Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod is running for governor, according to excepts from a letter he sent to delegates at this weekend’s South Carolina Democratic Convention.
In his letter, McLeod says South Carolina’s Republican leaders have “proven themselves powerless in the face of record unemployment” and that it is “abundantly clear that South Carolina needs a new direction.”
“The current crop of career politicians in Columbia have given us the second highest unemployment rate in the country and done little to help our public schools,” McLeod says. “We need a governor who will fight for jobs, and stand up for the people of South Carolina. That’s not going to happen if we turn to the usual crowd of politicians.”
McLeod is absolutely right about one thing – the current crop of career politicians in Columbia absolutely suck. Donkey balls, in fact.
But please, dude … spare us the whole “stand up for the people of South Carolina” crap.
You can dig a little deeper than that, can’t you?
C’mon. Didn’t you used to date Brooke Gordon, man?
Oh, and as for the current crop of Columbia RINOcrats having “done little to help our public schools,” what exactly does McLeod call the billion dollars worth of general fund budget increases public education received over the previous four years?
Please. These schools have $800 million sitting in their bank accounts right now. They ain’t hurtin’ for cash … but our students iz hurtin’ to reads.
McLeod obviously isn’t aware that we spend twice per student what we spent less than a decade ago, which means the notion that our failed, one-size-fits-all education monopoly hasn’t been sufficiently coddled (and funded) by our RINOcrat rulers is laughable.
And while we’re on the subject, shouldn’t someone who wants to lead this state … err, be its most visible official … set as his goal improving academic achievement for students? You know, instead of pledging allegiance to a specific system?
Of course it should … but by limiting his area of concern to “public schools” Mullins is speaking in time-honored code to let core Democratic special interests know that he has no intention of changing the status quo – which is currently failing 73,000 mostly black, low-income students.
No intention whatsoever – which makes his announcement predictable, boring and lame.
We’ll see what Mullins McLeod “comes with” over the next few months, but if he’s going to position himself as a “change” alternative to establishment candidate Vincent Sheheen, he’s going to have to do a lot better than regurgitating Sheheen’s establishment drivel.
Otherwise, we’re going to see these two white guys agreeing with each other a lot over the next fifteen months.
Meanwhile, the only Democrat running for governor who is actually focused on the needs of individual school children is Charleston Sen. Robert Ford, who is the lead sponsor of a sweeping parental choice bill.
Frankly, of all the announced candidates on either side, Ford has currently got our vote, people …
By baked April 22, 2009 at 12:23 pm
is this dude just the palmetto state’s version of john edwards?
By Tim April 22, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Mullins, Tumpy, Gresham, Andre…do we still have politicians in this state with norman, non-sissy sounding names?
By Tim April 22, 2009 at 1:16 pm
(normal)
By To my thinking April 22, 2009 at 1:43 pm
ho hum-another pretty face with a mouthful of baloney.
By bo April 22, 2009 at 1:50 pm
he is john edwards’ very 1st lovechild
By GnuBerry April 22, 2009 at 2:02 pm
You seem fixated on vouchers.
By hammerheadSC April 22, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Tim, first of all normal and politicians do not belong in the same sentence.
By James the Foot Soldier April 22, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Yawn – another fukin lawyer – exactly what this state DOES NOT need to lead.
By Freddie Guy April 22, 2009 at 3:46 pm
This guy has never held an elected office, but wants to be our Governor???
I don’t think that SC needs an establishment candidate who has been elected for 25 years (that is what is WRONG with the system), but NEVER held an elected office. Come on Mullis, this is a little over your head.
Fred
By Brian April 22, 2009 at 4:44 pm
This is not an endorsement of Mullins but I would not count this guy out. I have seen him in a court room and I have seen him speak before large groups and he is good, and I do mean very good.
By Fred Sheats April 22, 2009 at 5:49 pm
This guy is EXACTLY what we need in SC. The “establishment” has ruined the state. Mullins seems to have the business sense that politicans dont
By reddrumesq April 22, 2009 at 8:08 pm
why does Mullins McLeod repeatedly suggest he went from a judicial clerkship to “starting his own business”? Why doesn’t he want anyone to know that he worked at the Hood Law Firm? With such a slim resume, it seems suspicious…
By Andy April 22, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Meh
By RON PAUL April 22, 2009 at 11:33 pm
So this guy thinks that sanford should be able to fix the unemployment problem the feds have caused…I think his silly statements say enough.
By Gococksri April 23, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’m not following you here Fred, how can you be “a candidate who has been elected for twenty-five years” who “has never held an elected office?” I would much rather have a candidate, who except for about one year, never held a job outside of government. Oh, too bad, he can’t run for re-election.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' April 23, 2009 at 11:23 am
His ego appears to have overcome his judgment.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' April 23, 2009 at 12:11 pm
His website says “[h]e’s risen from modest means to build a professional business.” Modest? A third generation attorney who graduated from Woodberry Forest School and Wofford College (where he was a member of the KA Order), and who has a slew of relatives in politics, including an uncle who is a sitting member of the SC House and another uncle who was a state senator?
Nothing modest about that.
By Fred needs to quit posting on SC News websites April 23, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Fred, Why on earth did you feel the need to post that stupid comment on both Fits and The State. Despite what you think, no one cares about your “insight” for the upcoming race for the Democratic ticket. The fact that he hasn’t held an office in this state, I feel could be an advantage in that he isn’t tied down to a large group of constituents like every other politician sticking there name in the ballot for governor, who only act in the best interest of those giving them money. Obviously McLeod will eventually have do the same but he could be a breath of fresh air initially. Also the name is “Mullins” not “Mullis”, Freddy. Read the homeboy’s name next time before you comment on him, twice…
By Freddie Guy April 23, 2009 at 2:48 pm
My post was initially posted on The State website before I realized that NO READS IT ANYMORE, so I decided to share my thoughts with FITS readers (btw, thnx for the feedback). I still have a problem with this kid never holding an elected office. I will agree with other posters: Mullins seems extremely intelligent and has the ability to make women get antsy in the pantsy, but the notion that no experience is a “breath of fresh air” is baloney. When has little experience ever been a qualification for a job.
Observation: Repubs want to know what CAN you do for me. Dems want to know what HAVE you done for me! In this context, the kids got nothing.
To add to that, it looks like his campaign has been working hard to unveil their intentions to run. They neglected to let the media know, because this only made a ripple in the state blogs. No media coverage???
Fred
By To my thinking April 23, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Wow, what a gracious, thoughtful response to hostility and, dare I say, incivility.
The national scene is an example of what lack of experience can produce.