We figured that U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint - a guy we literally couldn’t stand until quite recently – would draw a high-profile Democratic opponent in 2010.
After all, DeMint is wildly uncharismatic and mistake-prone, two attributes that generally aren’t helpful during elections.
Having said that, over the last two years, he’s proven to be the most aggressive and faithful defender of the taxpayers in Washington, D.C. Also, to his credit, DeMint isn’t one of these so-called Republicans who suddenly rediscovered their “fiscal conservatism” the moment the GOP was booted out of power.
DeMint correctly diagnosed a few years back that the Republican Party was hopelessly lost and that standing on principle meant opposing the RINO leadership in Washington. And so he did that – just as he is now opposing the socialist onslaught of Barack Obama.
Ever since his “libertarian conversion,” the Republican base in the Palmetto State has rallied around DeMint’s standard, a shift that only picked up steam after the shocking fall from grace of Gov. Mark Sanford.
DeMint is a hero to Republican voters, and if the electoral math in South Carolina remains as it is – those are likely to be the only voters he’ll need to hang onto his seat.
Still, anything can happen in politics, which is why when we heard last week that a “high-profile S.C. Democrat” was up in Washington D.C. meeting with national party leaders about challenging DeMint, we naturally assumed it would be a candidate with a little bit of credibility, like former minority leader (and Afghan war vet) James Smith, or State Sen. Joel Lourie.
Or maybe Sen. Darrell Jackson.
Imagine our surprise, then, to read in The Washington Post that the “high-profile Democrat” who is taking a long hard look at this race is none other than Sen. Brad Hutto, who may very well be the most ethically-challenged politician in South Carolina right now.
And believe us, that’s saying a lot.
We can say without fear of contradiction that a Hutto candidacy would be the DeMint campaign’s wet dream – or for that matter the wet dream of any Democrat running against Hutto in a primary. Not only is this guy’s name always the first one to pop up anytime there’s a new lawyer-legislator scam or shady special interest deal going down, his personal life ain’t exactly in order, either.
Workers’ comp conflict? Check …
Payday lending scam? Check …
Fixed DUI cases for clients? Oh yeah …
And that’s just the stuff you read about in the papers.
Seriously, are national Democrats not vetting candidates these days? Because this guy would be a friggin’ pinata – one that we would not show any compunction whatsoever in busting wide open and violating six ways from Sunday.
Forget the political differences, a DeMint-Hutto race would be good versus evil.
Incidentally, the only other name thrown out in the Post article is that of Ashley Cooper, a Charleston-based attorney.
Again, yawn.
A few years ago, Cooper might have been a viable contender, but these days he’s known as the guy who is perpetually “talked about” but never actually mans up and runs for anything. Hence his belated appearance in this article (following a word like “incidentally.”).
Bottom line? Democrats need a candidate of Smith, Lourie or Jackson’s caliber to stand a chance at unseating DeMint, and the fact that none of them appear interested in this race should tell you something.
By SC Moderate July 30, 2009 at 6:24 am
Why is James Smith not running for Senate?
This seems like the perfect election for him.
He is the perfect match to take advantage of Demints flaws in the eyes of voters. His military background would give Republicans (who don’t want to vote for Demint) a reason to support Smith. He is respected as a person by both party’s (another flawed department for Demint). He is willingness to “work together” is a noted contrast to Sanford/ Demint stigma. Also, he would provide a sharp contrast to Demint’s mundane outdated persona. He would benefit from turnout in the Gov race. This list goes on and on.
And if he doesn’t run- it is likely that the next opportunity would be 6 years away (against Demint again)?
…If you consider that a Dem has at least an even shot at the Gov office, which could tie that election up for 8 years. And regardless of what people thinks about Graham… his only real chance of losing re-election would be from a republican primary challenge.
So, it seems this is a perfect match-up and likely Smith only opportunity for at least 6 years, probably 8 years (as Demint will be harder to defeat if he were to get 12 years under his belt.)
(The only even slight potential reason I can think of for Smith not jumping in, is maybe a potential appointment of some sort within the Obama organization? ) But even so, one would think the US Senate would be more appealing.
So again, why would Smith not jump on this opportunity?…
By SC Moderate July 30, 2009 at 6:36 am
Additional Question: The only opinion I really see relating to Ashley Cooper is he has decided not to run in the past.
Would he be a strong candidate if he did decide to challenge Demint?
(I’m not that familiar with Cooper- I briefly read his bio, which indicates he would have a command on understanding issues & process/ and his moot court accolades in Law School would indicate that he could be tough in a debate)… but these do not really whether or not he would be competitive. Any thoughts?
