S.C. DRAMA: LEE BRIGHT ATTACKS TOM DAVIS OVER NULLIFICATION ISSUE
South Carolina State Senators Lee Bright and Tom Davis both have stellar pro-taxpayer, pro-free market voting records. Both have championed long overdue major reforms – tax relief, expanded parental choice, meaningful spending reductions, etc. – and both have been on the front lines when it comes to fighting against federal overreach in state government.
Davis obviously runs laps around Bright intellectually – and lacks Bright’s hyper-inflated sense of self-importance – but at the end of the day all that matters to us is how each lawmaker votes. So while Davis is a thoughtful policy expert devoted to reasoned debate (and Bright is a pandering moron devoted to lowest common denominator exploitation) … we have endorsed both as genuine pro-liberty, pro-prosperity legislators.
The two also have generally worked together on issues … supporting one another’s legislation and campaign efforts.
At least until now.
In the latest example of the war within the South Carolina Tea Party over the issue of nullifying Obamacare, Bright has reportedly launched a vicious behind-the-scenes attack against Davis over the latter’s introduction of an “anti-commandeering” amendment to the S.C. General Assembly’s so-called “nullification” bill.
According to our sources, Bright is telling anyone who will listen to him (a small but robust audience) that Davis is a “traitor” and a “sellout” for failing to support a true nullification bill.
Wait … what?
As FITS has documented repeatedly in numerous previous posts (most expansively HERE), the legislation currently moving before the S.C. General Assembly is NOT nullification. Not even close.
What is it? It’s a debate over whether to include a non-binding declaration asserting South Carolina’s right to nullify into the preamble of a bill that doesn’t actually nullify anything. Oh … it’s also the latest example of special interest whoring orchestrated by bought-and-paid for political operatives (including one operative who enjoys buying in private that which he rails against in public).
Par for the Palmetto political discourse, in other words …
Anyway, Bright’s moves against Davis are said to include an article ginned up for the latest editions of the New American – the official publication of The John Birch Society. According to its story, Davis has been influenced by pro-Obamacare protesters at the S.C. State House into softening his position on nullification.
Davis’ anti-commandeering proposal “isn’t as perfect or powerful” as nullification, the publication states – leading its author to conclude Davis “doesn’t have as firm a grasp on federalism as one would hope.”
Really? Then why is The Federalist Society (along with Americans for Limited Government, The Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation) opposing this nonsensical exercise?
Davis is correct to focus his efforts on the real battle – South Carolina’s insanely reckless Medicaid expansion, which Gov. Nikki Haley has put on steroids.
So … what’s really driving Bright’s animus?
(And yes, we’ll pause while Bright goes and looks that word up in the dictionary).
According to our sources, he’s angry because Davis has not endorsed his U.S. Senate campaign against incumbent liberal Lindsey Graham.
“Tom Davis promised Senator Bright an endorsement,” one Bright supporter told us. “His refusal to offer it now is another betrayal – one the Senator won’t soon forget.”
Really? Maybe Davis thought better of backing Bright after it became clear the latter’s finances were a total disaster? Or when other, more credible opponents entered the race?
Either way … Bright’s assault on Davis is the latest example of a troubling trend within the limited government movement in South Carolina (such as it is). Rather than working together to advance specific reforms, leaders of this movement are constantly at each other’s throats – engaging in the same petty, manipulative intrigues as the status quo “Republicans” and Democrats they love to criticize.
The GOP-Democratic establishment empire – which controls 95 percent of South Carolina’s legislative seats, 100 percent of its judicial branch and all but one statewide office – can obviously accommodate such internal strife.
The nascent rebellion cannot …
79 comments
South Carolina State Senators Lee Bright and Tom Davis both have stellar pro-taxpayer, pro-free market voting records.
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no isn’t a hard vote… but it isn’t leadership, nor is it wise.
A no vote is a good vote when all you have to vote yes for is garbage.
They don’t vote no for a reason. If they did, then it would be different. They’re morons.
What do you care? You live in Texas.
Are you serious? You guys bring your shit to congress.
And Texas doesn’t?
yeah, we do [hanging head, scruffing shoes in the dirt] we definitely do. I’m doing what I can here too… it’s like emptying the ocean with a coke spoon, though.
