Haley: “Major Concerns” About Bauer As Governor
Not surprisingly, the woman with the most to lose politically from S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s collapse called on him to stay in office today.
In so doing, she also made a surprising statement that directly questioned the conservative credentials of the man with the most to gain from Sanford’s collapse.
S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley – who is advised by the same political consultant as Sanford – is directly calling out Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, saying that she has “major concerns” about the viability of the reform movement in the event Sanford were to step down and hand over power to Bauer.
Here is the statement Haley released this afternoon:
While the governor has clearly made a serious and costly error, the focus of what comes next should not be on how it affects Mark Sanford but instead on how it affects the people of our state. My concern is for the people of South Carolina and for our ability to continue the movement toward government reform, fiscal accountability, smaller government, and protecting the value of a dollar.
To that end, I have major concerns about the viability of that movement and the direction our government could take under the Lieutenant Governor should Governor Sanford resign. As elected officials our actions must be in the best interests of the state – not in the interests of settling long-held political scores – and it is my sincere belief that South Carolina cannot afford to go back to the good-ole-boy system that so badly serves the taxpayers and undermines our government.
Wow.
On the one hand, Haley is correct. In fact, as we’ve made pretty clear, we don’t have “concerns” about what would happen to the reform movement if Bauer takes over, we know exactly what would happen – and it ain’t pretty.
But Sanford has put the movement in this untenable situation – essentially giving his political opponents sufficient rope to hang him should they so choose.
On top of that – we’re literally in disbelief at how unbelievably calculating this statement is.
Seriously … “the focus of what comes next should not be on how it affects Mark Sanford?”
Haley is basically saying that she couldn’t care less about the personal well-being of the governor and his family because she needs him to stay in office and be rehabilitated politically if she is to have any chance at capturing the GOP nomination next summer.
How else are we supposed to interpret that comment?
Don’t get us wrong, Haley is by far the most fiscally conservative of the GOP candidates currently running or contemplating a run for governor next year, and at the moment she would be our first choice for the Republican nomination in 2010.
Having said that, this statement was incredibly poorly-conceptualized and poorly-articulated.
Comments
By SC Native on June 26th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Gotta disagree with you here FITS. I agree with Haley, who cares how Sanford is affected by what comes next? I just don’t want Andre to have any positive momentum. We would have an ex-cheerleader as governor. God help us.
I have a feeling she might stomp Andre in the primary. I think she has more of a shot to win the Republican nomination than many think.
By Joe on June 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
This whole episode- including the ugly maneuvering by the Columbia elite to discredit Sanford (Knotts) or prop him up (Haley)-only proves that we need a reformer from outside to come in and clean up the State House and change the way things are done in Columbia. Only Brent Nelsen has the qualities we need in a new Governor. He alone has the fresh ideas and courage to clean up Columbia.
By lou on June 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
GO ANDRE
By Vic Nettles on June 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
If some reason Andre was not in Republican Party Primary for Governor Nikki was my second choice but not now she should stay out of this thing
By Let Me Tell You Somethin.... on June 26th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
No one wants Andre to be Governor except for little old ladies and those rednecks who have always supported him. If he becomes Governor thanks to Sanford resigning, I bet the SCGOP is more screwed than ever, which is why I think Nikki’s strategy (although risky and odd) is justifiable. It does look weird none the less, but this keeps her from crashing and burning right now. If you think the Sanford episode this week is shocking, the Dems will unleash all the Bauer secrets that have been hidden for so many years. I’m not revealing what those secrets may be, but let’s just say Bauer may have a reputation similar to the one Lindsey has… if you know what I mean. Just because you bring a hot girl to a party or keep her on your arm, doesn’t mean you’re not…
By madcock on June 26th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Typical Libertarian. Thinking only of her prescious “ideas” and “agenda.” No thought to ethics, no thought to his children.
Sounds like she’s as disgustingly narcissistic as Romeo Marshall. She would have probably joined him to be one of two members of Congress to vote against Medicaid funding for poor women with breast cancer.
On the bright side, she’s probably a lot better at yoga than he is.
By matt on June 26th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
btw, not to be picky, but “could care less” means that a person could actually care less. What you mean was “couldn’t care less”, which would indicate that the speaker maintains the lowest possible level of care. Sorry – pet peeve.
By Sally Calder on June 26th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
i disagree with you, sic, and agree completely with nikki. i feel for jenny and their boys, which is more than sanford has done, but it is not the citizens of sc’s job to heal their family. i believe nikki has the best interest of the state in mind. sanford has months, if not years, of atonment ahead if he hopes to save his family. i’m not sure at this point his head is on straight enough to want to save his marriage and family. he is pathetically in love with this woman who reports say has boken up other families as well. and if she is what the reports are saying, he had extremely poor taste when he fell for her. he was a disappointment. now i just think he is an idiot.
By CNSYD on June 26th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Joe, don’t fall for the knight on a white horse routine. Last one of those to ride to the statehouse was a guy named Sanford.
