When GOP-bashing FITS News editor and former gubernatorial spokesman Will Folks ran an article a few days ago regarding former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, we noticed that at least one commenter latched on to the word “toxic” to describe any association between Giuliani and Karen Floyd in her quest to become the next chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
It is obvious that Mr. Folks did not expect anyone to “go there.”
After all he loves Mayor Giuliani (whom he calls “Hizzoner”), and he really loves Karen Floyd.
Maybe that is why Mr. Folks has refused to dig any deeper to figure out why a link between Giuliani and Floyd could be so problematic for her candidacy.
A quick tour of Floyd’s campaign website makes it perfectly clear why she doesn’t want voters to make this connection — because Rudy undercuts every plank in her platform that matters to actual Republicans.
Floyd’s website says that she is “an active member of the Pro-Life community and for many, many years has supported Pro-Life proposals, participated in Pro-Life rallies and events, and has donated her money and time to various Pro-Life crisis pregnancy organizations.”
But her choice for President is a professed pro-choicer. He favors abortion rights at nearly every turn, and he has publicly supported using tax dollars to fund abortions.
Like new RNC Chairman Michael Steele (who we in the Republican base refer to simply as “The Fraud”), Rudy cops out behind the “Well, I personally don’t like it, but it’s not up to me” excuse. Talk about a facade.
When it comes to abortion, it’s hard to tell these folks from Ted Kennedy since they all seem to use the same excuses to justify their pro-abortion position.
The same is true on immigration. Floyd’s website says that she “will oppose attempts at amnesty by standing up to misguided officials and standing for the rule of law.”
Rudy, on the other hand, has no problem with undocumented immigrants. Everyone found out during the presidential race that he ran the “Big Apple” as a big sanctuary city where police officers were forbidden to turn illegal immigrants into the INS—even though that was part of their job description.
On gun control, it’s the same story all over again. Floyd tells audiences that she’s a hunter, and her website says that she “believes strongly in protecting the Second Amendment from governmental encroachment.”
But Rudy tried to disarm gun owners. He pushed for federal legislation restricting gun ownership. He also sued gun manufacturers and distributors because, you know, they are involved in the industry that makes it possible to actually exercise Second Amendment rights.
And he has also characterized members of the NRA as “extremists.”
You get the point. Everything that Floyd’s website tries to sell is exactly contrary to Rudy’s position — and frequently avoided by Mr. Folks on this website.
We understand that FITS News has expressed pro-life, anti-immigration and pro-gun positions in the past, but these expressions are few and far between.
In fact Mr. Folks frequently bashes the people who defend these core GOP principles, recently referring to the one conservative in this race as a brown noser.
Why does this matter? It’s called the transitive property of equality.
And since Mr. Folks likely didn’t ace algebra back in his days as a pimple-faced high schooler, sound the bell — because class is in session.
It’s no secret that Karen Floyd was Rudy Giuliani’s campaign manager when he was running for the Republican nomination for president.
She lent her name and political reputation to his candidacy and campaigned for him all over South Carolina, receiving payments from Giuliani in excess of $135,000 for barely one year’s worth of service. According to Giuliani’s filings with the Federal Election Commission, his campaign doled out payments of $10,000 or more to Floyd’s consulting company every month from February 2007 to February 2008. Throw in several more big payouts for “catering” and other soft charges, and we’re talking about some serious cheddar.
But this spending spree was a two-way street.
According to FEC filings, Floyd gave Rudy money, too. She was a maximum contributor to his presidential campaign, giving the highest possible amount to his primary race on March 15, 2007, and giving the highest possible amount to his never-got-off-the-ground general election race on May 14, 2007. (This last payment was refunded after Giuliani’s candidacy flamed out in the primaries, including getting a woeful 2% of the vote from South Carolina Republicans).
But the giving wasn’t limited to Floyd herself. Her company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Suzanne Long, also gave the highest allowed contribution to Rudy’s campaign, and Eaddy Roe Willard, a Richland County GOP gadfly and “Midlands Director” for Karen’s company, was also a heavy contributor.