Hahahah,…This F*#kinng idiot is in Texas???…Hahahhaha…The idiot democrats are getting thieir @$$#$ kicked in Texas worse than SC….Hahahaha…What a F*#king Dumb@$$…hahahahaha…
Are you just a Glutton for ridicule????…Nothing funnier than liberals failing…you really become unhinged…Hahahaha…No freakin’ wonder you make such a fool of yourself….LMAO….
Between the two of them they may have enough gray matter to say they have a brain.
You are generous to a fault.
Like Tom Davis’ policies or not, he’s a bright guy. Well read, knows his foundational stuff.
Alistair Crowley said the same about himself.
Come on, bro! Alistair Crowley?! Besides, I didn’t say that Davis said these things about himself. I said it, based upon my several meetings with him, discussions of various readings, etc. I don’t agree with all of his stuff (who agrees with anyone 100% of the time, anyway?), but he’s a bright guy.
I don’t agree with all of his stuff
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[skinny eyes]
Fo reeldo! Fo example- if he was my Senator I would kick his ass for the Toal vote (my guy voted right).
it used to be in America the way you got ahead was get a good idea, save your money, work hard, and then reap the benefits of your hard work. Now the very first thing you do is hire a lobbyist, go upstairs, and try to get a break in the tax code that gives you a leg up on your competition. That’s not fair. And that undermines people’s confidence in their government, and that has to stop.
We have to attack the corporate welfare.
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How… oh how are we going to end corporate tax credits? Davis’ solution: After winding around in doofus rhetoric, he ends with “reduce corporate taxes.” – yup, that’s *just* what SC needs. Throw gasoline on the corruption fire.
It’s like mentioning abortion, and ending with ‘reduce corporate taxes’ as a solution.
Reduce taxes across the board. It’s the “free market” solution.
How subtle.
I can see the unseen!
If he identifies with the tea party…. ’nuff said.
Now that’s just silly. Of course the Tea Party proper is full of kooks, but can you really say that you disagree with all of their positions? I have little tolerance for much of their madness, but I can admit that a few of their positions regarding Constitutional issues are correct. Davis isn’t in lock step with them either. Try not to be a Kool-Aid drinker!
So, if I don’t agree with you I’m a kool-Aid drinker. Typical, sad to say.
No, when people make gross, sweeping characterizations they appear to be sipping the Kool-Aid. That’s what’s sad.
Well said, if he identifies with teabaggers, how bright can he be? and if he truly is “well read”, then he must be reading ted cruz’ (not capitalized as a sign of disrespect) books or other teabagger nonsense.
I will have you know that carpetbagger Davis has 100 times the intelligence of not so Bright. Of course Bright has zero. I will let you do the math.
This has nothing to do with the Tea Party. This is Leatherman letting the Tea Party waste time. He wants them to talk till the end of the seesion then he buys their cooperation with the taxpayers loot. So keep talking, right wingers. You are letting the crooks still our money by doing so, and I don’t think you care.
The robber-barons have it all figured out. let the masses talk about nullification while we loot the treasury. It has been working for a long, long time!
If you’ve read what I tell you, this is not news.
I’ve said this for a while. Liberal-Tarains are trying to co-opt the Tea Party.
Davis, like FITS and Sanford, is a Liberal-Tarian, who is bent on Graham-McCain-like Triangulation…..Bright is camping w/ the Tea Party. They are fresh, rabidly activist and sick of the Lies and Filth like Obama….
God, shut the fuck up! Haley was all about Wal-Mart and not Amazon. Speaking of Wal-Mart…
Question: were you born yesterday, or are you just stupid?
[loudspeaker interrupts] “Damned Tango! Damned Tango! Cleanup on TBG #3!
“TBG #3 (like Elvis) has left the building.”
You can’t leave! I turned you into Aisle 3!
Where are those 4,000 Wal-Mart jobs?? …by 2016?? …why the wait? Bullshit!
Libertarians, specifically Ron Paul supporters, started the Tea Party. It’s the establishment types that have been co-opting it.
[Metaphorically] Suck on that!
That’s total bull$#!t …..on the level of the Obama kooks…who claim he’s doing a good job.
If only the tea party was 1/16 as smart as Ron Paul.
Don’t forget, there’s nothing more that GrandTango loves than backing those very establishment co-opters.
backing
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Is that gay argot?
TBG – felt the need to be careful with the last statement? You must have one vivid imagination.
Can we just get rid of both of them?
I they are “at each other’s throats”, I wish them both complete success.
“Really? Then why is The Federalist Society (along with Americans for Limited Government, The Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation)”
Maybe because two of those groups are related(Cato & AFLG) and all of them are statist ass sniffers?
