By FITSNews || Why would the leader of a powerful political advocacy group give up his influential, high-paying job to become a freshman South Carolina state lawmaker?
We have abso-smurfly no idea, people, which is why the candidacy of S.C. Medical Association President Todd Atwater befuddles us.
Maybe there’s something to that rumor about getting rich off the public teat after all … who knows?
Anyway, in addition to that, we have abso-smurfly no idea why Atwater – who is on the board of the ultra-conservative Palmetto Family Council – would give money to someone like Marshall Meadors, a former State Senate candidate who supports a lot of stuff that the PFC doesn’t like (i.e. abortion and gay marriage, to hit two of the hottest buttons).
But that’s what Atwater did in 2008, which we bring to your attention for no other reason than we evidently enjoy pissing off future lawmakers every bit as much as we enjoy pissing off current ones.
(click to enlarge)
Alright, alright … in case it’s not painfully obvious by now, Todd Atwater’s election is so utterly inconsequential to us that we can’t even tell you what district he’s running for (or who he’s running against).
We are quite clearly engaged in some diabolical 007-ness, and the karma wheel just happened to frown upon Atwater.
UPDATE: To “Cloak.” Your answer is the number on the microscope. Our lawyer concur, btw.
By Richard February 16, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Todd Atwater is another political tool. Exactly what we do not need more of in Columbia. Classify him with the low life leaches like Danny Frazier and Jake Knotts.
By CountryDoc February 16, 2010 at 8:06 pm
I’ve been quite impressed how Dr. John Black, president of the SCMA, has taken such a strong stand against Obamacare over the past several months.
As for Tood Atwater, (the non-MD “CEO” of the SCMA and not the president like you wrote), he’s just another lawyering political hack, here today and gone to the other side tomorrow. Who gives a frickin’ fecalith?
By Malcom February 16, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I had a hunch that Palmetto Family Council was run by closet liberals, now I know for sure. No more money for them.
By Rylyn February 16, 2010 at 8:41 pm
For the Record: Atwater is running for Nikki Haley’s House Seat (like you didn’t know that!) He is running against School Board Member Grady Harmon, Old School Republican Jerry Howard-who is more in line with Knotts and Frazier than Atwater could ever thing about being. There is also some other guy – Zee (?) who I’ve never heard of.
As for who cares – we all should! We are loosing a conservative in Nikki who chose to throw her hat in the ring for Governor to God knows who. That is one less vote for the right side.
By barney fife February 16, 2010 at 8:45 pm
He should be removed from the Palmetto Family Council. Marshall Meadors is anti-family. He ran on the gay marriage, pro-abortion, homo agenda. They need to get someone who supported family-values candidate Kevin Bryant to take his place on the PFC.
By JR February 17, 2010 at 9:38 am
Everybody simmer down!! First of all, Dr. Marshal Meadors, who by the way sits on the Board of Trustees for the SCMA, is a friend of Mr. Atwater. He is also a friend of mine. I may not agree with his positions on abortion, schools, or the other tenets of ‘tax and spend’ liberalism, but I will tell you he is one of the most honorable, trustworthy, and decent people I have ever known. So don’t use Mr. Atwater’s support of a friend against him. In fact, considering how some people treat their friends in the political world, I would say that makes Mr. Atwater a step above most people in politics. If you all want to judge Mr. Atwater and his fitness for political office… why don’t you do something really crazy like, I don’t know, talk to him or read his literature. (duh). You will find he walks right in lockstep with Ms. Haley. And don’t assume (fits) that he will no longer be CEO of the SCMA. Most legislators have day jobs.
By Ethical question February 17, 2010 at 11:47 am
JR – not sure how Todd could continue as the CEO of an advocacy group that directly lobbies the General Assembly if he were elected to the House. That may violate the Ethics Reform Act.
By medstudent March 23, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Dr. Marshall Meadors is a fine man and physician. He is in fact my family physician. He ran for the state senate basically on 1 issue which was to raise our lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax to help pay for health care in our state.
By mary merklinger May 17, 2010 at 7:10 pm
It is so rare today for anyone to run for a politcal office that has a strong moral character -that trait is almost non-existent in todays house and senate—-I too was surprised that Todd Atwater would enter the frey–but I am truly thankful that he does feel the obligation -our country will not survive without young men like him to combat the lack of ethics that exist today from the White House to the Representitives House.
By Susan Y June 13, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Not that it is necessarily pertinent but just because I am curious. Does anyone know if Todd Atwater is related to the (in)famous Lee Atwater (and how, if he is)?