By fitsnews on June 26th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
matt-
nice. and touche.
-fits
By Aikenite on June 26th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Sorry to be picky, but no hyphens after “-ly” adverbs: “poorly articulated message.” But any message that will thwart André is great!
But “could care less” is a common variant of “couldn’t care less,” and everybody understands what it means.
By Another opinion on June 26th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Haley, Davis, Ryberg, etc. should tender their resignations along with Sanford’s. What a major screw-up. We are now the laughing stock of the entire country and the above were so blindly supportive of Sanford when it was clearly evident for the last seven years that he had major personal issues. When the national press votes him one of the worse governors in the nation and our voting public cannot see it we have a problem. Let’s stop this mess! Mark, please resign and devote your time to mending the problems you have made with your family. That is the honorable thing to do.
By The Conservativist on June 26th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
See what other leaders are saying about the reform movement.
http://theconservativist.com/2009/06/25/what-happens-to-the-conservative-reform-agenda/
By Richard on June 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Nikki Haley is exactly right. This is not a SAVE Mark Sanford marriage campaign. It is about the state and the citizens and she directed in her statement. Sanford is going to have to correct/fix his own personal issues with his family and the state, nobody else can do that for him. The state must go on…and needs to go on in the most conservative and conscious way possible for the good of the taxpayer. I am emphatically siding with Nikki and her movement for the state!
By calhoun fawls on June 27th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Haley is doing what is expected and frankly, acting pretty weak. McMaster is doing the same thing. Everyone is so afraid for their own careers that they run from calling for the right thing.
The actions and the lack of actions will make Vincent Sheheen Governor if Republicans are not careful. Democrats are excited about Sanford staying.
I know I am talking to people who think they know a helluva lot more than I do, but a pissant Governor in office, a list of candidates afraid to call him that, well, it creates the storm needed for Sheheen to win.
But, Haley, McMaster, Quinn, you all go ahead and pat yourselves on the back for being smart. But, I hate the mistakes you are making. In South Carolina, you can never be wrong for calling for what’s right. You are going to spend a lot of money and energy and be disappointed if you do not wise up. Of course, David Beasley’s people thought Hodges was nothing to worry about in 1997.
By calhoun fawls on June 27th, 2009 at 12:27 am
Another opinion, I actually feel for Sanford’s family and for Tom Davis. I have been the friend who went the extra mile for a politician who turned out to be incredibly stupid. I understand, all too well, what Davis is going through. You stand by your friend, you do for your friend, you become like family for him, and he screws it all up and betrays your friendship as a result. Give Davis and other Sanford friends a break. I have been there. It sucks. You want to pound away at the politician ex-friend, but you are close to his family. There are probably a lot of mixed emotions going on there. It is why I retired from politics. I hope Tom Davis does not do that. I hope he finds his won way and learns to be his own best friend when it comes to politicians.
By tammy on June 27th, 2009 at 12:39 am
No one really cares about the conservative reform agenda. It was dead the day it started. I mean…really…just look at the bunch Sanford aligned himself with…and tea parties? He should’ve done better choosing his reform team. A sad team it is… But, hey…Alan Keyes is coming to Spartanburg on the 4th to push the tea party agenda. Nothing spells SUCCESS like Alan Keyes in Boiling Springs. I hope they remember to give out rules like “pssssst…don’t use the N word y’all ’cause the keynote speaker is black’ to the crowd. Very progressive of them to choose Alan Keyes though!
That said, I hope the Governor stays in place. He’s already flat-lined those that stood with him and yee-haw to that but Dear God, please don’t do Andre Bauer any favors by handing over this seat. Even though I disagree with the Governor on just about everything it’s political. Andre is in it for Andre and will capitalize on it for his on personal goals and that just irks me to no end.
Ride it out Governor!
By Gillon on June 27th, 2009 at 8:28 am
To paraphrase the very quotable Lyndon Baines Johnson (ahh, those were the good ole days): I would rather have Mark Sanford “inside the tent pissing out, rather than outside pissing in.” (especially when the next in-line pisser is Andre Bauer)
By Souperheerow on June 27th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Uh, Haley… we had an election and the voters of SC TWICE decided that Andre would fill in if Sanford were unwilling or unable to serve. He’s shown both in the last week. As Marky Mark said last week, the chips have to fall where they may. We can’t sit around for a year and a half doing nothing on jobs and the economy while we figure out whose going to be governor.
By Matt on June 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
All I can say is that I’ve been talking to several people in the GOP politically-involved class who were pretty excited about Nikki’s candidacy, but stuff like this has given them second thoughts. I keep going through my head all the benefits to her either aligning herself with Sanford now or distancing herself from him. I hope she is getting advice from lots of people and not just Jon Lerner and the Policy Council.
