Since we got sick and tired of being lumped into the “vast right wing conspiracy” of teabagging types who were perpetuating the myth of U.S. Rep. John Spratt’s retirement, we went straight to the U.S. Congressman’s office and demanded an answer.
Is Spratt running for reelection in 2010?
He’s “absolutely in” we were told by his spokesman, Chuck Fant.
Well, that was last month. This month, according to a report from The Politico citing “several democratic sources” in Washington, Spratt “hasn’t committed to running again.”
Um … what gives?
Spratt, 67, has certainly looked out of it lately (here and here) … although he hasn’t looked “early onset” out of it. Not yet, at least. So what’s the deal? Why the mixed messages?
If Spratt decides not to run, he would join four other democrats (and counting) who are retiring in advance of what could be a disastrous midterm election for the majority party.
If he does run, Spratt will face a tough fight from S.C. Senator Mick Mulvaney, who seems positioned to take advantage of voter angst over the leftward bent the fourteen-term Congressman has taken on multiple issues.
According to a recent voting analysis published by the Washington Post, Spratt has voted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the democratic leadership in Congress 97.8% of the time during the 111th Congress – including key votes in favor of President Barack Obama’s $787 billion bureaucratic bailout, “cap and trade” energy tax and socialized medicine plan.
(See the Congressional record of Spratt’s votes in favor of those items by clicking here, here and here).
On top of that, Spratt is leading the fight to raise the U.S. debt limit to an estimated $14 trillion.
Why would a lawmaker in a moderate S.C. Congressional district veer so far to the left?
Well, the theory in Washington is that Spratt has no choice in the matter- either he tows the Socialist Party line or Speaker Pelosi will take away his position as Chairman of the Budget Committee. That’s a position Spratt is counting on to help him steer just enough government pork to South Carolina in order to hang onto his seat.
Ordinarily, that “bring home the bacon” approach has always worked for Spratt, but this year voters are livid over unnecessary government spending.
Speaking of voter angst, stay tuned for a report on Spratt’s “telephonic town hall,” which took place Tuesday night …
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By OhNoNotAgain December 16, 2009 at 10:33 am
It’s getting a little annoying reading all the crap from the RCCC and Andy Sere.
If Spratt could get the guy who ran his campaign against Norman, he’d chew Mulvaney up, for sure.
Also annoying is The Herald in Rock Hill did a story in which Spratt said he was running again. I’m sure I read it in print. But can’t find it online.
By Matt December 16, 2009 at 10:53 am
Come January 2011, the South Carolina Democratic Party might really be a “Party of One” for ol’ Jim Clyburn.
By You tell me.... December 16, 2009 at 11:19 am
Spratt was kissing up to gub’ment workers in Chesterield County just this week…reminding them how he is working to keep them from losing their jobs…and how they will all be out on the street if they don’t put him back in DC.
He was also quick to brag how much bacon he brought to Sumter last week. Same story.
“Vote for me or you will be jobless.” Get used to it, folks. It is the Dem mantra for the next several generations.
Sure sounds like he is running to me.
By WakeTheHellUp December 16, 2009 at 11:58 am
Spratt is definitely running. I know Mulvaney is saying his prays every night that he wont, but he’s running. Here’s why: 1)He personally told the Rock Hill Herald, 2)His longtime spokesman Chuck Fant specifically told FITS he was in, 3)He’s the chairman of the budget committee and realistically the republicans may make big gains, but they wont be big enough to take the Dems out of power. 4)As much as many want to believe in the sense that the American public will “throw all the bums out” thats not going to happen. As Tip O’Neil always said “All politics are local.” Well Spratt is a master of local politics and he has been delivering for the 5th since ’83. Mulvaney can hope and bargain that Spratt wont run all he wants, but he may get 35% of the vote (any opponent of Spratt usually does) but come next Novemeber he will be able to continue flipping pancakes or whatever he does in Indianland and continue to be an ineffective idiot in Columbia.
By CNSYD December 16, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Touting Mulvaney is analogous to putting lipstick on a pig.
By OhNoNotAgain December 16, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Hey, WakeTheHellUp, I remember a story in The Herald, but can’t find it online. You got a link?
Here’s the thing. If he IS running again, than every time Andy Sere sends out an e-mail “wondering” about Spratt’s retirement is a statement that says, “we are afraid to run against this guy and are trying to get him to pull out.”
