I’m not even going to say anything about this — or at least, not right this second. I’m really busy today. I just thought I’d bring this to y’all’s attentions. The Gov Lite’s actions speak more loudly than anything else that immediately comes to mind (and if you want to see video, check this out):
{BC-SC-Bauer Speeding,0174}
{URGENT}
{Videos show lt. gov. caught speeding twice, no tickets issued}
{Eds: Will be updated}
{AP Photos}
{By MEG KINNARD and SEANNA ADCOX}=
{Associated Press Writers}=
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who has had some run-ins with South Carolina law enforcement in years past, was stopped at least twice in the past four months for speeding along the state’s highways and no tickets were written.
During the most recent stop, the Highway Patrol clocked Bauer going 101 mph in a 70mph zone but he wasn’t issued a ticket nor a warning. Video and audio recordings of the stop were obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The state Public Safety Department, which is over the Highway Patrol, planned a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Bauer did not immediately return messages seeking comment, and his office said he would not talk about the incidents until later in the day if at all.
Bauer, who was elected lieutenant governor in 2002 and is up for re-election this fall, has until noon Thursday to file as a candidate. Another Republican has filed for Bauer’s seat as well as one Democrat.
We still get letters — lots of them — from people who fiercely defend this guy. What can they be thinking?
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Just bidness as usual for the Republicans.
The trooper should have apologized. Wait, I guess you have to get shot in the face to that.
Still true as it ever was: Rank has its Privileges.
So much for leadership by example.
Brad, I just came back from driving to Illinois and back. I know you know how fast our state troopers drive in this state, because you posted something about it awhile back. This one was doing at least 100 mph, and of course I can’t prove he had reason to do so, but I don’t believe it. So Andre Bauer is doing what a lot of other government people are doing, I genuinely suspect.
You know what I wish for? A truck speed limit like the 55 mph one in Illinois; I would even settle for a 65 mph one like in Indiana. Do you think there is any hope?
It is so relaxing to drive on the Interstate in Illinois and know that I can put it around 70 and not have to get out of the way of these flying containers . . . .
P. S. I drove in Germany for 28 years, but I never feared the masses of trucks like I do here, because they are kept at 55 mph. Of course, I did fear the BMWs coming up behind me at 155 mph on the autobahn.
He’s just another member of the elite PRC class. If he’s replaced by another PRC, Dem or Repub, it won’t make any difference. How about replace ALL of them with
WRITEIN-SC
candidates?
Here goes.
A couple of urgent points, Spencer:
— Andre Bauer, an “elite?” I don’t think so. Whatever else one might say about Andre, he’s pretty much a common man who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, etc. We’re not talking Country Club Republican here.
— What’s this? Are you deserting the UnParty? Must we call a press conference and denounce you?
As somebody who just got a $232 ticket for turning right at a red light without fully stopping, though slowing considerably (eastbound on Greene near Salty Nut, Mr. Friendly’s etc) because a train was making the crossing then and I wanted to get down to the underpass on Blossom…I am peeved that this guy gets no ticket.
Andre obviously doesn’t care about his fellow citizens on the road.
I have two little boys and I drive near where he was stopped quite frequently on I-77. It is nice to know the Lt. Governor can drive through there at 101 mph and not receive a ticket.
Most people would be going to jail going that fast.
I have no respect at all for Bauer and I emailed him and told him so.
You know what makes me sick about this whole situation and that The State has failed in both this blog and thus far in its coverage of this story, due to the fact that nobody covers “hard” news anymore is the real truth about Mr. Bauer.
I have always liked Andre, and liked the little Griff post card I have gotten on my birthday, heck my friend even got a wedding present from him when they got married (a set of four double old fashioned glasses with the senate seal emblazoned with his signature).
But Andre Bauer is a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and at one time was one time was a reserve sheriff’s deputy for Lexingon County.
He should have known the day that he charged a Columbia City Police officer on Elmwood Avenue in Downtown Columbia that you don’t jump out of your car running down the street flailing your arms like a madman. It doesn’t matter if you are late for the days legislative session or not. You sit in your car patiently and wait for the policeman to finish his job.
Additionally, as a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and one time reserve sheriff’s deputy he should have known that travelling with a handgun in a vehicle in a glove box is not a wise idea. He should have had it unloaded and had it sitting on the dashboard or on the front seat of the car.
Further, he he should have had a valid drivers license.
but what do i know, the tapes weren’t that audible.
And when I was working over their in Mayberry I was only allowed to have one bullet in my gun and I had to carry it in my shirt pocket, but Andre—you need to nip it in the bud and think about not filing on for reelection.