Floyd maintains a Facebook page that allows her to update everyone she has ever met with her every thought and movement. And like an ill-advised teenager, she maintains a database of pictures from her campaign on Facebook.
Who have we seen among the cast of characters in those pictures? Rudy’s political operatives, who apparently have come back to South Carolina to run Karen’s race for chairman.
Yes indeed. The same bunch of out-of-state operatives who tried to trick South Carolina’s conservatives into thinking that Rudy was a genuine Republican back during the presidential primary season are at it again.
Ryan Meerstein, who crawled down to South Carolina from the Rust Belt to serve as Rudy’s “executive director” in South Carolina. This obviously worked out well for Rudy.
Then there’s Rudy’s regional field director, Matthew Nichols, and of course who can forget Jon Lerner, whose Maryland-based consulting firm was desperate to convince voters to back Rudy.
According to Floyd’s filings with the State Ethics Commission, she paid Lerner’s group an unthinkable $880,000 during the course of her failed campaign for Superintendent of Education. And we thought that AIG and Merrill Lynch had cornered the market on excess compensation for absolutely zero return.
This is where Will Folks “covering fire” is brilliantly employed, though.
We all “know” Mr. Folks doesn’t like Jon Lerner. He is frequently reminding us of that — in a very, very public way.
But consider this – isn’t FITS News frequently complimentary to Gov. Mark Sanford, who is Jon Lerner’s biggest S.C. client? And what about his love for the S.C. Club for Growth, which is also connected to Lerner?
The connections between Rudy’s and Floyd’s campaigns are not limited to out-of-town operatives, though. There are plenty of homegrown Giuliani disciples making up the rest of Floyd’s “Activist Army,” as she likes to call her troops. Problem is, Floyd’s activists look an awful lot like left-wing activists based on their love for Rudy.
The “Draft Karen” movement apparently went through John Cattano, who was a member of Rudy’s “South Carolina Business Leaders” team.
Barry Wynn is one of Floyd’s Statewide Campaign Co-Chairs and was one of Rudy’s “Co-Finance Chairmen.”
Mark Kelley is a member of Floyd’s “Statewide Steering Committee” and was one of the “Pee Dee Co-Chairs” for Rudy’s campaign.
We could go on, but you get the picture.
We doubt Mr. Folks will run this article but in the unlikely event that he does, you will see that the “Rudy Factor” he alluded to in an effort to proactively dispense with the issue for Karen Floyd’s campaign is a deep connection that cannot be easily dismissed.
Editor’s Note: “A. Citizen” is an anonymous column written by FITS readers just like you. We accept submissions from any reader on any topic, and do not disclose anyone’s identity under any circumstances in the event we decide to (or not to) publish them. We reserve the right to edit as we deem necessary. To submit a column, just e-mail Sic Willie at w@fitsnews.com.
By Endora March 25, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Hey…that’s MY DRESS.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3095697408/nm0001547
%%%%%%%
Gotta hand it to Sic Willie. He will let you have your say even when you dog him. It’s called the “free exchange of ideas.”
&&&&&&&
Good points, Ms. A. Citizen!
By A.KarenFloydSupporter March 25, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Real interesting reading. Karen Floyd’s Republican credentials go back over 20 years. The fact is her active support of Republicans started with the 1986 race between Henry McMaster and Fritz Hollings for US Senate followed by work on behalf of Carroll Campbell, Strom Thurmond, David Beasley, Mark Sanford, Jim DeMint, and countless other Republicans. Her work as a fundraiser for causes such as crisis pregnancy, Victory committees, Republican candidates and other conservative organizations continues today. Her work for Giuliani was based on their shared stance on school choice and the assurance from the Giuliani team that he would be a strict constructionist when appointing judges. You can criticize her all day by saying this somehow doesn’t make her a conservative or a true pro-lifer, but be ready to make those same accusations against Pat Robertson, Steve Forbes and other pro-life and pro-family conservatives who also supported Giuliani. The fact is labeling someone for life based on the politics of one candidate they supported in one election isn’t fair… and you should know better than that. Karen Floyd’s conservative, pro-life, pro-family credentials have twenty years of backup. That is a level of scrutiny in the race for SC GOP Chairman that others cannot really stand.
