For a very short news item in today’s paper, this one raised more than its share of questions and observations:
The New Yorker pouring money into South Carolina’s political races in a
push for school choice says he won’t give up anytime soon.“I
am not going away, and my groups are not going away,” real estate
investor Howard Rich says in a video released Thursday by South
Carolinians for Responsible Government.The Rich-funded school
choice group taped the conversation at the Columbia home of state
Republican Party chairman Katon Dawson on Monday. The GOP has written
into its platform support for school choice, vouchers and tax credits.
Of course, we all knew about what the first sentence says — this is one New Yorker who doesn’t give a flying flip what people in South Carolina think or want; he’s determined to make us do what he wants. His way of doing that is to finance misleading campaigns ostensibly based on other issues, since his issue doesn’t sell with the voters, until he gets enough people in the Legislature to back his boy Mark Sanford, and he can remake South Carolina to his liking.
As for the other two grafs:
- Does this sort of behavior remind you of anybody? You know, a guy with deep pockets, an extreme vision of how the world ought to be, and the willingness to go to extreme lengths to make it so? A guy you never see, except that periodically he puts out these videos through his faithful followers, and the message in the videos is along the lines of "I’m still alive, and still committed to the cause, and I’m not going away?" Isn’t there somebody this reminds you of? Sheesh. Some of y’all were so sensitive about the link I put on that last sentence, that I cut it out, even though it was simply a straightforward link to what this video reminded me of. So I’ll try the subtle approach, and ask YOU again: What does the above description remind YOU of? (Man — if a guy can’t do free-association type HTML links, what’s the point in blogging?)
- This was taped at Katon Dawson‘s house, and with his willing participation? Katon, the chairman of the same party that most of Howard Rich’s targets are in — the very lawmakers he wants to take out — is part of the Howard Rich conspiracy? If I’m one of a number of GOP officeholders this guy has paid for lying ads about, I’ve got a lot of questions to ask Katon right about now. I don’t have a lot of respect for political parties anyway, but even I thought they didn’t do stuff like this to each other. If you’re chairman of a party that is split between Mark Sanford and Jim DeMint on one side, and Lindsey Graham and the majority of legislative incumbents on the other, in what way is it considered kosher to do something like this?
- Howard Rich was in town, and he didn’t drop by to see me or even call? Kidding aside, there are a lot more straightforward ways to get your message out than funneling money through surrogate entities and taping subterranean videos. That is, if you are at all interested in open, honest political debate. Which some people aren’t.
- How come I can’t find the video on the SCRG Web site? Am I looking in the wrong places?
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Are you seriously comparing a political philanthropist to a militant terrorist? That is really embarassing. Are you going to compare George Soros to Saddam next?
I’m sure you’ll play it down, but comparing Howie Rich and this video to Osama bin Laden absolutely crosses the line. Unbelieveable.
The Osama link is particularly vitriolic. Maybe Brad is mad that Katon got the interview and Jim Davenport (of the AP) got the scoop.
I’d say Katon has some explaining to do to the Republican Party. I don’t think I would let someone tape a video in my home that I didn’t agree with 100%. That being said, It would appear Katon is willing to gun down anyone, Republicans included, who doesn’t fully embrace and support vouchers. Not cool!!
Ah, if only Howie and Soros would both go live in a cave somewhere and leave us alone.
They could fix it up and make it a really NICE cave, both of them having considerable means…
And you folks who are so worked up — what, the analogy didn’t occur to you? You never see the guy, and suddenly he’s releasing videos?
Anyway, the serious part of the post is the Katon Dawson part — to the extent that I can take anything party chairmen do seriously.
From the AP story: The GOP has written into its platform support for school choice, vouchers and tax credits.
So if the SC Rep. Party has a plank in their platform, and their party chair interviews someone who supports that, how controversial is that? We all know it’s not part your newspaper’s platform. Isn’t he just following his party’s platform?
NO WAY is he following his PARTY’s platform. Just Mark Sanford’s. Again, I point out, ask most GOP officeholders in the state whether the governor’s agenda and theirs are the same…
Randy Page from SCRG writes to say they haven’t posted the video on their site. I wrote back to ask how come, because I would if I were them. Of course, I am demonstrably not them.
Anyway, he was kind enough to supply this link to SCRG’s official memo about the video. The memo, now that I look at it, seems to have links to multiple parts of the video, so many it all IS on-line…
Brad,
The State GOP platform is very similar to the National GOP platform – and BOTH support school choice. The GOP plank was put in there by some guy named Ronald Reagan. Maybe you’ve heard of him.
…or do you liken Reagan to Osama and Hussein as well?
Oh, no. Looks like Josh Gross got his panties in a wad again. Somebody get him a hankie.
Joshua, you might like to know that Lyndon Johnson considered vouchers well before Reagan was governor of CA. At te time, the idea appealed to liberals:
“At the time, the voucher constituency included not only some political conservatives and segments of the business community, but also “de-schoolers” influenced by the writing of Ivan Illich, progressive and black nationalist “free schoolers,” social critics of the public education bureaucracy such as Paul Goodman, and liberal academics like Christopher Jencks. The chance to craft “regulated” voucher plans — ensuring that the poorest recipients got the largest vouchers — appealed to many liberals.”
Nixon kept the idea, but then abandoned it. he later brought it back again, this time refashioned as “Parochiaid”. This was never implemented: it was prevented by the 8–0 Supreme Court decision “…in Lemon v. Kurtzman that distribution of tax dollars to private schools had to meet all of the following three tests to be constitutional: its purpose is secular; its main effect is to neither advance nor inhibit religion; and it does not excessively entangle the state with religion.”
http://epsl.asu.edu/epru/documents/educationalvouchers.html
Say, is the current plank respecting that precedent? Or do they decry it as a the work of “activist judges”? Do they want to use my tax dollars to pursue some kind of sectarian agenda? Do they want to teach “Intelligent Design” as valid “science”, even though it nothing more than re-worked teleology that follows no accepted empiric standard of scientific methodology?