It’s that simple.
By Another Opinion December 16, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Don’t care if he is or not. If he’s in the same party and has ties to these folks posing as leaders in Chesterfield County, I’ll vote against him ten times, if I can.
All these decades and he never knew about the going-ons in this county? BS.
We need an entire changing of the guard in this county and the state. Hope to see it.
By confused December 16, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I hate absurd government spending and pork as much as anyone, but Spratt has done an excellent job for his district. If he’s on the ballot again I will certainly vote for him, despite disagreeing with the public option, bailout, etc. He’s done a great job for Shaw AFB, and I’d prefer to see the pork keeping our district alive before it goes to Pelosi and the CA liberal elite.
By WakeTheHellUp December 16, 2009 at 2:26 pm
OhNoNotAgain,
I couldnt find the link, but here its FITS earlier story sayin “HE’S IN”.
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/11/18/spratt-absolutely-in/
I hate to be down on Mulvaney, but he is wasting his time. He should call up on Ralph Norman and get his opinion. In ’06 the RNCC sold him the same line of bull and we see how that worked out. They left him “high and dry”. The RNCC can target all they want. If they dont shape up, they may not even have a party after this election, if the Tea Baggers have there way.
By Anonymous December 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Confused:
Some day soon, when the country is broke, I hope you will realize then that you were part of the problem. “I don’t like the way he votes, but he sure does bring home the bacon.”
He just took $21 million from my grandchildren so he could buy your vote … again. And it apparently worked. My daughter won’t be able to chose her own doctor, but hey, you got your pork.
And that exact smae thing is happening in almost EVERY congressional district. Our money, our kids money, being used to buy votes.
Please, stop to think about what is going on.
By al oyy December 16, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Fits, you posted two pictures of JS but omitted the best one of him after the House vote in which he looked stoned. Please find it.
By countryboy December 16, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Confused, you certainly picked an appropriate name to use here, if you would still vote for Spratt because he has brought “pork” to Sumter.
By LIstenUp December 16, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Had to e-mail the reporter at The Herald to get a glimmer.
It was Nov. 3 edition,so it’s not on the web anymore. ARchives, yes, but not web.
Highlights …
GOP challenger: Spratt sold us out ;
Indian Land s Mulvaney declares for Congress
Matt Garfield, mgarfield@heraldonline.com
LANCASTER As angry constituents grilled U.S. Rep. John Spratt at a health care town hall, a man sat quietly in the back of the room, scribbling notes on a pad.
Listening to the exchanges between the crowd and congressman, Mick Mulvaney said he was offended by responses from Spratt. He became convinced that someone should challenge them.
The line of attack is familiar to Spratt supporters, who say the Republican playbook for years has been to link Spratt to everyone from Tip O Neill and Ted Kennedy, to Pelosi, the current House Speaker.
It is the standard stuff, said Jim Watkins, chairman of the York County Democratic Party. “You look at people who are targets and throw stuff at them, hoping it will stick to the person you are after.”
Spratt, 67, said he would make his own announcement soon. The York Democrat chairs the House Budget Committee.
“I have heard that Mick Mulvaney wanted to run for Congress since he ran for the state House three years ago,” Spratt said in a statement. “It has been less than a year since the last election, and there is work to do in Congress, and for that matter, the state Senate.”
By York County Native December 17, 2009 at 11:56 am
I have no doubt that Spratt will run again. In addition to Chuck Fant’s statement, the talk in York Co. among Spratt loyalist is that he’s personally told them he’s running if for no other reason than to deny Mulvaney the seat (I get the impression that Spratt holds Mulvaney in contempt to some degree).
I can understand why the question of whether Spratt will run is still unanswered in the mind of some. Each article posted on The Hill or Politico’s website pertaining the retirment of Reps. Moore, Tanner and Barton has mentioned the NRCC’s “watchlist” of Democrats who may forgo reelection and retire. I think the NRCC is peddling the story because they know that these outlets will put it in any article about Democrats retiring for the simple reason that it fits neatly into the storyline.
By Ruth September 22, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Just to point out an ignorant mistake: You don’t “tow the line” unless you are pulling a rope! The expression is “toe the line”, meaning to line up with your side behind the starting line.