Whatever remained of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s image as a “Tea Party conservative” was officially shredded on Sunday by The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier – the Lowcountry media outlet that up to this point in Haley’s free-falling administration has been her biggest fan.
In a front-page exclusive report (which wasn’t immediately available online), the state’s largest newspaper assailed Haley’s recent taxpayer-funded trip to Paris, France – exposing it as a lavish “European vacation” while questioning whether it accomplished anything for the state.
Obviously, this isn’t the first time the “European Vacation” tag has been correctly applied to taxpayer-funded trips taken by South Carolina’s “Republican” elected officials – but Haley was supposed to be different. She was supposed to be leading a movement to “take government back” from precisely that sort of thing – not serving as the poster girl for such excess.
Instead, the Post and Courier report reveals Haley to be just another big government politician consumed with the trappings of power – shelling out at least $127,000 in taxpayer money on a week-long trip that included five-star accommodations, gourmet meals at exclusive restaurants, “VIP” travel arrangements and a $25,000 taxpayer-funded “soiree” that failed to land the state any new business.
The details included in the Post and Courier report would certainly mesh with a description of Haley’s conduct on the trip allegedly related to a group of S.C. Senators by Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt – whose agency publicly clashed with Haley earlier this year over a controversial tax incentives deal.
“All she did (in Europe) was hob nob and drink,” one S.C. Senator recalled Hitt as saying.
Sources close to Hitt claim he never made such a remark, but Haley’s pile of receipts is now speaking for itself.
Also, the $127,000 tab is by no means the taxpayer-funded total. For starters, that figure doesn’t include expenses associated with providing security for Haley – nor does it including tax dollars shelled out by several regional “economic development” alliances.
Amazing, isn’t it? All this so that these politicians can shell out even larger amounts of public money attempting to pick winners and losers in the marketplace – an approach that has clearly failed our state.
Seriously … is this really the behavior of a “Tea Party conservative?”
Of course not …
A month ago The Nerve – a website run by Haley’s on-again, off-again allies at the S.C. Policy Council – ran a lengthy piece attempting to calculate the total cost of Haley’s week-long trip to the Paris Air Show in June.
“Records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that a sizeable cohort of state and local officials took part in the trip to the air show and the trade mission to Germany,” the website reported. “From Haley’s office they included Haley and her husband; Taylor Hall, who is Haley’s Cabinet liaison; and Rebecca Schimsa, who is special assistant to Haley’s chief of staff, Tim Pearson.”
Hall and Schimsa are two of Haley’s twenty-something ex-campaign workers who were hired at vastly-inflated salaries – part of the massive salary hikes that Haley doled out the day after she took office.
Numerous other officials from the S.C. Department of Commerce also joined the South Carolina delegation, The Nerve reported, as did S.C. Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman.
Beyond the additional damage done to Haley’s “limited government” image (the Post and Courier report features scathing quotes from transparency advocates, fiscally-conservative state lawmakers and Tea Party leaders), readers in Charleston were treated to Haley’s unique brand of media relations.
“Following repeated requests, Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said Thursday that he would ‘find three to five minutes’ for a phone interview with the governor, but by Friday Godfrey said in an email ‘the governor is not available,’” the report noted.
Haley recently blackballed a WIS TV 10 (Columbia, S.C. – NBC) television reporter for investigating another scandal involving her administration – while earlier this year she blasted WACH TV 57 (Columbia, S.C. – FOX) for being a “tabloid station” that has “no concept of journalism.” Haley also attacked the press last month after she was busted using inflated employment data in numerous interviews.
Obviously, FITS will be providing a link to the Post and Courier exclusive as soon as it becomes available online. In the meantime, the paper has posted an online poll in conjunction with its print story – although as of 10:00 p.m. on Sunday evening only 95 people have voted in that survey.
UPDATE: The Post and Courier delayed online publication of its exclusive report for 24 hours in an effort to facilitate sales of its print edition. At midnight on Monday morning, it finally posted the story to its website.
***
By thunderchicken September 4, 2011 at 10:07 pm
SC’s own “Obama mama”
By Todd September 4, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Haley should use Toby Keith’s song as her theme…”How do you like me now?”
By Media Whiz September 4, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Wow, nothing like scorching Nikki’s reputation, and using her ass to wipe up the ashes. How much did the First Cuckold cost the state?
By Media Whiz September 4, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Hey Godfrey….Sic tells us you are a fat fuck. It can’t be sucking up to Nikki, so is it the butter needed to slide you through doors?
By Wacko September 4, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Not a bad price to get Nikki’s curry stink out of the state for awhile. They don’t believe in shaving or showers or anything.
By Tea Party Guy September 4, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Tea Party means nothing anymore. The leaders become as power hungry as the people they used to work against. They salute Nikki Haley like she was a goddess, not the big spending big government person that she is.
