Embattled U.S. budget chairman John Spratt has finally denounced controversial comments made by his communications director about the electability of Osama bin Laden as a GOP candidate in South Carolina’s fifth congressional district.
The terrorist mastermind isn’t running, obviously, but in an article published this week by The (Columbia, S.C.) Free Times, Spratt communications director Wayne Wingate said that “if Osama bin Laden ran in this district as a Republican, he would get 38 to 40 percent of the vote in any election year.”
Solid, huh?
Anyway, after a day of mixed messages coming from his campaign regarding the comment, Spratt finally issued a prepared statement denouncing it Friday afternoon.
“Wayne Wingate does not speak for me in saying that there are voters who would vote Republican even if the candidate were Osama Bin Laden,” Spratt said in the statement. “Though made in jest, it is a terrible attempt at humor, which is offensive and insulting and in no way reflects my views about voters in the Fifth Congressional District.
“From the time I first ran, I have enjoyed support among Republicans, and I would never make such a comparison. I disagree with and denounce his remarks, and apologize to anyone offended,” Spratt said.
Some Republicans – like York County party chairman Glenn McCall – accepted Spratt’s apology, while others remain hacked off considering the Congressman was walking alongside his aide when the comment was made and raised no objection to it at the time.
“One can’t help but question the sincerity of John Spratt’s rebuke of his spokesman seeing as how he was standing alongside him when he made the comment in the first place,” said SCGOP spokesman Joel Sawyer. “Apparently John Spratt didn’t find the comment offensive until it had created a media firestorm.”
Still others are furious that Wingate is keeping his job – particularly seeing how the former reporter’s bizarre remark was published just over a week before the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks – is keeping his job.
Anyway, now that Spratt has handled his “Osama problem,” now all he needs to do is handle his “Obama problem.”
Of course that one won’t be as easy to mitigate …
According to a recent analysis of Spratt’s voting record conducted by The Washington Post, he has voted with the Democratic leadership in Washington, D.C. 98.1 percent of the time during the current legislative session. That figure includes key votes in favor of President Barack Obama’s bureaucratic bailout, a “cap and trade” energy tax increase and of course the socialized medicine bill, which Spratt personally shepherded through his budget committee instead of passing a budget resolution as he is required to do by law.
Meanwhile Spratt’s opponent, S.C. Senator Mick Mulvaney, has one of the few truly fiscal conservative voting records in the state legislature. Mulvaney has focused his campaign on specific spending reductions and tax cuts that he says should be implemented immediately in an effort to put more money in the hands of the private sector – and out of government’s ever-expanding reach.
Smartly, Mulvaney has declined to weigh in on Spratt’s bin Laden pooch screw.
By Susan2006 September 3, 2010 at 4:30 pm
What do they say about a picture being worth a thousand words?
Or several hundred thousand votes?
By CNSYD September 3, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Another free ad for Little Mulvaney. So Little Mulvaney wants to reduce spending and cut taxes in order to put more money in the private sector. Apparently nothing would be done to pay down debt.
By eb September 3, 2010 at 5:01 pm
“Smartly, Mulvaney has declined to weigh in on Spratt’s bin Laden pooch screw.”
Yes, probably the best thing for Mulvaney.
Mr. Spratt and his staff seem to be doing the campaigning for the Mulvaney staff.
If you take Mr Spratt’s recent record, his support for Obama, and “key votes in favor of President Barack Obama’s bureaucratic bailout, a “cap and trade” energy tax increase and of course the socialized medicine bill,” and factor in his health issues, trying to say anything new for the Mulvaney campaign is just repeating the obvious.
But it certainly won’t hurt to loudly say it and say it often.
By V-n-MTP September 3, 2010 at 5:08 pm
That is it, I am officially calling it (Will: Save this post in the same place you save all the lurid e-mails from Tricky Nikki Haley).
As of today (September 3, 2010), I am going to make my prediction official: Spratt will lose in November. I was not going to let myself think it is really possible, but this latest crapping in his own pup tent by Spratt’s handler has all the earmarks of a campaign that has some terrible (and getting worse) polling data staring them in the face.
I smell a “spend some time with my family” or “deteriorating medical condition” cop out coming from Mr. Spratt in the not too distant future.