By SCtiger March 25, 2009 at 3:41 pm
A. Citizen – this reads like a paid, political hit piece. Good luck next time.
By TIN March 25, 2009 at 4:14 pm
What interests me is Folks ran this story given the points it makes about his “transparent” swipes on Jon Lerner and he and Karen’s shared love affair with Howie Rich.
What gives, Sic? Your “Voucher Master” won’t like this one bit. Better get back on the K-Flo Plantation quick.
By RNCfollower March 25, 2009 at 4:40 pm
This looks like something Wesley Donehue would post on his blog but with his record of having mail and messages misdelivered it must have accidentally ended up on fits.
By Elizabeth Fitzgerald March 25, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Is this the best you’ve got against Karen Floyd? That she supported one of the most beloved people in America who stood strong on 9/11 for our safety. No candidate has ever embodied every principle I stand for but when you find a person who represents our basic values and ideals we Should support hi. he was my hero and Karen Floyd is becoming my hero too! We need more people to take a stand and not be afraid to voice her opinion to stand up for the beliefs of our Party. We can’t all agree on every candidate but we can all agree on Karen Floyd as the person to Chair the Republican Party.
By Billy Bob March 25, 2009 at 4:46 pm
This website paid for by Hall for State Party Chairman.
By Republican Swamp Fox March 25, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Another election of Floyds is grounding to a halt becasue the walk and the talk dont match. Please stop running Floyd, going down in flames has to hurt every time.
By Maria March 25, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I have two comments, one favorable to Karen Floyd and one not so much:
1. She has released a large list of campaign supporters, so picking out a handful of names that were Rudy supporters is not that big of a deal. Rudy was a lot better on pro-growth economic issues and security issues than many of the other primary candidates. Even though Rudy was pro-choice he essentially had a similar approach to Romney and McCain–appoint strict constructionist judges, let them overturn Roe v. Wade if they want, and return the decision to the states. None of those three supported a constitutional amendment banning abortion like Huckabee and Brownback did.
2. I’m not sure it is entirely accurate to say Floyd has only been supporting Republicans since 1986. The fact is Floyd supported and gave money to Inez Tenenbaum in 1998 (against a strong GOP opponent) as well as Bill Clinton in 1992. She has also given money and supported Fritz Hollings in at least one of his runs after 1986. This is public knowledge to people familiar with Floyd’s past position as County Council chair in Spartanburg.
By another citizen March 25, 2009 at 6:11 pm
What I want to know is when Sic Wilbur will disclose his K-Flo related girlfriend … K.M. She gets around in Columbia big-time and Sic is a repeat”customer.” Then there is Sic’s other K-Flo girlfriend P.R. Doesn’t get around as much but these two are “Sic” for Sic Wilbur.
By fitsnews March 25, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Wow!
Feisty peeps on this one. Just goes to show our editorial instinct to run this was correct.
“TIN” – Voucher Master? Really? There are no bills in SC currently backing school vouchers so we’re not sure what you’re referring to.
“Another” – Seriously, initials? what is this, third grade?
-FITS
By Endora March 25, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Mercy!
Sic — This will be like Ben Franklin all over again in about 6 years…when the schools of your progeny demand ID!!!
If they are good Catholic girls, that is. And don’t practice birth control!
According to the interwebs, Ben Franklin produced either 17, 30, or 80 illegitimate children!
By Mr_Sandlapper March 25, 2009 at 8:43 pm
I have not been following the race for chairman, but it seems pretty ridiculous to mount an attack or find fault with Mrs. Floyd on behalf of her support for Mr. Giuliani. Likewise, I think it would be absurd for someone to try to discount Mr. Hall’s conservative credentials on behalf of his support for Senator Lindsey Graham and what many believe to be his less that stellar conservative bona fides.