Here’s one thought: Sanford has never been the darling of the social conservatives in this state the way Beasley was. Now his credibility with these voters is shot. Values voters don’t really have a candidate in the 2010 field like a Mike Huckabee. Nikki Haley would seem to benefit with these voters as a young mother (almost similar to a Sarah Palin) but with a picture perfect family. Andre doesn’t have that, and I’m pretty aure she can play up the whole “family” image better than the other four guys in the race. But doesn’t her sticking up for the “adulterous-homewreaking” governor cause Haley to lose a lot of conservative credibility? A lot of our GOP primary voters are interested in more than just who lines up with the Club for Growth, and I’m not sure Nikki is thinking that though.
By For real on June 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Haley is toast…done…finished…her help was gonna be Sanford, and that’s a moot point now. She should go back to her district and tell them she has decided to keep her house seat if they’ll have her back
By SC Native on June 27th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Souperheerow,
You know what’s funny about Andre Bauer? You are right, he did get elected twice, but for some reason I can’t find anyone who will actually own up to having voted for him. My family (huge Republican family) voted for both Democrats he ran against.
By craig on June 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Will, I can’t believe you don’t see what Haley is doing. She is setting up the one on one fight between her and Andre’.
Follow me- if AB becomes Gov, then Henry and Gresham are DONE- as their Country Club establishment money will dry up and go to rally around AB, because he will have the office and the power that goes with it and he will have the ability to turn the special interest spigot back on after it has been closed for 6 years. They will be grateful and HM and GB will be toast. Grooms has the same problem except I hear he may be the acting LT Gov, so he won’t have any interest in the govs race anymore anyway.
Haley is the only candidate left who will have the ability to raise money. She will tap the Club For Growth- reform- libertarian money crowd as she had always intended to do and will have even more success as HMc and GB probably would have peeled a few of those folks off. Let’s face it she will also be able to tap into the Bobby Jindal/Indian American money line as well. She will be well funded.
If that is what is going to happen, then why not start hitting AB to set up the choice SC GOP voters are going to have? That is exactly what she did with this statement. If Sanford resigns the GOP primary is going to Haley vs. AB. She sees that, or maybe Jon Lerner sees that.
By ts on June 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Wouldn’t any true fiscal conservative prefer a resignation to an impeachment, including Governor Sanford?
Wouldn’t an impeachment involve much time, money, and loss of credibility?
By A. South Carolina Dead Politician on June 27th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Humpty Dumpty sat on a Wall…
Andre Bauer is being set up.
Where AB is now is in a SAFE position. This is a game of SENATORS and CONSULTANTS who pulls the chain of SLED TAG.
Any investigations or smear of AB looks too political right now.
Tag you’re it doesn’t work well for a Lt Governor, but as THE Governor a whole new set of rules apply:
#1) Henry ‘Law-and-Order’ McMaster would have ‘no choice’ but to ‘investigate under the law of the land’ any serious allegations that might show up about the new Governor Andre ‘I-Love-You-All’ Bauer.
#2) Poor Andre has allegations of ‘live’ skeletons in his closet, under the bed and in his nose.
#3) Things look worse and worse after Labor Day for ‘Blanket’ Bauer. His numbers slip beneath the Coastal Carolina waves.
#4) The 2010 race now becomes an all out war between ‘Polish-up-the-Citadel-Cannons’ McMaster who hates Northern Federalism and it’s Threats to South Carolina ‘Political Virginity’ and Nikki ‘Namaste’ Haley the new face of South Carolina Politics.
#5) Andre is Toast and the new race for Governor is between Henry and Nikki.
#6) Bare Knuckles fight between “Love” on one hand and “Hate” on the other
#7) Good-bye Andre! We hardly knew you!
Humpty Dumpty had a Great Fall…
P.S. This Sanford Hit Job was really a Hit Job on S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley to try and derail her prospects for 2010.
P.S.S. This quote from Richard ‘The Lion Fart-Heart’ Quinn: “No one has asked me whether or not they should attack Mark Sanford,” Quinn said “Nor have I advised anyone to lay off of him.”
Who ever heard of a Political Consultant in the middle of the biggest SC Political scandal since ‘Lost Trust’ that doesn’t CONSULT his clients on what to say or what not to say?
I’m sorry; I just looked at my driver’s license: I was born yesterday.
By Mab on June 27th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Hey Dead Guy — that’s pretty entertaining stuff. You should ’splain things more often!
By Toyota Kawaski on June 29th, 2009 at 8:31 am
SHE WONT MAKE IT OUT THE PRIMARY
By proudofsc on June 29th, 2009 at 9:50 am
She is done. Stick a fork in her. NO WAY to HALEY.
By madcock on June 29th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Yeah, the South Carolina Republican party is going to nominate a Sikh woman named Nimrata Randhawa “Nikki” Haley as its candidate for govenor.
LMAO!!!!!
By momof4 on June 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Well I join the chorus of folks who want Sanford to stay ONLY becuase his resignation means A Bauer would become the governor. But what scares me more is that South Carolinians (excluding myself) voted him in as Lt Gov. What does that say about his chances in the gubernatorial contest coming up???