Grooms Mulls Gubernatorial Bid
Lowcountry S.C. Senator Larry Grooms – a good fiscal conservative when he’s not “Hunleying it up” with Senate President Glenn McConnell – is considering a run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2010.
“There is a great sense of anxiety — whether you’re Republican or Democrat — that something is really wrong in our country and our state,” Grooms told the Charleston Post and Courier last week. “The evidence of that is the folks showing up to the tea parties.”
That’s true … and for the most part Grooms has voted in a manner that tea party protesters can appreciate.
Obviously, that’s something only a small handful of S.C. Senators can say.
Of course, Grooms’ conservative credentials took a huge hit in the debate over reforming South Carolina’s State Ports Authority, during which he sponsored a tragically ill-conceived piece of legislation that would effectively put the S.C. General Assembly in control over this embattled agency.
Dum-de-dum-dum, people.
In arguing for his bill, Grooms was put in the unenviable position of having to lobby against the private sector and in support of a failed government bureaucracy – all at McConnell’s behest.
Not good ground in a GOP primary, people.
We’ve always liked Grooms – and there is clearly a market for a reform candidate in the current GOP race – but irrespective of his recent commie brain fart we don’t see his testing of the gubernatorial waters encountering much in the way of smooth sailing.
We’ll see, though …
Comments
By no name here on April 27th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
this story was really awesome when I read it on like three other websites last week.. kind of like most “stories” on your site.
By hermann on April 27th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Dr. Nelson, people. I for one am sick of the “Good Ole Boy” S.C. politics as usual approach.
By Tax -- on April 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Is this the same guy who voted to raise taxes and expand medicaid? doesn’t sound very conservative to me….
By Comrade Grooms as Governor? on April 27th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Someone wants to elect Grooms governor?
He is on the transportation committee and supports building the most expensive public operated and owned container terminal in the U.S. with no direct rail access in Charleston.
We do not need anymore of that type of short-sighted big government in South Carolina.
By Please on April 27th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Reminds me of the Republican Presidential Primary . . . Boooorrrrriiinnnggg.
Attorney, Bailout Congressman, Speedy Gonzales, and now Grooms who????Please. SC will get a Democrat Governor in 2010.
By cnnrocks on April 27th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Methinks Dr. Nelson is a very exciting pick-will send the Good Ole Boys scurrying!
By Tim on April 27th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Tom Davis or Nikki Haley: get in this thing!
By Not Comrade on April 27th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Comrade, either you’re grossly misinformed or intentionally lying. Not sure which, but you and others might want to read this:
Grooms, R-Bonneau, said he will go to all lengths to ensure that the terminal under construction on the former Navy base can be equally served by both of the region’s major railroad companies.
He said that could mean forcing rail access through the northern end of the Navy Yard against Summey’s and the Noisette Co.’s will.
“We’re very comfortable that, if this were to be litigated, we believe we would win the legal right to send trains out of the northern end of the base,” Grooms said. “I’d rather not do that, but if that’s the only option to protect the economic well-being to the entire state, I think we’ll have to do that.”
Get the rest of the story at http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/27298-summey-says-lsquo-no-deal-rsquo-to-terminal-exchange
By Ron on April 27th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
By Tim on April 27th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
“Tom Davis or Nikki Haley: get in this thing!”
Yes Tim,
I’m with you as to supporting Tom or Nikki. They’ve stood up to the liberal Rino Republicans Harrel and Leatherman. They deserve a shot at the governor’s mansion. I’d really prefer someone from the private sector. We’ve had a fine governor that stepped out of a dentist office back in the 70s and subsequently served with dignity as Sec of Energy under Ronald Reagan. Or what about his CPA son-in-law that ran 8 years ago and subsequently chaired the MAP commission that was mostly ignored by these rino republican rascals in the General Assembly. Who says we have to have a professional politician in the Governor’s mansion. VOTE ALL THESE BUMS OUT IN 2010.
By Gimme all you got! on April 27th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
OK. I like Grooms. If the Ports thing is all you got on him, I can live with that. With the current slate of GOPers, we need somebody that’s a really conservative and Grooms is better than the rest. Could he win? That is the question.
My concern is the Dems. Who are they really gonna throw at us? Sheheen? McCleod? Not much name recognition at all. Really, what about Jim Rex? Is he the darling of the Libs? His Huffington Post article leeds me to believe he is wanting to run and Zeke Stokes wants a candidate. Rex is his greatest success in his life as a political consultant.
I fear if a well known “D” statewide candidate gets into this thing, they get the seat. Give me your thoughts, Sic.
By Republican Swamp Fox on April 27th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Mike Rose for Gov. A true conservative and a fair tax man.
By Brian on April 28th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Nobody should hold anything relating to the port against Grooms. He has been a tireless champion of business in South Carolina including the Port of Charleston. Will has no idea what he is talking about when it comes to port policy. He is simply a writer that is wrong on this issue. Will, you should seriously consider sitting down with people working in the port industry daily before you spout all of your port crap because it makes you look stupid to people that actually know what they are talking about. Grooms gets it!
By Oscar on April 28th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Grooms and the Port- Let’s see- Grooms thinks the state should spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a state owned facility that private companies have offered to build and operate without any public funds.
This is a pretty simple old school Republican concept . Stand back and let the free market work . Have government perform only services the free market can not.
If you want to run car companies or port terminals or banks – join the Socialist or Democratic party – but don’t go around calling yourself a conservative Republican.
By Sal on April 28th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I cannot believe I heard Grooms saying he is for limited government. I disagree. My proof? In June, 2008, I mailed out a certified return receipt two page letter to Grooms (and the outgoing Hagood) asking them to introduce a state sovereignty bill similar to the one Oklahoma had recently introduced as well as the reasons why it needed to be. Well, 10+ months later, NOT EVEN a form letter from him. Luckily, the Honorable Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) introduced it this February (S.424 Please go and tell everyone to support it). In all fairness, he did sign on eventually as a sponsor. But why not the senator who introduced it?
My question is: If he is so limited government, why would he not touch it last year? Was it too much of a hot potato?
He talks limited government, does he act like it?
With my green certified return receipt card signed by his office last June in my hand, I am still waiting expectantly for his call.