Have you seen this offensive nonsense?
Democratic chairman criticizes one of his own for endorsing a Republican
A Democratic state senator, who has endorsed an incumbent Republican state senator over his Democratic challenger, earned the wrath Monday of the state party’s chairman, Dick Harpootlian.
State Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Democrat, has endorsed state Sen. John Courson, a Republican, for re-election, The State newspaper reported Saturday. Jackson and Courson both represent Richland County, and Courson recently was elected the new leader of the Senate, largely on the support of Senate Democrats, including Jackson…
In an email Monday, Harpootlian urged Democrats to call Jackson’s office and “ask him to behave like the Democrat he claims to be.”
“I’m building a party here. It’s tough when, every time I put up a couple of bricks, one of my own party wants to take one down,” Harpootlian told The State…
Of course Sen. Jackson is supporting John Courson’s re-election. He and every other Democrat in the Senate just voted for him for Senate president pro tempore. You can’t be pro tem if you’re not a senator, so by implication, every Democrat just endorsed him as a senator.
They supported him over the partisan Republican option, Harvey Peeler, because Sen. Courson has served the Democrats of his Shandon district just as faithfully and ably as he has the (relatively few) Republicans. He has earned the trust of Sen. Jackson and his other Democratic colleagues.
Dick Harpootlian should butt out with his pointless partisanship. His attitude is what’s wrong with out politics today.
But I think voters should call Sen. Jackson’s office, as Dick suggests — and thank him for being a statesman.
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I thought Dick Harpootlian was a buddy of yours. He’s not going to like you talking about him like this.
If the good guys, Democrats, are to have any chance of defeating the vile and destructive evil GOP empire they need to stick together as a team. It’s unlikely that they can ever create a majority but if they could at least establish an effective counter to the corruption, cronyism and bad policies that are piled ever higher onto the citizens of South Carolina GOP incumbents must be oppossed. Dick is trying to do so but is being undercut by Mr. Jackson. And I’m sure Jackson and Courson are good friends but the point of governing is not to make friends but to make good law. Not sure that can happen with the GOP controlling such a large share of the vote.
Dick’s just doing his job, he’s wrong all the time but keeps on trying. In this case, he’s justified in his complaint because he has a duty to back the declared Democrat in the race.
Sen. Jackson is right, in that he is endorsing the person he feels is the better candidate in the race. I’m sure he’s benefited plenty though, over his career, from folks voting straight ticket in his elections.
There’s really not a wide gulf in this state between those with an (R) after their name, and those with a (D). They are all generally big government enthusiasts who enjoy cronyism and insider dealing at the expense of the S.C. taxpayer. They also usually run as “conservative”, even the ones with a (D) after their names.
Senators Courson and Jackson are both good men.
Harpootlian is wrong and this is a bad way to appeal to moderate Republicans, who the Ds should be trying to woo back.
bud, almost the entire Black Caucus didn’t mind voting with the Tea Party Republicans the first time around against the Amazon deal.(I still haven’t figured that one out.) I don’t remember Harpootlian calling anyone out then. So, I don’t know what his motivation is now.
“If the good guys, Democrats, are to have any chance of defeating the vile and destructive evil GOP empire they need to stick together as a team.”
That’s about as far as I made it in bud’s response. There’s just so much ignorance a person can read before stopping.
Meanwhile, here’s Robert Rikard’s view:
Darrell Jackson is one of the most decent people in the Senate, and has done good there. Harpootlian gave us Jim Hodges, which was more than enough damage for a decade or two.
@ martin
What “moderate Republicans”?
@ Kathryn – If a Republican spends money like the proverbial drunken sailor on shore leave AND tries to impose his religious values on everyone else wouldn’t he, on average, be moderate?
@ Brad – You are a newsmaker: Your April 2011 video interview with Dick “Homophobian” gets a mention in today’s Free Times City Watch column.
It’s Dick’s job to be partisan and he is expert at it. He is trying to energize his base. But his tactics are old-school. Part of the Dem base is now more moderate than 20 years ago, and includes people like me: independents with a Dem heart. I wish he would just tune down the rhetoric. Some of the people he is trying to rally are pretty disgusted with him. Case in point: I am NOT putting the new SCDP bumper sticker on my car, which says “SCDP: Ass kickin'” The graphic shows an ass kicking an elephant, but I feel more like it’s me who’s being kicked every time I look at it.
@Silence — thanks for bringing that column to our attention. I read it and herein wish to apologize for calling Dick Harpootlian evil, and intentionally misspelling his name HarPOUTlian for several years.
I don’t even KNOW Dick Harpootlian, but he must be a good Democrat. I hear there are some…
I do NOT want another governor in a skirt anytime soon. Especially a hoop skirt even if it IS only in private.
@Silence–Republicans only like to appear to be frugal with money–look at the statistics on the deficit–it expanded during Bush II and Reagan, and became a surplus under Clinton. The GOP gives money to its own (the wealthy, corporations, the military and military contractors) every bit as much as the Dems do–indeed, even more so.
Sounds like Dick is, unintentionally I’m sure, recruiting for the UnParty. Even at his ugliest, he has always been good theater. This however moves him into the Rush Limbaugh Camp Ridiculous realm.
@ Kathryn – Agreed. Like I said above, both parties in SC are pro-big government and would like to tell you how to run your life.
“Darrell Jackson is one of the most decent people in the Senate”
Especially when he’s dressed in his tax-exempt, church-provided suits and driving that tax-exempt, church-owned Mercedes sedan. Does he own his house or is that also church owned?