By randal July 30, 2009 at 7:49 am
Unless ACORN stuffs the ballot box, DeMint is a shoe-in.
By liz July 30, 2009 at 8:34 am
DeMint’s C Street association will hurt him. Did ya’ll know that these people who belong to C Street think, according to the book The Family, that God no longer claims the Jews as his people. C Street says now, God claims the appointed leaders , get that appointed…. as His Chosen.
So we are to bow down to people like DeMint, Graham, Sanford….
that explains that.
Now all insurance companies are directly or indirectly owned by Fidelity Management and Research, who in my opinion, has COUPED THE GOOD OLE US OF A
By Loretta S. McNeal July 30, 2009 at 9:19 am
I am a cancer patient with mounting medical bills. I do not understand why Senator DeMint is against those of us who cannot afford the high cost of medical treatment and cannot afford private insurance to cover all of our expenses. I do not know who wants to unseat DeMint but anybody would be a better candidate than what we have now.
By Craig July 30, 2009 at 9:40 am
So Liz, we have a choice of 1) A guy who hangs out with a group who has a funky read on Christianity and expresses a fanatical faith in God,but the guy hasn’t been caught up in any ethical or moral lapses himself, so therefore we have guilt by association of being a far out Chistian. vs 2) An ethically challenged good ole boy Senator who has expressed an undying devotion to the trial Lawyer lobby. No guilt by association here. Hutto carries water for the trial lawyers at every turn.
Which description do you think will hurt more with voters in SC Liz?
By CNSYD July 30, 2009 at 9:46 am
C Street will be DeMint’s Waterloo.
By SCCON July 30, 2009 at 10:39 am
Ashley Cooper. Sounds like a direct descendent of the Lords Proprietors.
Hutto will be crucified with four letters: A-C-L-U.
By scooter July 30, 2009 at 11:07 am
DeMint acts like a horse’s ass. I have no regard for him at all, and never did. Hope he never sees the inside of DC or SC again.
By Liberty for me July 30, 2009 at 11:23 am
Loretta……The fact you have medical bills show you are getting medical help.If Obamacare passes(depending on your age or like)you may be denied help altogether .Obama is surrounded by people for euthinization…and people who want to surrender the hypocrtatic oath
By roofus July 30, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I’m truly sorry to hear of your cancer. If Obmacare passes, you will likely just receive a pain pill. No chemo. No radiation. NO experimetal therapies.
I suggest you may wish to read Ezekiel Emmanuel’s views on euthenasia, as Ezekiel is Rham Emmanuel’s brother and Ezekiel recommends denying access to medical care for any demented patient, including children with cerebral palsy.
Scary.
By CNSYD July 30, 2009 at 1:31 pm
roofus, I have news for you. Medical care for those with dementia has always been minimal. Either the doctors don’t discuss it with the family or they explain that it is a waste of resources and it is best to just keep them comfortable. If something were to occur like a broken bone, that is fixed. Check nursing homes and compare medicine lists for dementia patients with their other patients and you will see a stark difference.
By dirtbogger July 30, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Loretta my mother died a few years ago of cancer, I wish now that I would have taken alternative medician seriously hind sight being 20/20 here are some things for you to look into maybe to try in conjunction with regular treatment_ hope it helps.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_3_24/ai_n25378364/
http://alternativecancer.us/essiactea.htm
By My 2 Cents... July 30, 2009 at 2:21 pm
DeMint’s a good egg. I love moderation.
By scooter July 30, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Liberty, I see that you are a Deather! Please get a grip on yourself! There is not one piece of proof of the Health Care Proposal does not intend to kill old people!
By Liberty for me July 30, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Hey scooter….!!Are you always walking around with your head up your ass.
By political hack July 30, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I think Hutto would be a great addition to all the gangsters who are ethically challenged in DC, most all of them, parties aside already have a colorful track record of being unable lead clean lives but boy do they care about their constituents and want to load them with more debt, all for the public good. Liz you hate any white republican from reading your past posts because you think they are racist or some other stupid liberal idea thats been put in your head from watching too much state run media. The real people you should hate are the slick talking dems who get hard ons for the minority vote because they dupe them into believing that the action they are going to take on capitol hill will actually help them. The fact is that no politician is worth a shit unless they try to put more money in your pocket by trying to slow down the debt locomotive that the U.S. government has become. But, im not a hater, im sure you a very nice person and mean well, and give money to the starving kids in Africa because you think thats where it goes. My problem is that I just can’t stand that you can’t buy shit with $5 anymore…gee I wonder why?