Katon Dawson and his ilk will fawn over anyone with money and power. I am a life long Republican and I am sick it.
Sanford has millions of dollars in his campaign chest and his nonprofits…yet he spent virtually nothing on the primaries.
That tells you everything…they are all about the money, and when public life crashes against THEIR money…well, u see greed wins everytime.
Money and personal glory took our party from the average person. In November, the people are going to put us in our place.
Actually, I think it’s a brilliant comparison (political philanthropist to militant terrorist) in the exact sense that you made the comparison (videos to the faithful, indicating “i’m still here.”)
If Rich is truly a “New Yorker who doesn’t give a flying flip what people in South Carolina think or want”, then I will predict he eventually lands in Aiken. He’ll feel right at home.
It’s a fascinating piece of video. Is Katon Dawson openly advocating Howard Rich’s ideology, plans, and tactics (or those of SCRG) here? Is this the SCGOP?
What’s the story Republicans?
So the SC Rep. Party has a website and after much searching they have a platform posted. From pg. 15 of the 2007 platform:
“We support the concept of ‘school choice’ and affirm the right of parents to home-school their children or send them to
private or parochial schools of their choice. We embrace the healthy competition that will result from a comprehensive school choice plan that includes the private sector, and believe such a system should be instituted from kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition
to improving public school performance, a system of school choice that includes tax credits, scholarship granting organizations and vouchers would offer more compassionate and better opportunities for all children in South Carolina.”
I would call that a primary source and the AP article is accurate.
So the SC Rep. Party has a website and after much searching they have a platform posted. From pg. 15 of the 2007 platform:
“We support the concept of ‘school choice’ and affirm the right of parents to home-school their children or send them to
private or parochial schools of their choice. We embrace the healthy competition that will result from a comprehensive school choice plan that includes the private sector, and believe such a system should be instituted from kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition
to improving public school performance, a system of school choice that includes tax credits, scholarship granting organizations and vouchers would offer more compassionate and better opportunities for all children in South Carolina.”
I would call that a primary source and the AP article is accurate.
So the SC Rep. Party has a website and after much searching they have a platform posted. From pg. 15 of the 2007 platform:
“We support the concept of ‘school choice’ and affirm the right of parents to home-school their children or send them to
private or parochial schools of their choice. We embrace the healthy competition that will result from a comprehensive school choice plan that includes the private sector, and believe such a system should be instituted from kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition to improving public school performance, a system of school choice that includes tax credits, scholarship granting organizations and vouchers would offer more compassionate and better opportunities for all children in South Carolina.”
I would call that a primary source and the AP article is accurate.
Interesting that so many Republicans don’t seem to support the platform there. Does this represent a major rift in the GOP? What’s the story with the GOP in this state?
It seems the rift comes not from Republicans not supporting the GOP but from the GOP not supporting Republicans. It happens when groups think they are so powerful they can do whatever they like, no matter what their consituents want. I saw it happen in the ’60s when the Catholic church said it was a venial sin to not go to church. Sure the churches were packed, but they were raising a generation of people who saw mandatory attendance as unnecessary and excessive.
I guess if the tax credit scheme for private school choice is part of the GOP platform, the OK. That doesn’t mean SCRG is above-board in the least. I would just think that Republicans who were the subjects of SCRG’s hatchet campaigns would be incensed to see their party’s chairman hosting this fluff video with the guy most folks figure is pouring money into SCRG’s coffers.
“Me and my groups aren’t going away.”
“It’s my money and I can spend it however I want.”
In other words, Howie is saying “F you South Carolina. I’m going to buy a Legislature and I’m going to run this state.”
And he thinks South Carolinians are stupid enough to let it happen. I take that back, he’s counting on South Carolinians being stupid enough — and in some corners of the state they’ve proven him right.
As for Warthen’s comparison, it’s right on the money. That’s why it burns the voucher vultures so badly.
As for Dawson’s interview with Howie, normally that much butt-kissing usually comes with an X rating.
That comparison was disrespectful to families whose loved ones were killed on Sept. 11 and all the soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. You should resign immediately.
I think everyone will be extremely shocked by how many of the Republican party’s leaders agree with Howie. Each one that is running for Gov. has asked him to help fund their campaigns- personally.
Brad- ask Rod what Andre’s been up to. I bet he doesn’t know.
And next time… lay off the 9/11 garbage. Just because you are against trying to improve our failing education system doesn’t make Howie a terrorist… but calling him one sure does make it look like you are the recipient of one of South Carolina’s TOP NOTCH public educations. But by all means please keep writing this stuff.. it’s very entertaining to the 99.9% of South Carolinians that could care less about campaign disclosures and out of state money.
Howard Rich is only attempting to educate people and to sell his point of view, using his own money and his right of free speech – the same as the editors of The State.
It is the government entities in SC which are using armed force to run their school system – forced attendance, forced bussing, forced taxation of less-than-willing students, parents and taxpayers.
“If Rich is truly a “New Yorker who doesn’t give a flying flip what people in South Carolina think or want”, then I will predict he eventually lands in Aiken.”
We don’t want him here! His candidate (Scott Singer) was defeated in the Republican primary.
Besides, Aiken has some of the best public schools in the state. It’s a matter of pride here, which would probably make Mr. Rich quite grumpy.
Hey, all: Still going through e-mail from the weekend, I found this one from Randy Page at SCRG, from way back on Friday. I hereby pass it on…
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