Hat-tip: Sorenkay on Twitter. For those arriving late at this bizarre story, my thumbnail synopsis at The American Spectator:
Republican politics in South Carolina has been a rough sport since the era of the legendary Lee Atwater, but the dirty games have descended to a new low in the past 10 days.
On May 24, GOP consultant/blogger Will Folks claimed that he had an “inappropriate” relationship in 2007 with Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, who had surged to the front of the four-candidate primary field after being endorsed by Sarah Palin.
Folks was unable to substantiate his accusation, which seemed likely to fade away until Wednesday when — mere hours before the final televised debate leading into next Tuesday’s primary — a campaign staffer for one of Haley’s GOP rivals claimed that he had a one-night stand with Haley in 2008.
Larry Marchant, the latest accuser, is a consultant and lobbyist who was reportedly asked to resign Wednesday from the campaign of Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know: (a) Haley’s mentor, Gov. Mark Sanford, escaped impeachment after admitting an affair with an Argentine woman, and (b) after Bauer called for Sanford’s impeachment, Bauer was accused of being gay.
This story has more twists than a package of Ramen noodles.
UPDATE: Ace of Spades is in rare form:
If there were any honor left in South Carolina politics, the bloody corpses of GOP campaign consultants would be stacked up like cordwood by now.
UPDATE II: Because there’s so much honor down there, y’know?
An adviser to the Barrett campaign, which has been accused of shopping the affair rumors about Haley, sent a story about the new allegation to reporters shortly after the news broke Wednesday.
Yeah. Honor.
UPDATE III: This video clip highlights the deer-in-the-headlights expression on Bauer’s face after Nikki called him out:
Like Moe Lane says, it was a televised evisceration.
UPDATE IV: Feeling pretty well vindicated for having pointed the finger at Bauer, Erick Erickson says:
Thus we see Andre Bauer’s entire campaign strategy — ignore the issues, ignore the experience, and go straight to calling Nikki Haley a whore. I really and truly hope South Carolina voters will not reward the man for something so disgusting.
Let’s hope not.
UPDATE V: Finally, a Memeorandum thread. And Gail Collins of the New York Times makes a point when she say Lt. Gov. Bauer “is pretty much a walking explanation for why Governor Sanford was never tossed out of office.”
Wow! Bauer looked like he forgot where he was there at first. Brutal.
Wow! Bauer looked like he forgot where he was there at first. Brutal.
I’m not seeing the “Oh, shit” but it doesn’t matter. I think his political ended tonight.
I’m not seeing the “Oh, shit” but it doesn’t matter. I think his political ended tonight.
[…] See also Hot Air and Ace of Spades. [And here's some useful AmSpec background.] [And check out the quickly-remixed video here.] […]
If I’m not mistaken, you can actually see the black feathers around his mouth where he just got a fistful of crow stuffed into his yap.
If I’m not mistaken, you can actually see the black feathers around his mouth where he just got a fistful of crow stuffed into his yap.
Will Folks, Champagne Dream, and Larry Marchant should go on tour together.
Will Folks, Champagne Dream, and Larry Marchant should go on tour together.
Champagne Dream — don’t get that started! I had to shut down comments on that thread.
Champagne Dream — don’t get that started! I had to shut down comments on that thread.
[…] first reason is that the subject is already being superbly covered by Red State, Robert Stacy McCain and Ace. I applaud their coverage of this story and their defense of […]
It’s the panicked reaction of the corrupt Old Boy network which leaches off the citizenry of SC through both parties. Shealy, Marchant, Bauer, and the rest are deeply entrenched with that group, and neither McMaster or Barrett would rock that boat – in previous debates they have underlined their more “cooperative approach” with the legislature – read that: “roll over and let the spending and corruption party continue”.
Haley represents the nascent reform movement in SC, which Sanford basically founded. Responsible spending, lower taxes, eliminating pork, planning for recessions during the boom years – all these ideas represent a strong threat to the Powers That Be and, finally being able to see the end of the Sanford years of resistance, they aren’t going to take it lying down. Haley MUST be destroyed, they know, or such dangerous ideas might gain traction with the public.
~~~~~~~~
Stacy ~ You can shut down the Champagne Dream thread, but you cannot kill the music. Wherever a walking bridge sways, she’ll be there. Whenever a cop tells a guy to turn down “Sweet Home Alabama” on his car stereo, she’ll be there. Where there are casting couches and stripper poles, she’ll be there. Wherever producers need to pop their corks, she’ll be there.
It’s the panicked reaction of the corrupt Old Boy network which leaches off the citizenry of SC through both parties. Shealy, Marchant, Bauer, and the rest are deeply entrenched with that group, and neither McMaster or Barrett would rock that boat – in previous debates they have underlined their more “cooperative approach” with the legislature – read that: “roll over and let the spending and corruption party continue”.
