What?
After getting thoroughly owned – and then sued – by website giant Craigslist, S.C. Attorney General declared a nonsensical, Quixotic victory today.
“The defensive legal action craigslist has taken against the solicitors and my office is good news,” McMaster said. “It shows that craigslist is taking the matter seriously for the first time.”
Huh?
Actually, what the Craigslist lawsuit shows is that not all companies are going to sit back and twiddle their thumbs while attention whore politicians habitually cross the line in pursuit of self-serving headlines.
In addition to voluntarily offering to clean up its act, Craigslist has conclusively demonstrated at every point in this debate that it’s not the enemy McMaster should be fighting.
In typical grandstanding fashion, however, McMaster wasn’t about to take “yes for an answer.”
At least not until it became painfully clear that he was getting his ass handed to him.
Now, McMaster is all about getting out of this fiasco with as much of his backside intact as possible.
From his official statement, released today:
Overnight (craigslist has) removed the erotic services section from their website, as we asked them to do. And they are now taking responsibility for the content of their future advertisements. If they keep their word, this is a victory for law enforcement and for the people of South Carolina.
Unfortunately, we had to inform them of possible state criminal violations concerning their past practices to produce a serious response. We trust they will now adhere to the higher standards they have promised. This office and the law enforcement agencies of South Carolina will continue to monitor the site to make certain that our laws are respected.
Uh … yeah.
Needless to say, nobody’s buying McMaster’s claim.
“Henry McMaster, the South Carolina attorney general that threatened Craigslist with criminal prosecution last week, must assume Web users and the people of his state don’t take the time to read,” wrote a popular web reporter with CNET. “Just a few hours after Craigslist announces that it has filed a lawsuit against McMaster for making his threats and alleging managers of the site were in some responsible for ads for prostitution that have appeared on the site and attracted controversy, McMaster claimed victory.”
The fact is that Henry McMaster, in a brazen attempt to generate publicity for himself in a crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, has exposed the taxpayers of South Carolina to a completely avoidable lawsuit.
He’s also once again humiliated our state in the eyes of the nation – and specifically in the eyes of tech firms that South Carolina is desperate to recruit.
As much as we hate to see tax dollars go toward defending McMaster’s idiocy, we hope Craigslist pursues its lawsuit against him.
Grandstanding politicians need to be taught a lesson, and it certainly appears Henry McMaster is about to be taught one … at our expense.
Comments
By Fashizzle on May 20th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Grand Ayatollah McMaster deserves having his ass handed to him. Two-bit SC politicians need a reminder their stunts may work against other state dimwits, but the rest of the country isn’t playing. I hope you’ll push to find out how many tax dollars he has blown whoring himself out (irony intended) for this media coverage.
By Liberty on May 20th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Henry McMaster #fail.
Everything this guy does is incredibly embarrassing, yet suprisingly predictable.
By Mike on May 20th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I doubt CL will spend the money to continue their suit now that McMaster is running with his tail between his legs (all the while yelling “Victory is mine!” over his shoulder), although they should. That would make a great editorial cratoon- wish I had some artistic talent…
By Page on May 20th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Mike,
I’m sure you can get that new cartoonist over at TPS to help you with that.
Oh wait…
By James the Foot Soldier on May 20th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
The state’s top attorney getting sued?
Oh, the delicious irony.
I love to watch attorneys suing each other – keeps them out of the lives of the rest of us folks that actually work for a living.
By newzjunkie on May 20th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I hope CL continues their suit and send McBastard back to the Low Country! This is a waste of tax dollars! Everything wrong in this state – blame it on the elephants! They have control and has have it for decades!
By John on May 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Haha! Screw this guy! The AG’s office is one of the most corrupt establishments in South Carolina. Nikki Haley for Governor!
By Mike on May 21st, 2009 at 5:26 am
Page,
Based on the level of Kool-Aid drinking going on over there- you’re right…that may not happen (I’ll drop the bug in their ear, though).
