Nikki Haley sent me a copy this morning of a letter she sent out to her fellow lawmakers Wednesday. You remember what happened to Nikki on Wednesday, right? Here it is:
December 3, 2008
Dear Colleagues:
I feel compelled to share with you some events that occurred earlier today.
This morning, I was informed that I had been assigned to serve on the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee and, honestly, I was a little surprised given the differences the Speaker and I have had recently over "on the record" voting. As I said to you when I took the floor yesterday none of this was personal it was all about policy and to his credit the Speaker set aside those disagreements – or so I had thought.
It is no secret I had intended to run for Chairman of LCI, but given the events of the past few weeks I recognized that I was no longer in a position to achieve that goal. I called Representative Sandifer and the Speaker on Monday night to let them know I was dropping out of the race. This morning, I attended the LCI Committee meeting and closed nominations for committee chair asking that we vote Representative Sandifer by acclamation.
After the meeting, I returned to my office. Within minutes the Speaker’s chief-of-staff hand-delivered a letter to me from the Speaker informing me that I had been reassigned to serve on the Education and Public Works Committee. Needless to say I was disappointed.
The Speaker wanted to send a message and I got it loud and clear. That message is this; if we as individual representatives disagree with the Speaker over policy about which we feel passionately and share those disagreements publicly, we will be punished for doing so. The actions he took today are in direct response to my aggressive pursuit of "on the record" voting. I believe I acted in the best interests of the people I represent and because of my actions I was removed from a committee on which I had served honorably.
The Speaker and other members of House Leadership will undoubtedly take issue with my account of what happened. But, make no mistake, the manner in which I was assigned to LCI and then reassigned to Education and Public Works was intended to embarrass and punish me for working to pass a comprehensive "on the record" voting bill.
I wanted you to know that this punishment handed down by the Speaker will in no way affect the manner in which I go about trying to increase transparency in the Legislature, bringing reform to state government, and working to improve the lives of the people we represent.Sincerely,
Nikki Haley
And so, to quote the governor, "to be continued…"
I replied to Nikki that I’d put her letter on my blog. Unlike certain other bloggers, I don’t have to worry about what the Speaker will do to me. But you know what — Nathan’s not letting it shut him up, either.
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It is an absolute shame that two individuals that are trying to move our state forward are being punished by House Leadership. This is exactly what is wrong about government and belittles the deliberative process, ultimately keeping us from progress on so many fronts. Negative actions such as this don’t do any favors for the general public or to other members of the General Assembly.
These two Representatives are being punished by leadership for fighting for what the general public wants and deserves. The only punishment to ever be doled out should be between the voters and their respective Representative and Senator.
As a voter it is up to you to hold your elected officials accountable and if or when the lines get blurred, remind them that they work for you, Joe and Jane taxpayer.
I think votes should be recorded.
I think that the visit by Nikki Haley to your offices was probably the most manipulative of the press action I’ve ever heard of: no, I won’t, yes, I will go on the record. I could hear everyone’s rapid breathing.
Ms. Haley should support or oppose whatever she feels is right and in the best interests of her constituents. If the only punishment for speaking out is a committee reassignement, what’s the big deal? Oh,no, I didn’t get my pick; grow up. She’s still there. She still gets to vote.
Since he did it, it appears the Speaker has the authority to do this for any reason. Live with it. Continue to speak out for what you believe. You shouldn’t look to kiss anyone’s behind. The voters are the only one’s who really matter.
I don’t know why Ms. Haley wants to be on LCI and not EPW. I come from a part of the state where if a legislator wants to be on a certain committee, it’s probably because it will ultimately be of financial benefit to them. Ms. Haley may be above that kind of thing.
She needs to stop acting like a wussy and whining all around and take this reassignment as an opportunity to learn more about another area,to broaden her knowledge so she can be a better legislator.
I can think of a lot of reasons why committe membership should be rotated regularly for every one of them. I know that will never happen.
Well, as I once told grasshopper…there are many ways to the mountain. And these two bumpkins ought to chart a different path…and actually get where they want to go.
They are following the path blazed by the perfect One, Mark Sanford. It is the path to irrelevance.
Actually, Kitty, these old DeLay-style cattle-prod tactics are increasingly irrelevant, as are the Bobby Harrells of GOP land. This is a down-home Carolina microcosm of the ongoing GOP meltdown on the national scene…except in SC it’s going to take longer to flush out the thicker, slower blind loyalist blood for the more pragmatic, media-savvy blood of folks like Haley and Ballentine.
Who’s really the bumpkin here? Harrell doesn’t seem to understand that we live in the Information Age, where word of the mean-spirited stunts you pull behind closed doors zips around the Earth at light speed and bites you in the ass.
