LIBERAL “DICTATOR” FACES GROWING OPPOSITION FROM OLDER “REPUBLICANS”
|| By FITSNEWS || Senate president and finance committee chairman Hugh Leatherman has been the most powerful elected official in South Carolina for some time now. In fact his already considerable power took a huge step forward last spring – when all but two Senators supported his “coup” for total control of the State Senate.
Now, though, several State Senators tell FITS the diminutive liberal is letting his power go to his head … alienating some senior members of his “Republican” caucus.
Apparently Leatherman’s recent effort to take control of the Senate’s calendar (thus dictating which bills receive a hearing – and which don’t) has rubbed several ranking members the wrong way. Not only that, Leatherman’s refusal to let Senators amend a massive gas tax hike is also exposing him to criticism.
“There’s no consensus anymore,” one Senator complained to FITS.
Who is upset with Leatherman? According to our sources, three ranking “Republican” members: “Majority” leader Harvey Peeler, former Senate president John Courson and judiciary committee chairman Larry Martin.
Peeler has always been a “middling” Senator – occasionally backing taxpayers, but more often than not supporting Leatherman’s big government agenda. Courson and Martin are both hard core fiscal liberals who have backed Leatherman’s tax-and-spend approach to the hilt.
Courson in particular has been a die-hard opponent of tax cuts and free market education reform.
How upset are these aging “Republicans” at their liberal leader?
Very upset … in fact one Senate source told FITS tensions were at “an all-time high” and that several senior Senators were reportedly marshaling support for a “vote of no confidence” in Leatherman’s leadership.
Obviously such a move would be exceedingly difficult to pull off. Leatherman has every single Democratic member of the S.C. Senate solidly under his thumb – and on top of that has been able to consistently count on the support of several fiscally liberal “Republicans” including Senators Thomas Alexander, Paul Campbell, Ray Cleary and Billy O’Dell (all of whom voted in support of Leatherman’s $800 million gas tax hike this week).
Also, earlier this year he reportedly struck a corrupt bargain with several fiscal conservative members over an abortion bill they favor – a move seen as an effort to solidify his positioning on a wide range of budget and procedural matters.
But there’s no doubt Leatherman – who rebounded from a serious health scare last year – is facing serious dissension. On several fronts.
In addition to the aging “Republicans,” several younger members of the Senate are reportedly upset with his ongoing feud with governor Nikki Haley.
“He’s letting his war with the governor shut down the Senate,” one told us, citing procedural moves made in an effort to “tie the Senate in knots.”
Will this frustration boil over into an actual effort to limit Leatherman’s authority? And if so, would such an effort have a chance?
We’ll have to wait and see … but as much as we detest Leatherman’s demonstrably failed tax-and-spend ideology, there’s no denying the Lilliputian-sized lawmaker has been head and shoulders above his Senate colleagues when it comes to playing the game.
“(Former Senate president Glenn) McConnell was good at it,” one lawmaker told us last week. “Leatherman is great.”
14 comments
Sounds like Obama to me!
Peeler, Martin, Leatherman, ODell were all Democrats, when it was politicly beneficial to their elections. Their core values, and positions remain in the Liberal leaning, fiscally liberal, spend thrift, tax raising genre of the Democratic Party!
Shows the stupidity of their constituents.
Amen to that!
They feather their own nests, while stealing the eggs out of ours.
They vote themselves pay raises, raise their own expense accounts and allow the expense accounts to be counted toward raising their own retirements! Double theeir salaries and that of their ass kissers, while giving everyone else 1% pay raises.
Have their own taxpayer funded Taxi service, decorate and re-decorate their lush offices.
It must be nice to be an elected official in SC, elected and re-elected by a brain dead, lemming electorate!
Fact is, they are in the classic mold of the majority of the Democrats who became Republicans thanks to the “Southern Strategy.” In other words, the very fact that Republicans dominate by a huge margin is Democrats joining their ranks. Eliminate all of those who were once Republicans, and that huge majority goes away. It’s as simple as that.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150428/PC16/150429396
McConnell and Leatherman sucking more money from the taxpayers
Peeler has always been a “middling”
Senator – occasionally backing taxpayers, but more often than not
supporting Leatherman’s big government agenda.
Peeler has always been a fake and a fraud! he is another Dem. who changed parties for political expediency. He is not only a “middling” member, he is a meddling, vindictive,
egocentric, who hates every breath Leatherman takes. He aspired to challenge Leatherman and bump him from his powerful position. The membership has little to no respect for him, nor his brother, known for their proclivity to chase anything with a skirt.
Even Fits has mentioned this in his writings in the past.
Leatherman is a disaster; Peeler would be a disaster of Biblical proportions!
The State needs to rid itself of ALL of these aged, self serving RINOs…period!
Leatherman is going to federal prison. You will see … You WILL SEE (echo echo echo).
Do federal prisons provide adult diapers?
OK. He a wee little man. We get it.
“and on top of that has been able to consistently count on the support of several fiscally liberal “Republicans” including Senators Thomas Alexander, Paul Campbell, Ray Cleary and Billy O’Dell.”
Don’t forget Luke Rankin. He almost always votes with Leatherman.
The 45 biggest cowards in SC are the members of the SC. They all bow down to the 46th Senator.
They are gutless, whiney cowards.
Really? They didnt see this coming? “Lets give Lil’ Digger the power in the Senate as Pro Tem and Finance Chair, that won’t go to his head, never.” These schmucks and thier country club power struggles with our tax dollars.
Its a long stretch of isolated I-20 between Columbia and Florence.