Haley represents the nascent reform movement in SC, which Sanford basically founded. Responsible spending, lower taxes, eliminating pork, planning for recessions during the boom years – all these ideas represent a strong threat to the Powers That Be and, finally being able to see the end of the Sanford years of resistance, they aren’t going to take it lying down. Haley MUST be destroyed, they know, or such dangerous ideas might gain traction with the public.
~~~~~~~~
Stacy ~ You can shut down the Champagne Dream thread, but you cannot kill the music. Wherever a walking bridge sways, she’ll be there. Whenever a cop tells a guy to turn down “Sweet Home Alabama” on his car stereo, she’ll be there. Where there are casting couches and stripper poles, she’ll be there. Wherever producers need to pop their corks, she’ll be there.
I understand. That second thread (with 279 comments) was even worse than the first.
Where there are constipated elephant seals yodeling into dumpsters, she’ll be there.
I understand. That second thread (with 279 comments) was even worse than the first.
Where there are constipated elephant seals yodeling into dumpsters, she’ll be there.
If you want to try to determine if someone is lying, watch their mouths. Many people can lie looking you right in the eye, but they can’t help but have their mouths twitch or lick their lips more often than usual.
If you want to try to determine if someone is lying, watch their mouths. Many people can lie looking you right in the eye, but they can’t help but have their mouths twitch or lick their lips more often than usual.
Andre drives too fast and thinks too slow.
Andre drives too fast and thinks too slow.
God..I’d love it if the pols out here in California had to appear on shows like that instead of Letterman and the Tonight Show.
God..I’d love it if the pols out here in California had to appear on shows like that instead of Letterman and the Tonight Show.
[…] That said, it does look like there’s the possibility it could be a smear. […]
How many MORE people can they drag out before June 8th to say they had an affair with her? :^(
I think Haley handled her response very well.
How many MORE people can they drag out before June 8th to say they had an affair with her? :^(
I think Haley handled her response very well.
[…] on Andre Bauer from Stacy McCain; Gail Collins of the New York Times makes a point when she say Lt. Gov. Bauer “is pretty much a […]
I criticized Rich Lowry for slaming McMahon in Connecticut. Not that I am thrilled about her being the GOP nominee, but because I am less thrilled with her losing to Rosenthal. Lowry is apparently trying to be the wrong kind of Buckley over there at NRO.
Which leads me back to South Carolina. It is stuff like Lowry in New York, Michael Steele’s less than stelar leadership, and what is going on in South Carolina that makes me worry about the GOP’s ability to win elections. We seem to have this self destructive tendency.
Why is that?
I criticized Rich Lowry for slaming McMahon in Connecticut. Not that I am thrilled about her being the GOP nominee, but because I am less thrilled with her losing to Rosenthal. Lowry is apparently trying to be the wrong kind of Buckley over there at NRO.
Which leads me back to South Carolina. It is stuff like Lowry in New York, Michael Steele’s less than stelar leadership, and what is going on in South Carolina that makes me worry about the GOP’s ability to win elections. We seem to have this self destructive tendency.
Why is that?
If you are running for office in the South you don’t accuse your opponent of having an affair, and you don’t allow your staff to accuse your opponent of having an affair. If you staff makes the mistake of doing so, you fire them immediately and apologize to the injured party.
You can’t slide off with “I have no comment” and then act like you want to talk about the issues. You do what you can to make it right. In his weak response Bauer does not carry himself as a man, and if you are going to win in the South and not be a man, you sure as hell better be a woman.
If you are running for office in the South you don’t accuse your opponent of having an affair, and you don’t allow your staff to accuse your opponent of having an affair. If you staff makes the mistake of doing so, you fire them immediately and apologize to the injured party.
You can’t slide off with “I have no comment” and then act like you want to talk about the issues. You do what you can to make it right. In his weak response Bauer does not carry himself as a man, and if you are going to win in the South and not be a man, you sure as hell better be a woman.
Felt like washing my hands after listening to this dude Bauer.
Charlie Crist gives the same effect.
Felt like washing my hands after listening to this dude Bauer.
Charlie Crist gives the same effect.
[…] candidate for SC governor, gets the Palin treatment* in spades. First, they said she’d had numerous affairs. Then they questioned her heritage and religion, calling her a ‘raghead’ and a closet […]
Its your site and you can do what you want to with it. But, many of us wish you had not shut down the thread on Champagne Dream. You will see when Blaze Records goes down.
He lures young women to his site, convincing them they can sing. As you saw, they cannot sing. Others besides you have posted that awful hideous video.
He is a stalker and harasses people online who expose him. You gave them a voice to expose him.
Admittedly it got carried away with the language and etc, but it was a way for those who had been ripped off and scammed to get it out.
Its your site and you can do what you want to with it. But, many of us wish you had not shut down the thread on Champagne Dream. You will see when Blaze Records goes down.
He lures young women to his site, convincing them they can sing. As you saw, they cannot sing. Others besides you have posted that awful hideous video.
He is a stalker and harasses people online who expose him. You gave them a voice to expose him.
Admittedly it got carried away with the language and etc, but it was a way for those who had been ripped off and scammed to get it out.