Letter: Sanford Shirked His Duty In Congress

Dear Editor,

We all remember the Jimmy Stewart movie, “Mister Smith Goes to Washington,” where the main character gets drawn into public office only out of a desire to do his civic duty.

When running for his first of three terms in Congress, beginning in 1994, Sanford’s positioning was that of an “everyman” seeking to reform a corrupt political system. He ran on term limits and governmental reform. He made a show of fighting against fringe benefits such as ice delivery to offices and the Congressional barbershop. He even went so far as to make sure that the voters knew that he was sleeping in his office to prove his fiscal responsibility.

Sanford has changed much since those early days. His record from that time begins to tell a story about the candidate we see running for office today.

During Sanford’s time in Congress, he consistently voted against bringing our own tax money back home to South Carolina. Examples of this behavior include his vote against the 1996 Military Construction bill (HR. 1817). With over $90 million going to SC bases, Sanford was the only Congressman from SC to vote “no.” Regarding this vote, Sanford even went so far as to say no bases in SC would be exempt from cuts.

He also voted against the 1996 Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill (HR. 3666) as well as the critical 1996 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report (S. 735). In fact, when looking to see just how bad Sanford was on issues of national defense and veterans’ issues, one cannot help but notice the number of times Sanford agreed with well documented and even self-described “democratic socialist,” then Congressman now Senator Bernie Sanders. (I – Vermont). Prime examples of their agreement was Sanford’s vote against the 1999 Defense Appropriations Bill (HR. 4103) and the 1999 Intelligence Appropriations Bill (HR. 3694).

In the process of looking into Sanford’s Congressional record, it quickly becomes clear that in his time in Congress he failed to do his duty to our state out of a concern for his own political career. He became an insider and a career politician: the very things against which he so virulently campaigned.

Now that Sanford wants to be in Congress again, he wants the voters to think of him as another “Mister Smith.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

The people of South Carolina’s first Congressional District must make a clear choice about the type of person they want representing them. Even though we should forgive his adultery, we should also remember that a man who has traded civic duty for careerism while consistently voting against our national security and veterans benefits has no business representing us.

Sincerely,

John Osborne

The author is a military veteran and an undergraduate student at the University of South Carolina. He is currently unaffiliated with any political campaign, but participates in the Democratic Party, focusing on rural issues.