Columbia, SC – House Democratic Leader Todd Rutherford called on SC Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom to apologize for his inflammatory comments regarding SC State University on Wednesday. Eckstrom was quoted in the Budget and Control Board Meeting saying, “these are kids that are going there (SC State) because they can’t get into these other schools.” He also commented that we shouldn’t call SC State a historically black college because we don’t call other schools historically white colleges.
House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford released the following statement in response to Eckstrom’s comments.
“Richard Eckstrom should immediately apologize to the students and alumni of South Carolina State University for his uninformed, ignorant, and embarrassing statements earlier today. Those comments demonstrated a severe lack of understanding of our only public, historically black college in South Carolina.
As a result of his callous remarks, Mr. Eckstrom has insulted the names of prominent SC State alumni such as Congressman Jim Clyburn, General Abraham Turner, Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ernest Finney, Judge Matthew Perry, and the first African-American woman elected to the South Carolina legislature Juanita Goggins.
It seems as though Republicans can’t get through one week without making an offensive comment directed at African-Americans. I also call on the Republican leaders of South Carolina to condemn Mr. Eckstrom’s remarks to show that this kind of ignorance has no place in our political discourse.”
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38 comments
The truth hurts.
All the schools in SC should look down the road at Claflin. Well run, well respected – and mostly black.
Richard Eckstrom has been a hypocrite and an embarrassment since i new him in Greenville several decades back. How he has managed to stay in office is a mystery to me.
He was screwing a married employee when he was State Treasurer. He took a state van on personal vacation to Canada. He took a girlfriend to Florida on his political donations. And you are surprised at what??
Was there… and prompted by the Treasurer, he did backtrack and I believe apologize (though Lord knows it would have been difficult to have heard him over the gasps/moans/mumbling associated with his comment). He also said that SC State was cheaper than the other state colleges, thus allowing those who couldn’t afford other higher ed. avenues to attend. This was also deemed to be incorrect, to which he had to also backtrack. Anyway, this issue is just typical Democrat race-baiting nonsense because, whether one likes/dislikes the CG, his comments were clearly of an innocent gaffe nature. And ironically, this gaffe was made during a time in which he was actually defending the purpose/mission of SC State and trying to pursuade other B&CB Board members to vote for a less draconian accountability plan – vs. the one proposed by Gov. Haley – that was being proposed by Sen. Leathermen to deal with SC State’s $13M shortfall. Seriously, I guess this charge of racism is the thanks one gets for innocently misstating an unpleasant fact while seeking to help out a black organization. And again, let me be clear, I’m nether a fan (nor enemy) of the CG.
I was wondering which one of the Republican candidates would be “taken out of context,””backtrack,” or “apologize” on a racial faux pas this election season.i figured it would come a little later in the cycle,but oh well we didnt have to wait .Got it out of the way early.
The next guessing game?Which one will have to “apologize” for a racially inflammatory e mail?
They just cant help themselves.
Ah, thanks for the response you all knowing grand pooh-bah of racial guilt and sensitivity. So tell me, are you insinuating that the CG’s comments were “racially inflammatory”? And if so, if he’d been saying that Lander was easier to get into (than other state colleges), would you also consider that “racially inflammatory”? And also, do you think that SC State is a difficult college to get into? And if you say “yes”, I’d ask if you are comfortable with lying to yourself? And if you say “no”, I’d ask if this truth that you are admitting to makes you internally “racially inflammatory” and a “racist”? Of course I’ll wait for your responses to these questions.
In parting, I’d ask you when exactly did “racially inflammatory” go from shouting n-word epithets by klan members on Saturday evenings in small town America to an elected official publicly and truthfully confronting an undeniable fact of a college – whatever its racial makeup – having an easier admission standard and a dismal record of accountability? Sadly, the more I learn, the more I recognize that the goal of much of the civil rights movement was not to mitigate the real racists within our midst; rather, that the goal was to (ironically) gain economic advantages through racial preferences. People such as yourself who perpetually cry about the racial wolves within our society just confirm my point.
And now we hear from the SC Republican Partys “Outreach” Committee.Preach on Brother !Preach on!
Re Elect Eckstrom!Conservative Family Values!
Gin up the black vote for the midterms with your Democrap-contrived racial animosity, my brother, gin it up… still won’t matter… your party is going to get it’s ass handed to it later this year; and, when the House and Senate is GOP-controlled, the watergates that are Benghazi and the IRS targeting scheme will be coming to an impeachment court near you… So why don’t you preach on my bro, because seriously, no one gives a sh!t.
Yes Impeachment.Hahahahahahaah!
No amount of ginning up the black vote will help dems when good ole boys pass laws preventing them from being able to vote in the first place.
Besides, all you lot need to do is throw out the words “abortion”, “prayer in school”, “evolution”, “guns”, “Obamacare” and you’ll draw out the rednecks in droves.
Care to elaborate on the laws that good old boys are passing in order to prevent blacks from voting?! Are you insinuating voter ID laws?
Because if you are, then I can only deduce that you must think that blacks are too stupid to get a photo ID in order to vote. And since that must be your contention, then I also have no choice than to deduce that you are a white supremacist and racist.
Wow, you sound like you could own the LA Clippers or something.
Indeed I’m referring to the so called “voter ID” laws (a.k.a. the “GOP is vastly unpopular with minorities and will never win their votes so let’s disenfranchise our own fellow American citizens’ constitutional right to vote”…law). Which by the way…how’s about citing all those millions of cases of voter ID fraud that warranted these in the first place….[cue the cricket sounds].