Even Slow Hand Sanford, despite his lack of ideological originality, has enough comprehension of the new media echo chamber to understand he’s better off in the long run standing tall with Haley and Ballentine while dropping pearly buzzwords like “transparency” and “accountability”.
Kitty,
Better to take the path to irrelevance than follow the road to scumbag-ville.
The bigger problem for Rep Harell and the Legislative body is that business owners in Lexington County have requested this bill. Rep Haley and Ballentine took on the challenge and took a stand for their constiuents. Not only has Bobby Harrell punished them he has punished and slapped Lexington and Richland County in the face with his rule antics and his manipulative tactics. We as business owners want the Haley version of this bill passed, not the rule. As well we will be demanding that both Representative Haley and Ballentine be reinstated to their original committees. We have every intention of making this very public until our voices are heard by those elected to serve and represent us.
Bill, you make a great point in that the public should have the only right punish its Assemblyman by voting them back into office or choosing another candidate. For punishment to be handed down inside the Statehouse for doing what they were sent there to do is un-diplomatic and un-American.
Brad, thanks for keeping us informed, but I think there is much more to be done on this story. There will be more from the constiuents and business owners alike that proudly have elected and support Representatives Ballentine and Haley.
Doug,
I suspect it is in the DNA of libertarian types to be all or nothing, and that is too bad. But fear not, as there is much scientific work being done in that area…and there may be a gene that controls sensibility, and presto, with one shot you could join the world of adults where outcomes matter.
Had Sanford been willing to compromise, perhaps we would have only spent half a billion extra, and not the whole billion. Think how much better of a financial picture we would be in had that been the case. Furthermore…this years General Assembly session would start with a lower base budget…allowing for more negotiation and compromise…to take down those numbers even further!
But no, baby…it was all or nothing. So you, and Sanford can have a pride party …you can be happy you are pure and clean…but irrelevant. Politics is about power and relevancy. You and he have neither.
Kitty.
Politics is also about moving towards goals. When an enterprise is as large as state government, there are too many competing entities for one side to have its way all the time. So the winner is the “side” that advances the farthest down the field to their goals.
The Loser is the one that is left on the 20 yard line, demanding respect and total allegiance from anyone he meets. He may be the one with popular support. He may be the one with his mug on TV. But he is still at the 20, and the people and ideas he represents are with him whether they realize it on not.
And yes, that is Loser, with a capital L.
Thanks for sharing the letter Brad.
Nathan should be forced to step down just for burning my eardrums with that cheesy Aaron Tippon video.
Kitty,
If the choice in the “all or nothing” argument is to be ethical, open, and fair, then of course we should choose the ALL option in that case.
I guess hiding behind an anonymous name is just one more way you can feel good about supporting politicians who play power games for their own personal benefit. Are you that afraid of being openly supportive of the Speaker? Afraid of guilt by association? Afraid of being a proponent for backroom political games at the expense of good public service?
You’re a kitty, that’s for sure. Sort of.
And I would ask you to specify what relevance Speaker Harrell has? Aside from being the captain of the S.S. Titanic, can you name one specific thing he has done that has made South Carolina better during his term as speaker?
His name recognition in the state probably hovers around 10%.
Sanford is relevant (ask the voters who re-elected him easily). He’s there to shine the light on the cockroaches.
Doug…
My, oh my, you are a sensitive sort.
We all have scoreboards in life. Sanford’s is based on intellectual purity and high voter approval. It is not based on success, unless measured by his personal glory, fame and fortune. All which have grown right along side our soaring deficits, rising unemployment and failing government.
My scoreboard is based on the success of meaningful, measurable items that further my goals of public service…to help the people of SC by assisting them to do things that they can not do for themselves. I am a conservative, true to small government and low taxes.
Yours scoreboard seems to be “us verses them”…we are perfect, they are infidels. Success measurements are ….well, nonexistent…unless making people groan and giggle is important to you. Good luck with that.
By the way…who the hell has ever heard of Doug Ross? What has he ever done? Why wouldn’t a nobody with little hope of success, who as far as I can discern has never made a measurable impact on government or the community, use his name, a name most people suspect it is an alias.
Kitty
Catty,
Doug Ross is real. He posted himself in front of his SCDL on a previous post. He is probably feeding the homeless at a church downtown on this particular Saturday — using money donated voluntarily to the church, not strong-armed from the taxpayers.
Making people like you b*tch and moan is apparently important to somebody.
Doug Ross is real. Kitty is a scaredy cat.
