This post won’t make much sense without you have read (as Huck would say) the PDF attached to the previous post.
Here’s what Tommy Moore said in a phone interview Thursday morning about the document released by the governor:
On the billboard bill (The Legislature passed, the governor vetoed and the Legislature overrode the veto on a bill that makes it virtually impossible for local governments to remove billboards, by forcing them to pay not only the cost of the signs but the revenue the signs might have generated for as long as 20 years):
"I was supportive of the property rights perspective, but I think … that’s going to be revisited, but we’re going to need some history on that. … While they and many others have given me lawful contributions, I certainly have not been any great protector or defender of the billboard industry. The fact that they gave a contribution — there’s no tie there that makes any logical sense to me."
On the tax-increment financing bill:
"That bill was introduced by Senator Land and others. I wasn’t a sponsor. In fact if my memory serves, that legislation had already passed the Senate before Fine-Deering announced they were going to do a project over here. … The county council was given the task of saying approve or disapprove, and the county disapproved it.
On the overall thrust of the charges:
"It’s very disheartening to think that any campaign but especially this one has got to take on those kind of overtones and those accusations. It sounds like to me some folks have looked at some poll numbers, and they see there’s some real problems, and desperation has set in. … I’m very proud of my service as far as any ethics legislation and being involved at the forefront of ethics legislation and campaign finance. I think it’s really in poor taste. … In 28 years as a legislator, should I have been more advised or better educated on some of the issues? Sure. … There’s always room for improvement, but for this crowd to make the centerpiece of their attack my ethics I think is ill-conceived and its plain wrong, and it’s a disservice to the people of South Carolina. … If you repeat a lie often enough, some people think it becomes truth. so it’s again a sad commentary on the political process that you can just throw those kind of things out and injure people or attempt to injure people’s integrity or reputation where anyone whose been there knows the contrary."
"Four or five things that came to mind when you start talking about ethics and reform: (I chaired the committees that handled) the ethics and campaign finance practices act, judicial screening reform, public utilities reform, Santee Cooper reform. And the tort reform — remember I chaired the subcommittee and got that out of subcommittee and committee. Over the last 20 years, I think the record proves as far as fairness and trying to be balance and make sure this thing happened, I don’t think anybody’s been more involved."
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This proves that for all his talk about being “a different kind of governor” Mark Sanford is the same ol’ kind of politician we’re used to. But what’s he gonna do – run on his record as governor?
Sorry to sound so glib, but, really, that’s the only kind of response Sanford’s charges merit.
Moor should just point out that Sanford’s primary goal is to shift the tax burden from his fellow rich to the middle class and working class.
A press conference in front of Sanford’s $2 mil “primary residence” on the beach (with renters coming and going) would be pretty effective.
After what Sandford did to the Medicaid program and poor children in this state,all his “charges” against Moore look pretty trivial.Sandford is unethical and immoral.
Oh, and I got a dollar that says will soon see a Sanford ad that takes the headline to Cindi’s column and reprints it as “Sanford attacks on Moore’s ethics fair.”
It’s gonna be a long, heated campaign…and I suspect the voters are not gonna like any of it. But maybe that is the point…
I noticed it says in that .pdf that Moore received a donation from Charizard Joint Venture. Looks like he has the Pokémon vote tied up.
That “defense” sounds to me like an incompetent trying to cover up his incompetence incompetently. Did he actually say anything in his favor?
I am not huge fan of Governor Sanford but Sanford was right on the billboard bill and the legistlature was wrong.
Senator Moore has been in the General Assembly since the 1980’s. That will be his downfall.
I was a Senate Page in the early 1990s and while Moore was a nice guy, he was just a party person- voted with the party regardless of the issue.
His long history in the Senate will be his downfall.
The Dems could have run some decent, outside the General Assembly, candidates that might have a chance to win this year with a weak Sanford. But Moore isn’t the one to beat him.
Isn’t it wonderful that we have noble politicians who bend over backwards to make sure the property rights of corporate billboard owners are protected? The concern is touching.
With the negative assault on Moore’s ethics, Sanford is now an official, card carrying, sleazy career politician– he has become everything he once hated.
But of course, The State will still endorse him.
Yeah,if you read the posts above,you’ll realize Brad’s already working on it.I’m sure it will be a bit similar to the last Bush endorsement.