Anyhoo, I like the new neo-con. tactic of double reverse racism whereby a real racist (you) accuses a non-racist (me) of being a racist b/c the non-racist supports policies and law that benefit minorities who have a demonstrated history (AND CURRENT HISTORY) of systemic racial bias in the law, the courts, the workplace, the military, banks, politics, healthcare, education…ad nauseum….while the racist all the time conveniently ignores these facts and chooses to promulgate white victim hood or some such while pointing fingers at the non-racist (who by the way never said blacks were too stupid to get a photo ID…the racist [you] did). Nice try.
Not a “nice try” at all, just basic reality, you are a racist, plain and simple. Why?: because you believe that blacks are inferior and incapable of simply getting a photo ID, or succeeding in schools/businesses without affirmative action, or, making it in the American economy without your patronizing support. Actually, all of that kind of make you sound like a plantation owner.. “lawdy, lawdy, Missuh Limbaughsaphatkhunt, whats fields dos we be needs to bes plowing next?”… you f’ing idiot, your views of black people are despicable, racist, and just so outdated… history is on the side of people like me, not patronizing white losers like you.
I stand by my comments. The only bigot I see here is you.
You’re also a coward for trying to hide behind a cockamamie line of argument instead of coming right out and being proud to declare and state publicly your racism and contempt for black people. Shit, Clive Bundy is more of a man that you are.
So now you’re a Clive Bundy guy… you are so twisted and a sad little wormy racist and bigot…
It was also the head of SC State that told his professors to pass students based on “effort” not how well they did in class. You know, I didn’t hear one black person complain about that. That statement alone diminished the validity of all SC State diplomas, even for those that worked very hard and EARNED their diplomas.
Wonder if Cockroach Rutherford will make a call to the righteous Reverend Samuel Gregory down in Jasper County and admonish him for his comments
If the brothas can be racist with impunity, then why not the bubbas
Ball is in your court Cockroach Rutherford, same rule for all players or shut the fuck up and go sit on the bench
Fucking Cockroach
Didn’t Rutherford viscously attack a woman opposed to multiple Drunk-Driving Killers???…because he wants to make more money defending would-be drunk-driver killers in court???
If you ignored Rutherford on that one, FITS…you need to STFU, now….
Ecky_Eckstrom. How could anyone be surprised at this?
I could not get a seat so I was standing in the doorway. I heard him say it and thought I misheard him. The black man I was next to tensed up, stood still, then lowered his head. He was an alumni and I think he felt assaulted. He never said anything to me but I could see he was shaken by the Comptroller”s stupid comments.
Eckstom should apologize at the least, resign at the best.
Tis is one of the dumbest things I have heard said by an “educated man’ in a long time. Makes me ill.
Well if anyone knows “ignorant statements” it’d be Todd Rutherford.
Tell me, does the general step on his own sexual organ often?
Only when it is not in Payne
“He also commented that we shouldn’t call SC State a historically black college because we don’t call other schools historically white colleges.”
You know, in the contorted PC world we now live in he’s right for those PC concerned.
He’s still a diseased douchebag though.
Rutherford is a cockroach. Eckstrom is a bacterium that hangs on the underside of a cockroach’s ass. How worthless.
Playbook by SC State supporters:
1) Attack a state-level politician for an ill-advised comment, even as said politician makes a well intentioned effort to save the school. Act like those comments are somehow keeping SC State from succeeding.
2) Ignore blatant corruption, documented criminal activity, and atrocious bookkeeping by school’s leaders that actually caused its current mess.
Mr. Eckstrom’s comments can not be explained away. It is embarrassing for anyone, and for a GOP state wide official to say such a thing is beyond belief.
Eckstom is a disgrace and unfit for office.
SC State’s current president Thomas Elzey said he was not offended by Eckstrom’s comment (http://www.wistv.com/story/25393723/sc-black-caucus-eckstrom-needs-to-apologize-for-sc-state-comments).
This is an effort to distract the public by getting people mad at Eckstrom in hopes they ignore the real culprits in the school’s troubles.
I am no fan of Eeeeeckstrom, but I read Elzey’s comments at WIS yesterday, too. Apparently the conversation was about SCSU having more low income, financial aid dependent students than other schools…at least, that’s how Elzey – who was there – took it.
Eeeeeckstrom was certainly crude in how he tried to make his point. But, what can you expect from such a common, trashy man. Besides, he’s got Hotpants Kelly Payne on the brain.
Ahhhhhh…..I smell the fresh Folger’s Crystals of the first race baitin’ piece of the day from Fits.
Gotta throw some red meat to the lions on occasion I suppose.
Look what was left on Icky Eckstrom’s messy plate:
The skin and bones of SC State.
But ignorant racism won’t embarass Icky–
Whose love life leaves more than bed sheets sticky.
And if you think his talking’s trash,
Take pity on those to whom he gave a rash.
I don’t know who kicked Todd Rutherford in the ass in the past couple of years, but he has matured, is acting responsibly and working very hard to get people to grow up and get along. He wisely voted against Jean Toal when he knew it could hurt him politically and professionally, he is returning phone calls and actively listening to his constituents. He has quietly been working behind the scenes to make SCSU accountable.
Thanks, Todd.
Ekstrom, go away.
He should be forced to sell the Clippers!! Oh, wrong story, whoops, sorry.
It definitely is easier to get into SC State than Clemson or Carolina, as well as several other schools. That cannot be denied. Is it cheaper? don’t know.
Would that statement be true and would Rutherford have an issue if he’d have said it about Bennedict College? I know the answer to the first part of this question.
Is SC State a quality school or not? (Hell if I know). If it’s not, then is there any reason to believe that throwing more money at it will help it become a quality school? If not, then let damn thing sink under its own weight.