I’m just a regular guy who puts his money (and his name) where his mouth is. I do simple stuff like coach youth sports teams, teach Sunday school, feed the homeless, serve as a PTO president, etc.
Sorry if I don’t meet your expectations.
Actually, I’m not. Because your expectations are based on trying to “win” power at other people’s expense. Good luck with that.
Hey, I understand. Your scorecard is based on winners and losers. You think Bobby Harrell is a winner — but you can’t tell us anything he has done that meets the criteria. And you sure as heck wouldn’t dare put your name out there in public supporting his unethical, petty behavior. Why is that?
Bobby Harrell will be remembered for leading the state into a economic disaster. It’s the Bobby Harrell economy, not Mark Sanford’s.
C’mon, Kitty. Cough up a hairball in support of the speaker. Maybe he’ll give you an extra ration of Meow Mix.
Oh, and Kitty, here’s a photo of my ugly mug taken by Brad when I met him some time ago.
I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn’t then why would you say I am?
Dougy…
Why would you think I am a disciple of Bobbly Harrell?
Kitty
Kitty,
You seemed to jump down my throat pretty quick when I defended the actions of Ms. Haley and Mr. Ballentine. You called their actions a path to irrelevance. I think that whatever they can do to shine light on the backroom political games played by the speaker is great.
I hold no hope of ever seeing the type of government I would like. But that doesn’t mean I will compromise my beliefs on that topic.
The bar is set way too low for our representatives. They do what they do for two reasons: money and power. They are not good stewards of other people’s money. They create bureaucracies that stifle the economy. They create rules and laws that serve no purpose.
The only way I see to remove the problems with our government is to remove as much money as we can from their control.
There’s the post! Only — I have it wrong, you posted yourself BEHIND your SCDL. As in, you stand behind what you say. By putting your name on the line. [I don’t do this presently, as I stay in enough trouble as it it.]
Watch out Doug. Brad, the converted Catholic [reasons questioned? yes.], may just be trying to get you riled up…as the (gasp!) Protestant that I think you said you are. He would then be able to sprout his Catholic Feathers — and prove you petty.
He tactic-cates thusly. I have been studying him and his henchmen for 15 years now.
😉
P.S. I would wager that y’all are at Al’s Upstairs. Yep. VERY FAMILIAR backdrop on the ‘mind of Brad.’
Edit patrol………
“as it IS.” Good Gosh Man, I do that a lot.
……….
Speaking of GOOD GOSH MAN – I miss Neil White. He was the best thing this paper had going for it. Even if he DID poke fun @ our beloved Gov. in coming up with material —
Forgive him…he knew not what he did. Many of us didn’t either Twisted Bro.
And this really shouldn’t be about me, but I’ll reveal one more thing about my political history.
I ran for Richland 2 School Board in 2002. I finished second to last. I learned in that brief period of time just how the political game works. People are willing to lie, cheat, and steal even when it comes to a school board job that paid $500 a month. I won’t tell all the stories of my short time on the campaign trail, but look in the news archives for some stories. Like the board member who resigned due to embezzlement. Or the husband of the board member who was convicted of felony forgery charges involving millions of dollars of federal grant money. Or the son of another board member who died in a shootout with police following a robbery. And that’s just the big stuff. Then there’s all the petty stuff that goes on in wasting tax dollars for junkets to Hilton Head, etc. There was one board member who had no problem ratting out his co-members to me on their activities.
So the failure of others prevents you from seeking success in public service? Their weakness requires you to quit. That because of your failure, you see failure so easily in others, and even in their family members?
There are many people of honor that seek to serve. They are not perfect. They are not superior …and most have the sense to know they cannot be absolutist, nor purist. That is a luxury left to children and tyrants.
Join the mature world, and strive to make it better. Little bit, by little bit. Leave the childish notions of superiority behind…and join us in the flawed world we attempt to better.
Doug – there is that failure thread, again — famous amongst Brad and his henchmen…
Donnie Myers, Jakie, et al, ad nauseum.
Don’t let Catty discourage you — nor let [her — it???] be the beacon by which you navigate.
The waters herein are poisoned, thoroughly — and irrevocably.
…….
Brad — if and when you lose your job, I will surely shed no tears — as you stood by and were entertained as many of us lost ours — your propaganda machine in perpetual motion.
Kitty,
My failure began with my naivete in assuming that people who ran for school board were interested in the education of students and providing the best environment for teachers. I learned otherwise.
Give me the names of the best politicians in this state.
Your problem is that you think my expecting politicians to be honest and ethical is somehow a negative trait.
It’s not purist to be honest. It’s not absolutist to be ethical. Just because you are willing to lower the bar doesn’t mean I have to.
