Well, this is ironic…
When I was typing this post back here about how Nikki Haley is trying to compensate for the fact that the Chamber backs Vincent Sheheen, I got a call from Henry McMaster. Actually, first I got an e-mail from Trey Walker asking for my phone number, then I got a call from Henry.
What was Henry calling about? Well, let me back up a day…
At the end of Monday’s Columbia Rotary Club meeting, I ran into Henry (he and I are both members) on my way toward the door. It was the first time I had run into him since he lost the primary, and we chatted for a minute about that. He said something about wishing he could roll time back a couple of months, which prompted me to ask him what he would do differently, to which he responded that there really wasn’t anything he could have done to achieve a different result. Too much tumbled Nikki’s way in quick succession — the ReformSC ad, the Sarah Palin endorsement, the wave of sympathy arising from the Will Folks stuff — not to mention having Jenny Sanford out there working for her.
I sensed that Henry was, at least in spirit, not entirely thrilled with his new role as supporter of the GOP nominee. But he’s a good soldier, and he quickly roused himself to do his duty. As I was about to walk away and Crawford Clarkson was approaching, he grabbed my arm and said hey, he wanted to invite me and Crawford to a special meeting on Thursday at noon at the Wilbur Smith building.
He said it was a chance for business people to get answers to the questions they have about Nikki Haley. Nikki will be there to answer them. “And you’re a business man now, right?” he said to me. You betcha, I said.
Questions? At the Wilbur Smith building? Questions like, what did Nikki do for Wilbur Smith for that 40 grand, aside from having “good contacts”? Well… actually, all sorts of questions, Henry said, such as about her position on this bill or that one… I didn’t press him further, because I figured I’d find out Thursday, right?
And the best part? Henry said the media wasn’t being invited. So as a business guy, I’d have a scoop. Nice being a businessman, huh?
That was yesterday.
Today, Henry called me rather flustered. He said it was a “totally closed, no-press event.” That meant somebody like me, who would turn around and write about it (and I would, too), was NOT invited. “They’re right emphatic about it,” he said.
He told me how embarrassed he was, and I knew he was. I thanked him for calling — after asking if our former Rotary president, and president of ADCO, Lanier Jones could go instead of me. Lanier’s a businessman, and he doesn’t blog.
Henry said the meeting was getting really crowded, and he didn’t know, but he’d check.
I feel bad for Henry.
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No press events! Sounds like Palin.
The media *weren’t* being invited.
tsk tsk
Unless he/you meant to say the medium wasn’t being invited. Are we down to one yet?
Why would they invite you after all the crap you’ve written about her already?
“No press events! Sounds like Palin.”
She’s done 3 local interviews within the past week…
Hmmmmmmm… so much for “transparency.”
Hum. So much for transparency. Seems like the more you read about Nikki the more she sounds like just another good ole gal politician. Fits in well here in SC.
Secret meetings with corporate types? Cheney redux.
Would love to know what insightful and inspiring political observations SP made in her last 3 local interviews – presume she can still see Russia from her house. I’m sure she demanded cash for her time – a real return for the 1/2 term Gov. Wonder how many “consulting fees” she’s earned for her contacts in Wasilla.
No press? This meeting should be broadcast live on TV and radio, so we can see and hear Ms. Transparency interact with business leaders. This should be an open business forum. What a joke. This how she’s going to govern?
Poor Henry, indeed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Haley is a no-show for the meeting, and Henry has to put on a wig and a blue dress and field questions.
(Would probably be a more productive meeting, though.)