By SC Moderate July 30, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Political Hack- your comment about thinking all white Republicans are racist is a liberal view = saying that conservatives think Democratic minorities are all racist against white males. (both of which ideas are such broad statements that they are inherently false. Sure there are a few radicals in both parties, neither of which are admirable… But I don’t see where that is liberal or conservative).
Regarding Economics… where I agree with your concern regarding inflation, the macro economics that surround the problem are far more complex than to Either side makes them out to be- as if the problem is all Democrats fought or all Republicans fought.
I think a reality exists, that there is an ebb and flow needed regarding what the top 1% income brackets pay in taxes. when cutting the top 1% income taxes benefits our economy and when it does not. When and where increased spending benefits the overall economy and when it does not. And even though the top 1% income brackets may pay higher % some years than they do others… they also reap a higher percentage of the rewards as the overall economic situation increases. And I think all of these and other variables are extremely complex with multiple possible answers.
Sure on a micro level there is wasteful spending and there are inefficient programs. But on the Macro level, the blame is surely not as simplistic as being the complete fought of one side or the other.
And I would also say… Just because one recognizes that there is wasteful spending, does not mean that someone who hides behind opposing everything as wasteful is the answer. In fact many exploit this tactic. Further there are times when things people are spewing as wasteful- will indeed save money, when viewed outside of a 1 year range, etc.
Which is why I think it would be much more important to have a Senator who could actually have a part and impact in this complex debate. Someone who is a capable of taking an honest look at issues & who is inherently trustworthy and working earnestly to solve the ever changing puzzle to benefit the people of SC.
This is why a “Senator No-to-everything” like Jim Demint is useless. He is hard to truth & no one in Washington even lets him join the discussion…. other than his grandstanding. Not that I think Hutto is the Answer. But someone like James Smith… or even a Republican challenger, would be a much better choice than Demint.
By Eric Dondero July 30, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I’m linking to this story for tomorrow’s Libertarian Republican blogspot.
Thanks!
By BIN News Editorial Staff July 30, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Yawn.
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By SCCON July 31, 2009 at 10:42 am
What’s wrong with saying no to corruption, no to massive government expansion, no to further chipping away at liberty?
I wish we had a few more in Congress who were willing to do (or at least to spend) a little less.
By Silence Dogood July 31, 2009 at 11:28 am
Loretta, according to DeMint you are a good for nothing that just needs to pull yourself up by the boot straps – he probably thinks it is also your fault. I agree with you that just about anyone would be an improvement.
FITS – I would love to see a “high caliber democrat” run against DeMint, unfortunately the U.S. Constitution provides that you have to live in the state that you represent in the Senate, so unless we can expand on that definition or use a time machine, you won’t be finding any “high caliber democratic candidates” in S.C.
DeMint – it is VERY unlikely that ANYONE will be him because for an S.C. state wide incumbent office holder to lose is virtually impossible. The ONLY way that could happen is if Jim DeMint did something to desocrate the Confederate Flag or disrespect it in some way (a la David Beasley) otherwise, no matter how foolish, or how often he votes diametrically against S.C. and the U.S. interest, he will be in office for the next 100 years or so if he lives that long and so chooes.
Don’t get me wrong, I will work against him, vote against, give money to his opponent if he/she is half way decent, but that is a stubborn fact in S.C. politics.
Ashley Cooper – was he a former Fritz Hollings staffer??? If so, That is what S.C. needs good Democrat in the mold of Fritz Hollings. He and Thurmond, even when separted on policy or politics, did their best to work together in putting S.C. first (and the United States). DeMint…not so much.
By SC Moderate July 31, 2009 at 11:56 pm
SCCON- You asked…”What’s wrong with saying no to corruption, no to massive government expansion, no to further chipping away at liberty?”
The Answer… For starters, you are blindly buying in to Demint’s framing of this question, by assuming that saying “No” to an idea other that his own = no to corruption, liberty, etc.
The question should be “What wrong with saying “No”, to any attempt to work with other to come up with a solution that could limit Corruption, limit the further chipping away at liberty, could limit problems facing citizens of South Carolina?
Even if pulling up a seat to the table only makes a minor improvement to a problem- or even makes a bad bill slightly less bad…… Well isn’t 1 penny better than none. (Demints “No” to the chair at the table, and “yes” to grand standing to make a point= throwing away that 1 penny).
(And by the way- no one should fool themselves into thinking that just because demint says “no” just as the Health Care lobby has instructed him to do…. does not mean this is not its own very clear form of corruption- its just more corruption hid behind smoke and mirrors.) IMO the demonizing of a public (Option) to health care could qualify as an example- After all I think most military families are happy with their Public run healthcare. And why are the Private company friend of Demint so scare about having a little competition. I thought competetion as the answer is the Demint montra?