There are good politicians. I think Sanford is one. I think Mike Montgomery is one. But they are few and far between because the system is self-sustaining and geared toward spending other people’s money to ensure a lengthy career.
The solutions are simple but unattainable in the current structure. Term limits, flat tax rates, completely open government (including what should have been a no-brainer for Ms. Haley’s bill). All these things could help make an efficient fair government.
So now that Representatives Ballentine and Haley and now Doug Ross have proven their committment to make SC better…What Kitty have you done except to degrade those that have positive comments on this site and want to see a better SC.
Brad, what do you have to say this? The Speaker punished legislators for trying to get our votes on the record. If the press doesn’t shed light on this issue why would any legislator in the future ever fight for us if the press and the people don’t have their back?
Kitty is so tired of these boring men. Absolute. Unwavering. Stern. What great pirates you would have been.
I can only hope one of you has a peg leg…or at least an eye patch.
Otherwise…boring, and predictable…and so mediocre. South Carolina at its best? Hardly.
Boring…thread of BIN, nipper @ Sic Willie’s heels…Boring…thread of Kitty, Brad’s Ankle-Biter-Of-The-Day…Boring…the “drip” out here in Lexington calling a spade a spade.
Brad — you’re a spade. I said it. People will eventually believe it. That makes it so.
So Kitty can’t name a single politician worthy of his anonymous praise… why is that, Kitty? Cat got your tongue?
And finds the concepts of honesty and ethics and good stewardship in politics boring… which by itself speaks volumes.
Stern? Okay, if that’s what you want to call having some basic standards then I’ll go with it.
Just admit it, Kitty. You’d sell your soul for a little extra catnip.
Doug…how you project! And the conclusions you reach.
Has anyone seen doug and lee muller together?
Could it be…oh could it be.
purrrrrrr
Kitty, you’re logic is getting all twisted up now like the little ball of yarn that normally keeps you occupied.
Go back to the shelter and maybe some kind hearted old lady will take pity on your mangy self and take you home to live with the other 97 cats. It’ll be just like the SC legislature — a bunch of tomcats, inbreds, and howling at the moon.
Here, Kitty, kitty… all we want is one name of one politician who meets your low standards…
Doug,
All kidding aside, I place my faith not in man, but in God. Therefore I know that you, and Bobby Harrell and Mark Sanford and I will all fail. I can only live a faithful life, and do as much as I can to be a good citizen and faithful servant.
You assume that since I do not agree with you and your absolutist ideals that I must be a disciple of “the other side”. You are very wrong. I am a conservative person, but find that energetic, thoughtful and meaningful service means dealing in the realm of the possible, not the perfect.
You seem to revere the present governor. I voted for him twice. But if his goal was to better the lives of the average South Carolinian, he has failed. If it was to hold the line on the high cost of government, he has failed. However, if it was to make the General Assembly into bogeymen, then he has succeeded. If it was to project himself into the national scene, then he has succeeded.
Life is short and we must do what we can to make a different. Waiting till the world bows at ones feet in admiration is a waste of time. He absolutist may desire acceptance of his ideas, but frankly, the world does not work that way.
Good night, and best of luck.
The most disgusting thing about this blog is the snooty, ad hominen oneupmanship poots defecated by the adolescent smart
ass commentators who cluster jerk off ad nauseam their silly ideas.
The next is the length of these noxious belly rumbles.
i think some serious drinking is going on somnetimes.
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/dec/07/strengthen_roll_call_voting64269/
OK, folks. I saw we the beginnings of a respectable thread going here — measured by number of comments — and then I read it. Really, folks, come on…
Kitty, Doug is a made guy here on the blog. He’s proven his bona fides. He and I don’t agree about much, but what of it? He’s entitled not to be insulted.
And so are you — but of course, you’d be more entitled if you used your real, full name, as Doug does. Maybe you have a good reason not to use your name (or a good reason to YOU; I find most such reasons unpersuasive, but then I do get it that unlike me, most people are not paid to engage in controversy), but you should at least show respect to those who do. That’s the pecking order here on this blog. Yes, it’s a double standard, and intentionally so. If you use your real, full name, you get away with a lot more.
Anyway, the next pseudonymous poster who attacks the character of others here rather than discussing the issue at hand gets "unpublished." There are issues here that reasonable people want to discuss, so let’s do that rather than picking at each other like a bunch of kids in the back seat on a long drive. Don’t make me stop this car.
Oh, and here’s the link bill was trying to provide above. It’s to an editorial Sunday in the Charleston paper — Bobby Harrell’s hometown paper, I might add.