By Rijiv September 4, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Oh, but the mansion smells like Mumbai during the rainy seasons.
By Blue Collar September 4, 2011 at 10:38 pm
Nikki always loves to live large. Large house, large car, large husband, large tax penalties, and the large rod Sic Willie provided.
By Jim September 4, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Tip of ice berg.
By Asha September 4, 2011 at 10:40 pm
Oh, but we always burn incense after the cows leave from our nipple rituals.
By That Boz Guy @ The Beach September 4, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Wretched excess writ super-wretched and tacky as hell.
JESUS!
It’s like she knows she’s “one and done” for sure, and wants to just grab for all the gusto she can get before she has to give it all up.
Kicking myself in the ass for ever believing her bullshit.
Will, if you don’t go to press soon with that book, it may be coals to Newcastle.
By SCDOT Contractors September 4, 2011 at 10:43 pm
What, you think paying us to refill the mansion pool with chilled bottled Pierre comes cheap? Plus the circus tent, and dancers she provided. We are the highest priority DOT project in the state’s history.
By Observer September 4, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Damn, the most popular blog in SC treating the Gov with such disrepect.
By Cancerman September 4, 2011 at 10:57 pm
This Idiot is tearing our state apart!!!!
By Jack September 4, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Nikki for VP (get her out of this state ASAP)
By Victor September 4, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Ok, Will…. hate to stress you and all like last time, but would you please give us another little tidbit from the book. Something the other guys….Larry, Thad, Earl, Nathan, Mark, Mike would relate to…, like moaning patterns, squeals, panting, scratching?
By Victor September 4, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Does she have those really dark brown perkies?
By Blue Collar September 4, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Sic, does she let you bob her head?
By Carol September 4, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Well, if that money was available, why didn’t she donate it to the public middle schools? I dont’ understand.
By Maxwell September 4, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Damn Sic, looks like you are finally getting some help. Wistv is scorching Lancaster, while P and C bashed Haley …. I mean they cracked her like a walnut and bored her out a new asshole. I guess they figured your business model is profitable. People love to hate dirty cops and politcians. Any chance Lancaster slipped Nikki a quickie last weekend?
By Jolly September 4, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Oh Sidney, don’t worry about Robbie, he is very gentle and discreet.
By Todd September 4, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Boy it is a good thing we didn’t elect Vincent Sheheen! Think of what our state would do if we had a Governor that actually gave a crap about our state and our people instead of about themselves and their people. Thank you SC Teaparty/Republicans for protecting us from Vincent and giving us Nikki instead.
By Jolly September 4, 2011 at 11:38 pm
Of course Lancaster is invited, I’m no cop and he is butch delicious.
By Yesterday September 4, 2011 at 11:44 pm
Sanford gave Nikki 400K for advertising, and Palin gave her a hug. That’s all it took four a non-performing nobody like Haley to skyrocket from fourth to first. It’s Sanford’s and Palin’s fault…., you can’t blame the idiot voters of the dumbest state in America.
By Frampton September 4, 2011 at 11:48 pm
I can’t believe it is front page, and such a dorky picture. Don’t they know Godfrey is going to choke his chicken all over Nikki, and the Post will be backballed……Sic’s term, aka blacklisted? I’m pretty sure Nikki only balls whites.
By Frampton September 4, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Sic, is your best bud Robbie Godfrey white?
By Mike at the Beach September 5, 2011 at 12:00 am
I know it’s crazy early, but think Barrett will join the fray in 2014?…
By I knew it September 5, 2011 at 3:40 am
I knew the trip was bullshit. All they had to do was curry favor(no pun intended) with Boeing executives here in the US and get a list of 1 & 2nd tier suppliers servicing Boeing and a day of hitting the phones hard…
Hitt & Haley are pointing their incompetent fingers at one another like two of the three stooges.
What a total waste of taxpayer money.
By lick my shit September 5, 2011 at 5:52 am
you endorsed her, you fuckin fat fraud.
By lick my shit September 5, 2011 at 5:52 am
PS, idiots, there is no book.
By Junior League September 5, 2011 at 7:53 am
Taylor Hall is that very very good looking 24 yr old kid who makes over $80K in Haley’s Office. Believe me, there is nothing wrong with bringing a hot man along to Europe, providing some much needed eye candy in the official state entourage. That was tax dollars very well spent in my opinion!
By cash September 5, 2011 at 9:05 am
She is, in one word, tacky…like a velvet Elvis. Don’t expect she’ll be in office much longer. Not long enough to celebrate the Martrydom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi Calendar).
By meMyself September 5, 2011 at 9:25 am
It’s up:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/sep/05/european-vacation-or-legitimate-businesshaleys/
By Old Bike Dude September 5, 2011 at 9:30 am
Don’t blame me. I voted American.
