After being booed lustily (and deservedly) at a taxpayer rally in the heart of South Carolina’s conservative Upstate earlier this year, we figured that U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett had finally been unmasked as the fiscal conservative fraud that he really is.
Seriously, people. It was ugly. Barrett was literally booed off the stage, a visceral public filleting that almost made us feel sorry for the guy.
Almost.
Of course, as painful as it was to watch Barrett wither under this entirely warranted criticism, the truth is he’s never been a true fiscal conservative. In fact, when we asked him two years ago in his D.C. office whether he’d rather be remembered as a hero to fiscal or social conservatives, he didn’t hesitate to cast his lot with the Bible-thumpers.
Barrett is what we like to call a “conservative of convenience,” in that he uses fiscal conservatism when it suits his purposes.
Sadly, this fact somehow managed to elude the national Club for Growth, which handed Barrett some desperately-needed (albeit completely unearned) fiscal conservative credibility last month when its new leader inexplicably presented him with the “Defender of Economic Freedom” award.
“Say huh?”
Yup. And while we’ve always had respect for the Club, this one doesn’t make any sense. It also calls into question the close proximity between Barrett and the Club’s new CEO, Chris Chocola, which we believe is worthy of examining in further detail – beyond just the time they shared in Washington together as members of Congress. Seriously, does this award actually mean that the Club for Growth is endorsing Barrett? Or is it (in a far more likely story) just one of Barrett’s D.C. cronies doing him a favor by providing him with some undeserved political cover?
After all, it was incredibly easy for Barrett to be on the “right” side of dozens of “principled” votes in the U.S. Congress – because in Washington’s litany of lopsided tallies, his vote was purely symbolic. It didn’t actually mean that he was standing for anything, least of all principle. He’s “91%” fiscal conservative? In our book, that ranking is 100% suspect.
All you need to know about Barrett is this: When it came time for the few “real fiscal conservatives” in Washington, D.C. to stand and be counted on an issue that did matter, Barrett flip-flopped from the fiscal conservative position and voted in favor of big government. As a result, the American taxpayers were saddled with a $700 billion bailout – a recklessly unaccountable, debt-busting FDR-style boondoggle that pushed the gas pedal down on our nation’s disturbing descent into bipartisan socialism. Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, those bailout billions haven’t unfrozen the nation’s credit markets or done anything to stem the staggering job losses that have shut down thousands of small businesses and shed millions of American jobs over the last year.
So tell us, “Count Chocola,” how did Barrett’s support of that constitute “defending economic freedom?”
Because we don’t see it …
And while Barrett did manage to “flip back” to fiscal conservatism just in time to vote against President Barack Obama’s $787 billion “stimulus,” that hasn’t stopped him and his RINO cabal from pimping themselves out to municipalities that were (and are) looking to get a piece of the latest big government bailout.
“There are things the public sector needs to do,” Barrett told Columbia City Council earlier this year. “If there are shovel ready projects ready to go, South Carolina needs to step up to the plate.”
Yeah …
Should any of this this really surprise us?
After all, Barrett’s top gubernatorial advisor, J. Warren Tompkins, is the biggest RINO lobbyist in South Carolina history – a dyed-in-the-wool big government backer who has sold out to every special interest under the sun. In addition to electing dozens of fake Republicans to the General Assembly, Tompkins has also repped ambulance chasing TV lawyers, corrupt Supreme Court justices, toxic pollutors and the purveyors of the worst academic testing system in America.
Not surprisingly, Tompkins is relying on his old RINO network to generate financial support for Barrett’s campaign. Specifically, he appears to have once again engaged leftists like S.C. Ports Authority board member Bill Stern, a guy who has single-handedly scuttled the Port of Charleston by insisting that South Carolina cling to its outdated “total state control” port management model.
Also giving money to Barrett? Former S.C. Revenue Director Burnie Maybank, a guy who in addition to uncovering streams of new “Maybank Money” for lawmakers to blow on their favorite pet projects is also one of the preeminent defenders of “revenue neutrality,” an anti-conservative doctrine that holds you can’t cut taxes because government wouldn’t be able to “afford it.”
