A grumpy S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster has begrudgingly decided to return over $32,000 in campaign contributions that came from lawyers that he hired with your tax dollars. He’s not happy about it, though, telling WIS TV 10 (Columbia, S.C.) that he did nothing wrong and is returning the contributions “because people were continuing to talk about it.”
McMaster also made his decision public on Friday afternoon … obviously attempting to bury a story that continues to cause his campaign multiple headaches.
State law expressly prohibits public officials from receiving campaign contributions from people they’ve hooked up with taxpayer-funded business (um, duh), but McMaster claims to have a judge’s ruling that exonerates the practice in his case.
Nonetheless, he told WIS that he was returning the money anyway because “in government I think you got to not only be right but you have to look right.”
Okay … great.
But where was this logic a week ago, when McMaster’s McMafia was still aggressively defending the contributions?
It makes no sense.
For the paltry sum of $32,500 – McMaster has bought himself hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of earned media. The only problem?
It’s awful earned media – the kind that will drive up McMaster’s negatives while reinforcing the widely-held belief that “Ol’ Kneejerk” Henry and his not-so-merry band of political operatives are more than a few cards short of a full deck.
Amazingly, McMaster’s bought-and-paid-for political blog, The Palmetto Scoop, is blaming its candidate’s latest media disaster on a rival campaign.
“The (contributions) story made headlines last week after one of McMaster’s gubernatorial opponents reportedly planted a hatchet job editorial in the Wall Street Journal,” the Scoop “reported” on Monday.
The Scoop also blasted FITS for our coverage of McMaster’s boneheaded moves, saying that “only a select few people in this state are backward enough to let bogus accusations and personal political gain derail progress in a vital court case.”
Say huh?
By scarlettohell October 5, 2009 at 5:02 pm
McMaster is sickening.
By Hal October 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Who would have thought that Henry would be the ethically challenged one, and Bauer would be the clean one.
HAHA…Henry has messed this up, but good.
By Barney Fife October 5, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Bad media is still good media. But it does make you think, if he would cave like this in a campaign, what would he do as governor?
like Sanford or not, he is a stubborn man. He hasn’t caved.
I will start calling McMaster, McMoron. that’s his new name. McMoron.
By Jonny D October 5, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Hey Palmetto Scoop, there can be only one “Biggest and Most Innovative and Influential New Media Source”, and I’ll give you a hint, it ain’t you. The fact is that McMaster is indeed dumb as bricks, which sure must be a mighty heavy load for you to carry.
By Barny Fife's friend October 5, 2009 at 6:34 pm
God has to love McMoron.
Nobody can be that stupid without divine help.
By WorkingTommyC October 5, 2009 at 7:46 pm
In the recent tradition of using religious songs to honor elected officials, I submit the following:
Hank McMaster r’turned the dough
‘Cause Sic Willie told him so
Lawyer kickbacks donation–
A judge told him it was not wrong!
Hen-ry McMaster!
Dim-wit McMaster!
Cor-rupt McMaster
Your lies caught up with you!
By Red October 5, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I do not understand how McMaster can honestly believe those donations are legal under the law.
Maybe a divine power told him it was okay to circumvent our ethics law.
By scarlettohell October 6, 2009 at 6:59 am
Why DID Henry go to DC?
By Tee October 6, 2009 at 9:05 am
I am really confused right now, there seems to be not one person running under the republican ticket that i could vote for. Voting for a democrat isnt an option. I guess i am leaning towards the unknown right now…..what is everyones thoughts on Grooms???
By VS October 6, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I think saying that you’ll never vote for a democrat is closed minded. That designation alone is not enough information for even an educated person to make a knee-jerk reaction on who would be best. I would much prefer to beat a democrat based on substance rather than labels. Beside’s labels are deceiving, ask Cola’s Rhino caucus. Not many of those folks would have won as democrats and they knew it. So does that (R) behind their name make them vote any differently? Does it make them a different person? Nope, but since there are so many people in SC that say “voting for a democrat isn’t an option,” the Rhinos are rampant. Until we forget about labels and look into substance is anything good really in the cards? A wolf is much easier to deal with than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
By Its Ugly in SC October 12, 2009 at 8:38 pm
If you think Henry has problems now,wait until his association with radical, extremist Animal Rights Organizations is exposed.Henry was awarded the great honor of being named as the 2005 Humane Law Enforcement Offical of the Year.This would be wonderful if you over look the fact that this award was presented to Henry McMaster by none other than Wayne Pacelle,President of the H$U$(Humane Society of the United States),a multi-million dollar national organization head-quartered in Washington,D.C. A couple of memorable quotes by Mr. Pacelle “Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as…dog fighting. Our opponents say that hunting is a tradition. We say traditions can change.” or try this one “We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States…We will take it species by species …state by state.” It would certainly be interesting to see if Henry McMaster has recieved a few,couple,several or a whole lot of monetary contributions..all legal of course…from those Animal Rights Organizations such as the H$U$,PETA,ALF or others.You don’t pick up an award like that with out working with the people,and those are Henry’s people or so it seems.It’s confusing ,I thought Henry was a big duck hunter. Maybe he only kills the mean ones.
By by nice guy October 13, 2009 at 12:03 am
It is about time somebody stood up to the bunch of rednecks that call themselves sportsmen. what kind of sport is it to go out and feed deer a bunch of corn everyday and then one day decide to go out and shoot them while they eat that pile of corn. That is like the farmer going out to the pasture and shooting his cows and calling it a sport. I think that henry would make a great governor and maybe he will put an end to all this senseless killing that we call sport hunting. There is just no place in civilized society for heinous activities. Henry you keep up the good work and I will keep sending money and together we will put deer,bear,ducks,coon,turkey,dove and any other hunting in the same category as dogfighting and make them all felonies
By Retired SC L.E.O. November 20, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Nice guy….. You are just plain nuts, if you think any one will stop years of tradition. This is not just a thing of the south it’s nation wide. Everyone I know who hunts eat what they kill, this also benefits the animals by controlling populations to reduce starvation, disease and deer killed by motor vehicle strikes. You don’t like hunting then don’t hunt. You should keep your nose out of things that you don’t understand.