I might be wrong but I believe if you are carrying a weapon like he was doing – it is supposed to be in a glove box or something like that.
I don’t think any police officer wants to walk up on someone at night and see a gun on the dash or on the seat inches from some drivers hand.
I think that was the only reasonable thing Andre did – gun in the glove box and he tells the officer of it being there ahead of time. Made sense.
The driving too fast stuff was totally stupid.
Now Andre is somebody who can really cook up some campaign slogans!
“Vote for Bauer, he may have a gun”
Way better than Bob Coble, “Columbia’s Current Mayor”
The bottom line is that it is a joke that no one of any standing in the state is calling for Bauer to resign immediately.
Watch the video. He was doing 101 at 11:25 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 in a state owned vehicle, using an emergency band claiming “state emergency” to the officer in pursuit on a radio that he shouldn’t even have in our (the state’s) car. Was he drunk?
This goes so far beyond the harmless juvenile lead foot excuse that he and his apologists are coming out with.
Someone is sure to be killed by this stupid, common, boy-ape, unless we all start crying foul and call for him to be held responsible.
Also, will someone tell me why he doesn’t have to pay taxes on his home or his 2006 BMW?
Brad- Thanks for clearing up that “elite” thing for us. If Andre did qualify for elite I would have to apire to become a member of the slovenly masses. Thanks for sparing me.
BW,
I believe all PRC’s in and of themselves are elites. They become that as a result of just being what they are. In Bauer’s case, he’s just another professional politician. You don’t have to be of the “Country Club set” to be a PRC. You can be rich, you can be a celebrity, or you can be common as you-know-what and still be a PRC.
As for the UNPARTY, what party? How about the NOTparty for something which doesn’t exist. My original post on your blog intimated (if the cobwebs will clear) that I thought the UNPARTY deal was just a stunt. Maybe is, maybe aint, but it’s virtually nonexistant, that’s for sure.
You once said, “Sometimes I think of running a ‘campaign’ for governor myself under the Unparty banner.” What ever happened to that? The Unparty is on a moldy backshelf somewhere I guess.
At any rate, Unparty or regular political party or whatever, you can’t beat the PRC’s at their own game. It will take a
WRITEIN-SC
campaign statewide to throw the PRC’s out.
The next headline we will be reading is “Bauer causes multi-car collision that results in fatalities”.
The State of SC and the Highway Patrol should be ASHAMED of themselves. I can’t believe he just said “SC2” and wasn’t given a sobriety test, a license check, nothing! It infuriates me. He doesn’t need a police radio. If you have a cell phone, you can always call the highway patrol (*HP) or 911 if there is a true emergency. That is what someone will be doing once he causes a wreck. Instead, he thinks he can just call the highway patrol and let them know he is on his way through speeding!
His police radio should be taken away from him. Is his gun registered? Is it state issued? What is the deal here?
Doesn’t Bauer realize that his little videos are probably going to make national news now even if they haven’t already. What a disgrace! At least the first officer gave him a warning and didn’t let him just walk away. I loved the way Bauer responded, “If there is ever anything I can do for you, just let me know!” Sickening.
We’re talking about lives here, not party favors.
Bauer must be an idiot to think he can control a car at 101mph. Sooner or later his “lead foot” will catch up with him and I pray for the people who are involved with the crash he is going to cause. It isn’t fair to the people driving on the same road as him.
Perhaps we need to issue “Bauer Alerts” to let drivers know that a repeat offender is on the highway and to watch their rear mirror and pull over to the right lane.
I explain to my children all the time that “accidents” happen. They aren’t planned or expected. When Bauer crashes and kills, it won’t be an accident, it will just be an event that could have prevented if he really cared about other people and chose to slow down.
How selfish can a person be? Shame on him!
As a citizen who pays taxes in this state, I demand that someone find a way for him to be held accountable for his actions. I am not a lawyer, but surely there must be something or someone who has authority for him to be punished or fined for his latest event. Perhaps he should be educated in what happens to people who speed and be forced to watch videos of wreckage with high speed impacts and perhaps talk to some families who lost loved ones because of people just like Bauer who think they can speed whenever they want to.
Bauer, you make me sick.
Here’s another story for ya, Brad: who leaked the Bauer story and what connection did they have with the Li’l Campbell campaign?
Remarkable timing, eh? Three days before the filing deadline and Bauer’s speeding record suddenly “comes out.”
I’m no fan of either Bauer or Campbell but let’s get real here: Quit pretending that such stories fall from the sky like devinely mandated manna from heaven.
Oh, wait. Reporting that story would require actual investigative journalism with shoe leather and might even get beyond the pre-packaged story.
Never mind.