Not exactly the sort of people you’d expect a “defender of economic freedom” to be hanging out with, huh?
Obviously, we have tremendous respect for the Club for Growth – especially at the state level. This is an organization that has stood for fiscal conservative principles at a time when many other “taxpayer advocates” were bailing on those principles, and they deserve tremendous credit for their consistent advocacy.
That’s why it’s so disheartening to see the Club (or at least Chocola) now giving credit to someone who so clearly doesn’t deserve it – credit that’s being milked for all it’s worth by the hypocrite. Seriously, people, Barrett can’t go two words on the gubernatorial campaign trail without touting his Club for Growth “endorsement.”
If Chocola indeed did his friend a favor by presenting him with this award, it’s something that will likely come at a sizable cost to the credibility of an organization that has been steadily building a solid reputation in this state. After all, South Carolina’s taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly on Barrett … and they expect the groups that truly represent them to do the same.
There are plenty of “taxpayer advocacy” groups that exist for the sole purpose of providing political cover to their buddies, but we didn’t think that was the Club’s M.O. – and it certainly isn’t something that former CEO Pat Toomey would have ever tolerated.
Barrett is no “defender of economic freedom,” people. He’s just another politician who plays one on TV.
By Ionu August 20, 2009 at 12:30 am
He’s a MOONIE!!! NO KIDDING.
Call his office and listen to the scripture roll off people’s snake like tongues. Hisssssss hisssssssssss
He deserved to be booed right out of the state. He and all of the hoodlums.
TIME TO GO BOYS!
kissy kissy bye bye
By Toyota Kawaski August 20, 2009 at 8:16 am
Yes Darling Nikki we will be your female dog.We are use to sucking eggs
By Ernie August 20, 2009 at 8:21 am
This bozo voted to put our children and grandchildren into more debt by giving billions and possibly trillions to the powerful banking interests that rule our country during Bush’s final months last fall.
Bozo Big Spending Barrett, a question please, How many billions of dollars has the Federal Reserve loaned to international banks due to your vote of approval last fall ? How many trillion dollars of “toxic” assets has the Fed purchased thanks to your “leadership”?
Answer- You have no clue. The Federal Reserve will not tell you or us. So what are you doing about finding out where our trillions of dollars have gone? Running for higher office? You should run for the hills.
By Get Real August 20, 2009 at 8:42 am
Stern wants to be Director of Commerce. I wonder in Bailout Barrett has promised the post to him already?
By Neocon August 20, 2009 at 9:08 am
You guys are now just as bad as Fogle over at the Scoop. Both sites are dedicated to to either Nikki or McNugget, I myself might start one for Barrett today. You guys aren’t even good at trying to hide the fact that you’re working for someone; get with it FITS I like you guys.
By Workin' Tommy C August 20, 2009 at 10:14 am
Barrett”Boo-Boo!” Barrett hasn’t got a clue. In the video of his humiliation in Greenville, he doesn’t seem to grasp the enormity of his rejection with that crowd. He just kept on lying.
As far as that bailout vote, Joe Wilson is in the same boat as Boo-Boo! and, coincidentally, for those who’d like to make their opinion known to him, is having a town hall meeting tonight:
JOE WILSON Lexington Town Hall Meeting:
WHEN: Thursday August 20 – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
WHERE: Lexington High School Cafetorium ***NEW LOCATION***
2463 Augusta Highway
Lexington, SC 29072
By Mike August 20, 2009 at 10:51 am
I think y’all’s “Tompkins thing” must be, at some level, responsible for your borderline irrational dislike of this guy…
By fitsnews August 20, 2009 at 11:12 am
Neocon – Nikki Haley has been thrashed on this site … as recently as last month. She will be thrashed again, we assure you, as will Andre Bauer, the other candidate who we are constantly accused of “working for.”
We seriously don’t get it … just b/c Andre seems to have come under some adult supervision of late and Nikki hasn’t “gone Craiglist” on anybody doesn’t mean we won’t mercilessly rail on them when they deserve it.