By Honest and Factual September 5, 2011 at 9:31 am
Another example of a minor league player trying to play in the bigs. She tried playing in the bigs when she ordered the legislature to come back when it was unconstitutional and she got slapped down by a real big leaguer and now this. Why would the legislature give her more authority when she can’t handle the authority she has been given? We need restructuring but shouldn’t it wait until an adult holds the governors office?
By ConstantOne September 5, 2011 at 9:42 am
Wow! This just isn’t good. I could raise a lot of questions about this, but hopefully others will accomplish that task for me. I am not changing subjects, but nothing will be done to clean up D.P.S as long as things like this happen with the C.E.O. of our great state. Our only hope for D.P.S. is for the federal government to take charge of the investigation of for A.G. Wilson to be a real leader. That could really position him for greater things down the road if he shows impartiality and distances himself from this whole administration.
By Frampton September 5, 2011 at 9:55 am
Who votes for a woman for Governor, especially a coconut?
By Sigmond September 5, 2011 at 9:59 am
It is the edipus-ego complex. Nikki is homely and brown. She surrounds herself with white beautiful people to blend in.
By BigT September 5, 2011 at 10:17 am
When the media going after Haley is FITS, no wonder she was so successful.
When the media that is supposed to be informing us, is so inept and low-brow vulgar, it actually helps her among decent people.
The media is the single most important obstacle in changing the Horrible government we get.
When the moral gatekeeper is nastier than the nasty…everybody loses.
What are you willing to do to change it?
By Ball's Itch September 5, 2011 at 10:49 am
BigT, switch hands, you are starting to smoke.
By Raymond September 5, 2011 at 10:50 am
Sic, did Big Cock Lancaster really take Nikki to the Clemson game?
By BradWarthenSucks September 5, 2011 at 10:53 am
The The State grabbed it and repeated it.
Not a word about Steve “T-bone” Benjamin’s trip… how’d that work out for the Chocolate City taxpayers?
By Frankly My Dear September 5, 2011 at 11:04 am
Just beyond arrogant to take an entourage that includes a scheduler, COS and cabinet liaison. Those three got the trip of a lifetime courtesy of the taxpayers and should reimburse the State.
By Media Whiz September 5, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Frankly – Yes, couldn’t agree more. Besides that, she is a nobody. What makes her think her gaggle of friends deserve FIVE STAR hotels, food, bars in a worldwide recession?
By Wallys World September 5, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Haley will remain a loser, she just can’t help it. You can’t cure stupid.
By punky September 5, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Teabaggers is dumb
By Frankly My Dear September 5, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Who was “minding the store” while they are on tour? If their work doesn’t require them to be in the office every day (and I do mean 7 days a week as a member of the Gov’s senior staff) either their staff needs restructuring or those kids don’t have enough work to do. Of all the clusterf*&%s thus far, this outranks them all in arrogance and stupidity. Countdown: 1153 days left in this Administration.
By eggaday September 5, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Sanfraud in a skirt. You heard it here first.
By Demonrat September 5, 2011 at 1:29 pm
You stupid country bumpkins! When will you ever learn Republicans do not have your best interest at heart? Example after example of Republicans shitting on you, and like a bunch of lemmings you still follow each other off a cliff.
Southern-ass retarded Republican voting country bumpkins. You get what you deserve you ignorant fools!
By Cid September 5, 2011 at 2:30 pm
What’s really funny is to go read the comments on the P&C website
All the so called Tea Partiers defending Haley
They couldn’t care LESS about “spending” in reality
Here their criteria:
If a Democrat or a Republican they don’t like does it?
BAD!
If one of their heroes does it?
GOOD!
The biggest liars phonies and hypocrites to appear on the scene in years!
By costcutter September 5, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I am curious about what a First Lieutenant (AKA Guard Technician) in the National Guard and one without any military experience could offer the European Command or the Africa Command? As Diversity Officer was he recruiting or getting tips on how to diversify SCNG?
Also what could a Special Assistant to the Governor’s Chief of Staff and the Cabinet Liaison offer in the way of tangible benefits to South Carolina? What were their roles in this trip?
Was Shannon one of the Security officials accompanying the Governor? Did she use her state owned cell phone to call her paramour?
By Susie September 5, 2011 at 3:44 pm
To be honest, Nikki continued to be clueless. She said she wanted to see France, and passed around a signup sheet. The admin children jumped on a free trip, and Nikki never noticed them. She was too busy boozing and looking for a male night cap.
By American in Paris September 5, 2011 at 3:47 pm
George Gershwin, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Sherwood Anderson, and other Americans in Paris managed to get by economically.
They shared meals, rode bicycles, and lived in small apartments. How things have changed. Now we stay at the Ritz.
