That’s what think tanks do and in fact it is what politicians want them to do so they can quote an independent source for their positions. But groups like the Policy Council are not in charge of implementing their ideas, and can’t control whether anything they raise becomes law or not. That’s the job of elected officials, and if Rep. Haley and others had not taken the research and run with it, then it never would have gone anywhere. It was the power of the whole group that won. When conservatives work together, we prevail because people share our ideas. But historically, we tend to fracture and do our own thing, so we lose. Liberals always stick together, and groups like moveon.org and the unions and the NEA join forces, and left-wing politicians take their word as gospel and preach it all over the country and rally their base. I was glad to see that model work for once in SC and in our party. Hopefully that will happen more often, because it is the only way we will ever get results.
By Diva on March 10th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Who pays for those blankets? Was Andre on the state plane yesterday? Why doesn’t The State ever ask those questions? If it wasn’t for Sic, we’d never know this stuff goes on.
By Get It Right Please on March 10th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Bauer should realize these stunts only diminish the meaningful work that Richard Eckstrom, the S.C. Policy Council and the other transparency advocates are doing. The transparency fight was already an uphill battle – the last thing S.C. needs is dueling transparency efforts.
And seriously… PDF files? The current state transparency site is a searchable database. Bauer wants to use non-searchable PDF files. The format Bauer refers to is a step backward, not forward.
Or did Bauer and the actual transparency advocates reverse roles? Is the Comptroller General’s Office now handing out blankets?
By Pres on March 10th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
1) Andre traveled in personal vehicles
2) The blankets were from private donations (Wal Mart, BCBS and a couple of other companies
3) Mr. Eckstrom is on board with Andre’s transparency idea
By Rob on March 10th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
When will Andre become transparent and show all the records from senior shield? After all, it has gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax dollars and state employee labor. Seems fair to me.
By R on March 10th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Hey “Pres” …
eckstrom is on board with Andre’s idea? Is it not the other way around?
and please explain Andre’s preference for PDF files over the documents Eckstrom, Landess and all, which are actual searchable docs.
By Diva on March 10th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Pres – okay, to whom are blankets donated? Any money get donated? Personal vehicles…really? So, no state employees on state time were with him? You seem to know a lot about Andre’s dealings, so maybe you can tell us when Andre plans to post all the information about Senior Shield online. It is getting public money, after all.
And exactly what NEW “transparency idea” did Andre have? All he is doing is putting vague reports online that come from Eckstrom’s office anyway. “Get it Right” is right — it’s a step backwards. Eckstrom and Bryant are two rare politicians who actually do the right thing for the right reasons, not simply to promote themselves. They work together and with others for the overall good, not just to be the center of attention. You can tell the difference between real leaders and self-serving phonies whose egos are in charge of their every move.
By walter david on March 10th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Anybody know where I can get a parley card in Newberry now?
By SC Two on March 10th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Andre is from Newberry County. He lost Newberry County during the Lt Gov race. Enough said. Those who know him best know he has no business in power. It’s a shame Richard Eckstrom is so far too polite to call him out as a liar. Now that would be a great story to follow!
By Pres on March 10th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I am not in any way involved with Andre or his campaign. I do, however, do basic research before I make bogus claims by you Andre haters. All you have to do is read and listen just a little bit. The blankets were donated to Andre’s charity, The Palmetto Tomorrow’s foundation.
By Bauer Cynic For A Reason on March 11th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Let’s be very careful not to give “them” what they really want. You can be denounced from the heavens, and it only makes people more interested. This is classic Rod Shealyesque strategy building for a Bauer Governorship. If you are not sometimes attacked, then you cannot be very good……the attack itself is a certification of worth. When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of worth. General Eckstrom is much more than polite, he is wise.