Did you just call Nancy Mace a credible candidate? Any chance this is another one of those articles she’s been paying you to print since her candidacy is going nowhere?
That’s like two guys in middle school having a small pecker contest after gym.
The Special Olympics of politics.
Hate Special Needs kids much???…
Typical liberal…use them to feed your greed, then ridicule as insults….
Strike a nerve, Short Bus?
I just know the parents of a special needs child, and I’d pay $100 to see some low-rent piece of $#!* liberal like you, try to impugn their child. Real people don’t take S#!* off cushy-little, cul-d-sac punk-yuppies, like you…who are bored and looking for a cause…
I just know the parents of a special needs child
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both of them? Even your dad?
I’d pay $100 to see some low-rent piece of $#!* liberal like you, try to impugn their child
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So you would *pay* to see him humiliated? Wow! You’re sick.
Where the fuck did you find $100, Will. Did Howie fly into town for a quickie? Did that include a bonus for adhering to his “no spit” rule?
You aren’t even a real person, Damned Tango.. didn’t anyone tell you that you’re a sock puppet? Besides, it’s my version of a dick sucking analogy – think of it as a recent schism in your dick sucking analogy sect.
Embarrassed (ashamed) much?…don’t blame you…you should be…
Like I said… I’ve taken a lesson from the Republicans. I’m preserving my conscience so that it will be in pristine condition if I ever need it.
Guess we know who won the contest.
You Senate candidate was Alvin Greene, you F*#king idiot….Wasn’t he some sort of molester???…LMAO….And he’s actually smarter that most of you dumb@$$#$….Hahahaha…
Civil War in the Tea Party. Isn’t that like two retards getting in a wrestling match after school?
lining up in front of each other’s machine gun nests, and marching directly into the gunfire like *men* instead of taking cover or using tactics like *cowards*!
Wow is this a porno about how fits loves to give Davis Blowjobs or what?
Are you speaking metaphorically?
I wonder if anyone will be turned gay by all these dick sucking metaphors.
“whoring orchestrated by bought-and-paid for political operatives.”
Hey, stop your jabbering and consider the above statement coming from Will…
PLEASE. How much does Howie Rich or the Koch Brothers or Lucifer or whothefukever pay you, sir?
This is like a mouse having a big dick contest with a gerbil…
what happened to the avatar geddings
Dunno, I was prompted to go through the sign in process through facebook, etc. and didn’t want to go through that so I clicked the box what say “rather post as guest.”
LOL! These are the things that tickle me the most about you! Blowing up bridges in the morning, melting through steel bars with plasma at noon, and struggling with passwords at night.
I got a nice situation on disqus… I signed in through google, and answered all the right questions… now all I have to do when it fucks with me is click the big round G. I don’t have to type in shit.
“How much does Howie Rich or the Koch Brothers or Lucifer or whothefukever pay you, sir?”
How much is in your bank account?
oh, I get it… it’s a secret.
Spoken like a true sociopath, Willie Boy…
oops, didn’t mean to give meself an up vote…
I didn’t know you could. It looks like you can, but if you come back, you see it didn’t take… unless you’re using tor and choose a different name.
I noticed that three people are shooting and one of them is looking at a ground hog.
He is wondering how men peed back when here were no zippers.
Two tea party candidates quixotically tilting at the windmill of nullification. What a waste of time. I get it that some of my fellow South Carolinians believe that this is important and possible, but how can any serious senatorial candidate expect to persuade the majority of voters to reject Graham over this issue?
Current polls have Graham with a 37 point lead.
Polls show that 2% of them are ambiguously gay.
As long as they vote, Sugarbritches won’t care. He will SPANK (figuratively speaking, of course) Mace, Bright, Ravenel, et al.
Tom Davis voted for Jean Toal for no reason he can articulate. I’m through with him. He’s afflicted with the insider, give me a vote for my favorite bill and I’m vote for your crooked judge disease. Go back where ever you came from, Tom.
Bright is a non-issue, nobody.
He also Tweeted a picture of his daughter with Sanford’s mistress…strange on so many levels.
But, he was never covering up for Sanford’s line-crossing, not Tom Davis.
GrandTango, you said nobody would like me. Well, you’re wrong. I’ve got 12 likes on this thread alone. Happy for me?
This article is bullshit…
Is a tea party war like a thumb war? Bright is an idiot.