Tell us … where does this crap come from? Because Barrett and McMaster have bloggers PAID FOR by their campaign consultants people assume we must be on the tit too? Or are the Barrett and McMaster camps spreading that junk deliberately in an effort to make their Internet infomercials appear to be no more or less credible than we are?
We have never taken a DIME from any candidate in the 2010 race (any race, either party) NOR WILL WE. If they want to advertise here (as McMaster appears to be doing), they can knock themselves out. It will get them NOTHING from us.
Of course the haters will keep saying whatever floats their boat. It’s like the patently ridiculous “Sic Willie sleeping with Jenny Sanford” rumor … say it enough and a few morons will believe it.
Mike – our dislike for the Congressman, we promise, is entirely rational. It is based on Barrett selling out the taxpayers. The fact that a RINO sellout is his primary advisor is – as we noted in the story – secondary to Barrett’s own failure to live up to what he holds himself out to be.
What’s so hard to understand about that?
-FITS
By Toyota Kawaski August 20, 2009 at 12:15 pm
fITS BLAH BLAH BLAH WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND
you are her female dog just like the voucher scums your their ladyboy
By Jeffy01 August 20, 2009 at 2:24 pm
see you just said “tit”….I knew this was a porn site! By the way Sic “gone Craiglist” is an outstanding drop. Maybe websters can add that for next years edition. Along with “luvguv”.
By CNSYD August 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Good news: Barrett will no longer be the 3rd District Congressman. Bad news: He might be Governor.
By Mike August 20, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I did say “borderline” irrational after all, which you should really take as a compliment. Much of your irrational behavior isn’t really borderline at all…
By Chris- The Fold August 20, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Did you just cut and paste this whole post from Fox News?
By southernmapart August 20, 2009 at 8:06 pm
The “Defender of Economic Freedom” award is an example a the new style of political bs being used in the Upstate by pols who are in trouble. They get up an organization and promote an “awards” program, then announce the award to the offending politician.
That’s OK, the playing field is even because our computers will also print custom awards. We awarded two of our Councilmen with a very fancy “Certificate of Award of Incompetence.”
By Lowcountry Jim August 20, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Will,
Seems to me your so-called minimal thrashing of Nikki is just a ill-conceived scheme to maintain the appearance of credibility.
And Will, everyone knows how your little gig works. Of course you won’t get paid by any 2010 candidate for governor. You’ll just get paid by his or her best friend or business associate or some other third party. We’re not fools Will.
By HD August 21, 2009 at 8:23 am
Put politics aside for a minute and tell us what would have happened to our financial system if the first “bailout,” the only one for which Barrett has voted, had not passed. Hint: The overwhelming consensus among the experts (right, left and center) is that we were quite literally days, if not hours, from a complete financial meltdown. I have no doubt that much of that bill was unnecessary and wasteful. If there had been more time try to to massage it, it might have been less bad – but there wasn’t.
By john August 21, 2009 at 6:16 pm
You people better be more concerned with this crappy helath care program your president wants. He and all of his followers want it but none of them are going to switch to it. They all say it wasn’t meant for them. Right it is not good enough for them. The real screwers are in charge now.
By Workin' Tommy C August 25, 2009 at 10:08 am
I wish someone would pay me! Any offers?
I just do this for the therapeutic value of venting on the criminals (95%+ of those) holding office today.
And, yeah, I scare people =:>)
By Randy May 27, 2010 at 9:40 am
The Wall Street Banks who gambled away our entire economy and created a Worldwide debt of $600Trillion should never have been REWARDED with OUR MONEY. They should have been allowed to fail. If necessary taxpayer dollars should have been used to help small businesses keep ordinary citizens EMPLOYED during financially difficult times caused by Wall Street. Instead Barrett decided along with the rest of those corrupt incumbants to make sure his rich CEO buddies kept getting their $100mm bonuses – at our children and grandchildren’s expense! Now We have no money and no jobs. We only have DEBT! Barrett and all the rest of those Incumbants IDIOTS who voted for a Wall Street Bail-Out will be FIRED in November. Now Barrett thinks we in South Carolina are so stupid we’d elect him as our Governor. What a horses ass! He ought to be tarred & feathered – not elected Governor!