By Liberty for me on May 21st, 2009 at 8:03 am
The best part of this is the leadership..What a great governor he would be.Waisting millions of our money fighting stupidass lawsuits
By liz on May 21st, 2009 at 8:36 am
Craigs list heard the truth……..
They know McMaster ignores REAL Crime
By X on May 21st, 2009 at 8:58 am
straight from Jessie Jackson’s playbook!
By VIEHARIS on October 29th, 2009 at 7:27 am
NOW WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU CAN GET STOPED, HAVE SEX IN Cemetery , YOUR DRIVER CAN DRIVE OVER 115 MILES PER HOUR ON HIGHWAY 20 , OUR LEADER CAN GO ACROSS THE WORLD ON OUR TAX DOLLARS TO SEE HIS SOUL MATE. STATE TROOPERS CAN HIT BLACK MEN WITH THERE CARS AND NOT BE FOUND GUILTY, BEAT THEM HALF TO DEATH AND NOT BE FOUND GUILTY. SHERIFFS DEPT CAN PUT A MAN IN JAIL FOR SOMETHING HE DIDNT DO AND THEN SAY SORRY!!! AND OFFICER WINES CALLS HIS WIFE TO ASK IF Roland S. Corning IS THIS MANS REAL NAME AND HE’S HAVING SEX IN THE CEMETERY , WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AREESTED. WHEN OUR LT GOV CAN GET DRUNK AND GO DOWN THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS WHEN IT SHOULD. ARE THEY SPECIAL PEOPLE OR WHAT. THEN THE MAN THAT HANDLES OUR STATE MONEY CAN BUY COCAINE AND GIVE HIS HOUSE GUEST COCAINE , BUT HE BOUGHT IT FROM A SMALL DEALER THAT RECEIVED THE MOST TIME FOR THIS. BUT U CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR STATE MONEY HA HA !!! AND OUR CHIEF OF JUSTISE CAN HIT SOMEONE’S CAR LEAVE THE SCENE AND ACT LIKE IT DIDNT HAPPEN AND NO CHARGES PRESSED. BUT THESE ARE OUR LEADERS? !!!! RIGHT. TO TOP IT OFF ONE OF OUR OWN REP JOE WILSON HAD THE NERVE TO CALL OUR PRESIDENT A LIAR!!!! AND ALL YALL FOOLS RAISED MORE THEN 4 MILLOIN DOLLARS FOR WHAT PURPOSE TO SUPPORT HIM HA HA!!!! AGAIN I SAY THESE ARE OUR LEADERS? BUT A BLACK MAN GETS THE MOST TIME FOR THE COCAINE THAT HE SOLD TO THE MAN THAT HANDLES THE STATES MONEY “WHAT A JOKE”.BUT OUR LEADERS RIGHT?!!! AND WALK OFF WITH A SLAP ON THE HAND, FAIR?! BUT IF A BLACK MEN /WOMEN OR YOUNG BLACK BOY/ GIRL JUST LOOK WRONG, OR IS WEARING “THE WRONG THING”, OR NOT LOOKING CLEAN CUT OR DRIVING SOMETHING WITH 24? ON IT, OR EVEN WORSE PLEASE !!!! DONT BE ON BROAD RIVER ROAD AND BE BLACK U MIGHT GET THE “DEATH SENTENCE”. SO TELL ME, DO YOU HAVE TO BE WHITE AND IN POLITICS OR HAVE OLD MONEY OR JUST ALOT OF MONEY, OR KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE SO WE AS A SOCIETY CAN BE TREATED FAIR IN COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA OR DO ALL BLACK PEOPLE NEED HAVE THESE THING SO WE CAN BE TREATED FAIR YOU TELL ME? I NEED TO KNOW ? I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING IN LIFE , JUST DONT TREAT ALL BLACKS THE SAME. NOW IF ANY THING LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO THE COMMON BLACK MEN , WOMEN, BOY, GIRL YOU WANT TO GIVE US THE GAS RIGHT. SO WHATS GOOD FOR ONE IS GOOD FOR ALL!!!! COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA U NEED O CHECK YOUR SELF AND TREAT EVERYONE FAIR!!!!