By Jack September 3, 2010 at 5:09 pm
While Wayne Wingate should not have said what he said in public, because it is politically incorrect to do so; I believe it to be completely true, and not only of Spratt’s district, but of the entire state. At least that percentage of voters walk into the voting booth and vote straight Republican ticket without even looking at who is running. While not as large a percentage, in SC at least, the same could be said of Democrats.
What I find hilarious is the fake screams from the Republican Party. After calling Spratt, Obama and Democrats in general every name in the book including moron, communist, botox queen, lap dog, racial slurs to numerous to mention, and inappropriate comments about Spratt’s illness; I find it a joke that Republicans even have the nerve to complain and ask for an apology. I guess its good of Spratt to have given it, because he never would have received the same from the other side.
By eb September 3, 2010 at 5:53 pm
In the picture, it looks like Mr. Spratt is trying to squeeze a fart out.
Jack…
“I find it a joke that Republicans even have the nerve to complain and ask for an apology.”
I am not complaining or asking for an apology, I want Mr. Spratt and his staff to keep talking.
By flipnut September 3, 2010 at 6:01 pm
The truly sad part is Wayne Wingate is right, put anyone on the ballet with an R next to their name and they will get 30% of the vote.
By R September 3, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Hell, if Satan were black the NAACP, Jesse Jackson,would endorse him and 95% of blacks would vote for him.
By Alphonse September 3, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Spratt looks great in this pic. Is he using Strom’s image consultant?
By neumonvonstubon September 3, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Jack,
Can you say Alvin Greene? I’d betcha 80% of Democrats would probably vote for OBL were he on the Democrat ticket…
By Severus September 3, 2010 at 10:37 pm
And, quid pro quo, Voldemort running for the same seat with a D by his name would draw 30-40% of the Muggle vote…
By Dear Goodness September 3, 2010 at 11:13 pm
“One can’t help but question the sincerity of John Spratt’s rebuke of his spokesman seeing as how he was standing alongside him when he made the comment in the first place,” said SCGOP spokesman Joel Sawyer
This – from Joel ‘I-knowingly-lied-to-the-entire-f-ing-state-for-a-week-straight-and-straight-faced’ Sawyer. Whether he knew Sanford was in Argentina or not, he did know (per his own later admission) that he had no clue where the hell Sandford was, yet gleefully lied to the ENTIRE state about that fact until Sanford got caught.
This is the kind of guy Mulvaney wants to have by his side…note, GOP’er’s and particularly political consultants can try to jump to Sawyer’s defense on this point, but it is true. Anything Sawyer has to say is not worth regarding.
By Old Bike Dude September 4, 2010 at 8:37 am
Looks like our state’s republicans are having a Palin moment. Palin, who wanted Rahm Emmanuel fired for saying “fucking retarded”,has defended a radio personality’s use of the word “nigger”, 13 times.
By Surfcaster September 4, 2010 at 9:39 am
Isn’t Spratt really apologizing to osama bin laden?
By Jerry September 4, 2010 at 10:58 am
When will any of these people get any better? They will never get any better. They are only interested in filling their pockets while the rest of us drown. They don’t care about anything but themselves. Look at the education system. A national disgrace and a mess that no one in SC wants to look at correctly due to their selfish interests be it in contracts to their relatives or pay backs for previous favors done in the dark.
By Remus September 4, 2010 at 11:50 am
To be perfectly honest with you, he looks an awful lot like Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail. He would be best served changing back into Ron’s rat….Scabbers.
By Insect September 4, 2010 at 11:55 am
Spratt looks so bad in this photo…
I imagine the photographer said, “All right, now, 1, 2, 3 … look old!”
By Remus September 4, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Come on Sic……..that Scabber’s one was priceless!!!!
By Remus September 4, 2010 at 1:12 pm
In all honesty……he looks an awful lot like Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail.
By No Way! September 4, 2010 at 3:55 pm
November Headline: “Spratt forced into early retirement by electorate”
By Robert M. Smith,MD,PhD September 4, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Hey, say what you want, but I wouldn’t be surprized if the numbers were close.
By Byrdscuz September 4, 2010 at 9:08 pm
…. the funny (“sad”) thing about all of this is wingate’s 99% correct! i’m gigging him a point because i think his 40% figure is a little high. my guess is it’s more like 25% or so. were his estimate lower, and closer to mine, i’d have given wayne a 100%.
really! sincerely.
By Who screws you worst? September 5, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Not that I’m a Republican…but I definitely vote for OBL over Spratt any day of the week.
They way I see it OBL does far less damage.