Yeah, it is all a conspiracy to get Cambell elected. That is ludicrous.
I’d have sat on the story until June if I wanted to influence the election.
The Hwy Patrol should be ashamed. The public safety director should be ashamed.
In fact, I am going to email both of them just like I did Bauer and tell them how ashamed they should be.
As a former state employee myself who had authority to propose fines for businesses in some situations, I went WAY out of my wayt to always appear above politics, special favors. etc.
I wouldn’t even accept a coke or a cup of coffee from anyone. I was caught speeding once near Myrtle Beach while in my personal car but on state business looking for a business. I could have mentioned my state job and agency and I believe I would have been let go. But I was in the wrong. I was speeding (39 in a 25). I accepted the ticket, never mentioned my job status, and paid my fine and accepted the points on my license for 3 years. I did it because I was a state employee and I was supposed to be held to a higher standard. In my mind, there was no excuse.
I am sorry to have to say this about someone but I honestly believe it – Andre Bauer doesn’t have the integrity to obey traffic laws. He just doesn’t give a damn.
David, as a fellow former state employee, I applaud and appreciate your integrity. I worked with and still know everyday heroes (like you seem to be) who honestly, daily worked to make our state better in the ways that often go unnoticed.
I think what pisses us all off the most is that people like us have emotionally invested so much in this state that we love only to have this simian-semblanced simpleton potentially grab national headlines with his carelessness.
For the love of God, fellow Sandlappers, please vote people in who are “sharper” than you esteem even yourselves instead of the guy/gal who is “just plain folks.” Save sentiment for the church building committee.
What choice is there when all candidates, Republican or Democrat, are the same. There isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Bauer and Campbell. Who are these “sharper” people, and will they run? Are they Capital A and David? If so, run for office.
Capital A
Good stuff.
When I worked for the state, I knew so many people (and some that didn’t ) that went out of their way to make sure everything they did was above board – even when no one was looking – not even their supervisor.
I know a couple of guys that turned down $100 hotel rooms to stay in $50 hotel rooms because they didn’t feel it was right for the state to pay that much for their rooms.
To see and work with people like that and then to see our Lt. Governor who abuses his power – it is sad.
Bauer is, I am sure, a nice guy. He just doesn’t have enough integrity.
Spency, therein lies the conundrum. Anyone who would gladly run for office probably shouldn’t while there are gads of people who “should” run but won’t. They know better.
I was merely commiserating and empathizing with a fellow former state employee.
I know I would never be elected to office in my home state for some of my beliefs. My posts on this very blog as exhibits A-ZZZ are proof enough of that fact.
A one week stay at Boys’ State during my high school years showed me that I was a Confederate Liberal in King Conservative’s Court.
Although, Senator Palpatine Thurmond did regale us with his infamous tale of character building in which he once mistakenly walked into a ladies room…
How could I not have been moved to grasp for high office with such a capable role model in such close proximity?
Spencer, try to keep up.
Both Campbell and Bauer are proud products of the SC GOP.
So, you found the acorn, oh blind squirrel: there isn’t a dimes worth of difference.
At no extra charge I’ll clue you in further. Campbell is the son of SC GOP icon Caroll Campbell and is reported to have inherited the remnants of Campbell, Sr’s political machine.
Note to Barney Fife, it is illegal to keep a handgun on your dash or in your front seat. Only a 1 year misdemeanor, but definitely illegal.
I really can’t fault Andre for the Laurens County matter. I drive through that area going 10-15 mph over the speed limit all the time. Probably half the folks stopped going 12 mph over the limit get warnings. And finally, it was pretty damn wise to give the trooper a heads up about any pistol legally stored in the glove box. Officer hate being surprised by weapons.
If Andre did everything “right” in Laurens, he absolutely bungled the Chester situation. 101 in a 70 is illegal, but it’s not a capital offense. Travel I-95 in Colleton and Jasper counties sometime. Folks driving 85, 90 and 95 are commonplace. I usually don’t drive faster than 85 but even then I routinely get my doors blown off.
Where Andre absolutely blew it was when he started playing po-lice on his radio. I wonder if the Chester County Grand Jury might yet indict him for impersonating a aw enforcement officer that night!
Andre Bauer was not impersonating a police officer.
He was impersonating a LT Governor.
Why don’t you suggest to hang him on the old hanging tree and just get all this over with? I’m so sick of people who think they are perfect. Your name must be Jesus since you think you have the right to judge.
Actually, as SC citizens, we do have the right to judge our elected officials. You may have heard of it…sound it out…de-mo-cra-cy.
Back to hisspace with you now, so that you may post more unfiltered fawnings…