While the article by A. Citizen was well written and impressively documented; the premise of the article and its reliance on syllogism is more than flawed – the logic being that Mrs. Floyd supported Rudy and Rudy is not a conservative; therefore Mrs. Floyd is neither a conservative.
Not only is Rudy Giuliani plenty conservative, as proclaimed by George Will at CPAC which you can watch here. His belief in free-market principles, his effort to reduce crime, his accomplishment of balancing budgets by cutting taxes and reducing the size of government, his strong belief in federalism and transferring power from the Feds to states, and strong stance on school-choice to name a few are principles that I wish more elected republicans in SC would embrace.
Over the years, our need to play in the sandbox with games like “I’m more conservative than you” has shifted our attention from finding real leaders and ideas to advance our cause; thus weakening the party. This is exactly what happened during the RNC Chairman’s race and needless to say look at what happened.
If conservatism alone were the sole criteria to lead SCGOP, Kevin Hall and Karen Floyd both would excel. However, it’s not nor should it be. We need someone who understands grassroots activism, someone who has what is takes to build a statewide organization, and someone who can raise the funds to sustain such an operation. If Rudy should be a factor as many want him to be, it’s funny that no one mentions that Mrs. Floyd was able to raise more money in a single week in SC than what was raised for the entire 2008 SC Victory Operation.
By John Cattano March 25, 2009 at 9:45 pm
As a recent acquaintance of this website, I am surprised to find my name listed in your column and associated with “left-wing activist” supporters of Giuliani’s failed Pres campaign. For the record, I did support Giuliani’s effort for Pres because I believed him to be the strongest and best candidate to defeat the Democrats last year. Further, he articulated the conservative message of less government, low taxes, less regulation, and strong national defense better than any of the other Republican candidates combined and would have given Obama a much better fight than McCain. Again, I would hardly characterize supporters of Rudy as “left-wing activists”, as I have financially supported Sens. Graham & Demint, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Congressmen Joe Wilson, and former Congressman Virgil Goode (Virginia), as well as several other SC state politicians (check the financial disclosures), all of whom are quite conservative. I’m pro-life and a NRA member (as is Karen Floyd) and proudly supported Giuliani, and had he become Pres he would have supported both of those positions.
In conclusion, it’s quite disappointing to read a piece on a website, by an author that takes himself serious, that is intellectually shallow and bases its thesis on inaccurate information. Clearly, the column was written to benefit one side, Kevin Hall, and smear the other, and was written to scare a reader into believing Karen Floyd is not conservative enough to lead the Republican Party in SC.
John Cattano
By Wesley Donehue March 25, 2009 at 11:01 pm
RNCfollower – Sorry bud, but A. Citizen ain’t me…this time.
- Wesley
By walter david March 25, 2009 at 11:28 pm
So, republicans in this state think abortion is the number one issue facing SC? These are the same folks that want to prohibit abortion, force many unfit “parents” to have children, then get all self-righteous when any sort of funding might be needed to address the issues caused by the children raised by these unfit “parents”. Brilliant.
By Bob March 26, 2009 at 7:40 am
Hey Walt,
The point is not abortion all by its lonesome. The point was/is that Rudy cann’t/couldn’t be relied on to support a host of issue positions that are major planks of the GOP platform. Which makes you wonder about his supporters.
By Elmo March 26, 2009 at 9:55 am
I dont get any of this. Karen Floyd actively supported Rudy. Rudy is a left wing liberal con man- no one in their right mind could call him a fiscallly conservative Republican.
So why would someone who does not share any of his beliefs go out and try to get others to vote for him?
Obviously Karen Floyd really believes in party over principle or she is just not very bright.
If I try to get a Communist elected, will you vote for me as Republican in the next election?
By Hey! March 26, 2009 at 11:53 am
Hey it’s Wes Deonehue! I’m so jacked and pumped up that you commented on this site!!! Isn’t life awesome!!!!!!!!!!!