Harpootlian is right. Haley’s attitude is Marie Antoinette’s: “Let the commoners eat cake.”
“An American in Paris,” George Gershwin (1928):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNemiME5kn8
Interesting video of life in 1928.
See common Americans work to make ends meet.
By Wallys World September 5, 2011 at 3:47 pm
You know, Shannon might have made that trip, scored a couple frenchmen for her and Nikki, the first cuckold found out and told Keel to fire Shannon. Keel is Lancaster’s butt boy, so he transferred her instead.
By Observer September 5, 2011 at 3:48 pm
So, who did Nikki bang on this trip? She always gets strange on a trip.
By punky September 5, 2011 at 5:46 pm
McConnell. Boehner. Ryan. Cantor.
What do these four men have in common?
They all voted for TARP.
Also for all of Bush’s budget busters.
Do not twist them!
By American in Paris September 5, 2011 at 6:08 pm
My apologies; the George Gershwin “An American in Paris” youtube above continues at the one-minute mark at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Zd_8kA9qQ&NR=1
where the blind and crippled, and those seeking work and taking vocational courses, are shown.
I don’t suppose our governor has ever hired such people.
Only rich campaign contributors, regardless of skill.
By observer September 5, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Give the Governor a break.
Who wouldn’t want to stay in the Ritz? I’m shocked that she got a room there for 430.00. I don’t think they have anything that cheap. And room service??? I want her job.
I think I will run for Governor next time around – I love foreign travel. I don’t want to go to India though.
Argentina? Yes I’ve been wanting to go there. Do you think the state will pay for my travel to meet my soul mate?
By That Boz Guy @ The Beach September 5, 2011 at 7:09 pm
They should all just stay home. Forever. The bad stuff that happens with these people all too often happens when they are out of the state, or out of the country. Make ‘em stay the hell home, and watch ‘em like hawks!
By Wacko September 5, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Can I watch Nikki’s bedroom? I wanna see how she licks her own ass.
By Wacko September 5, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Considering India’s girls hate shaving and showers, that has got to be one nasty ass.
By BIN News Editorial Staff September 5, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Our Funding Editor has no patience for these wordy posts.
She only wants sic(k)willie’s readers…
…and sic(k) willie;
…to remember this:
sic(k) willie helped Sanfraud…
…and helped trikki nikki.
Thanks, sic(k) willie. NOT!
You make S.C. proud. NOT!
Do something for your children.
Stop being a m@r@n.
BIN News Editorial Staff
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By Charlie September 6, 2011 at 4:54 am
I have to hand it to Sic. Everything he has said, written, and published about Nikki has been on the money. This woman is corrupt.
The larger issue is whether or not state government should be pursuing these business promoting adventures overseas. It seems to me that it would be more beneficial to have a pro-business environment for all the businesses in SC instead of cherrypicking these businesses and offering them sweetheart deals that benefit them but not others. It is hard to believe this is the same governor that said that Amazon getting off tax free was unfair to the other businesses in the state.
This was a taxpayer funded vacation. No doubt about it. Sickening.
By cash September 6, 2011 at 9:42 am
If you will steal from your church, you will steal from anybody. If you will cheat on your spouse, you will cheat anybody. If you will lie to your family, you will lie to anybody. So, Charlie, you are correct….sickening.
By Shanky September 6, 2011 at 10:07 am
Cancerman nutshells situation, she will destroy SCGOP!
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By Karma is a bitch September 8, 2011 at 12:46 am
Nikki Haley’s stuck up ass thinks she’s too good for McDonalds! Bitch eat a cheeseburger and stop using taxpayer money to pay for highly over priced meals. Hell the mcdonalds cow probably stood next to the 5 star cow and ate the same shit. Seriously, spending that kind of money is rediculous. Fly coach, eat a cheeseburger, stay in a holiday inn and call it a day! WTF? I don’t get it. Her skinny ass needs some meat!!! I’m all for women in high positions but this chick needs to jump on the nearest camel’s hump and get the hell out! This is why i hate politics. Just because your in a higher position doesn’t make you better than anyone else, doesn’t mean you can break rules, doesn’t mean you get special privilages, and doesn’t mean you can bully to get your way. It should be the same across the board for everyone regardless of social class, race, gender, sexuality, or any other stereotypes of people. Nikki Haley can blow it out her ass!
By AKRNC September 10, 2011 at 8:05 am
Another “fiscal conservative” shows their true colors. No wonder Sarah Palin thought she was the best person for SC, they’re two peas in a pod. They may not have done anything illegal as far as money goes, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they had, but they sure don’t mind using taxpayer money for unethical purposes. Maybe she’ll imitate $arah and quit! Could SC be as fortunate as Alaska?
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