“SENATE SHUFFLE” UNDERWAY AS LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SEEK TO AVOID BECOMING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
On the campaign trail, a trio of “Republicans” are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to become lieutenant governor of South Carolina.
Inside the S.C. State House, though, nobody wants the job …
S.C. Senate President John Courson resigned his influential leadership post this week – all to avoid “ascending” to the part-time, mostly ceremonial position of lieutenant governor. The latter office is about to become vacant due to the resignation of Glenn McConnell – who was recently chosen as the next president of the College of Charleston.
Courson – who is likely to be reelected to his old leadership post assuming a sap can be found to take the lieutenant governor’s post – called on Gov. Nikki Haley to make McConnell serve out the duration of his term (which ends in January). Courson had planned to simply let the office remain vacant for six months, but Haley made a huge deal about the need for a constitutional succession to take place.
McConnell also put Courson in a box by “ascending” to the office two years ago in the wake of former Lt. Gov. Ken Ard’s resignation.
Senate leaders – including “majority” leader Harvey Peeler – were furious at Haley over her decision to push the issue.
Meanwhile Senators scrambled to determine whether – and how – to elect a new leader.
“People are pissed,” one Senator told FITS. “They’re trying to find somebody now who is willing to be president pro tempore of the Senate.”
In other words they are trying to find someone willing to take on one of the weakest positions in state government – for six months.
“So far no one is stepping up,” the Senator told us.
You don’t say …
That means South Carolina could conceivably wind up with no lieutenant governor and no Senate president for the next six months.
Frankly, this whole exercise is a reminder of how ridiculous the lieutenant governor’s office is – at least as currently configured.
Two years ago we called for lawmakers to abolish the office altogether – or move it to a stand alone position within the governor’s cabinet.
“Assuming we’re going to have lieutenant governors at all, they should be executive branch ‘ministers without portfolio …’ fulfilling their one and only job responsibility: maintaining a pulse,” we wrote. “No staff, no security detail, no car … etc. Just the $50,000 salary … which last time we checked was a generous appropriation for pulse maintenance.”
Beginning in 2018, governors and lieutenant governors will run on the same ticket … although that reform doesn’t address the impotence of the post.
56 comments
Oh don’t the Covet their positions…..sickening! Just like Haley and Obama, it’s all about them, never the Country, or State.
They ALL need to Go! Harvey Peeler’s comments were particularly self serving and sickening!
I’m sure there’s someone at the Oliver Gospel Mission that would love that job.
When will the people of the State get tired of all of this self serving B and vot ALL of these reprobates OUT?
They won’t. Most of the sheeple are happily oblivious. They get their sheering and go back out to graze. The few that are otherwise either:
A. Don’t care because they can’t do anything about it
B. Go get elected and ride the gravy train
John Courson should look up the responsibilities of the President Pro Tempore. You would think a former Marine (reservist) would fulfill his duties.
He’s a pussy and Peeler’s “best friend”! You are judged by your friends and the company you keep. None of them are doing too well in this area.
Speaking of pussy, I would be willing to wager that only 18% of the registered voters in the state actually get off their dead asses and vote – even KNOWING that their representatives need a strong feminine cleansing. Incidentally, Hyman Rubin (Jr) was a good friend of my sister in high school.
This glorious military leader never left the state of SC during his service. There are Boy Scouts who have seen more hostile action than old Sen. Foghorn Leghorn.
Scorching. I can never forgive the 2012 election debacle and the actions of the Richland delegation, I hope they all GTFO. This is childish petulance. Seems like every day the chaos increases, what are they doing over there, is anyone in charge.
Abolish the stupid office and declare who really runs the State – Harrell, Leatherman and Toal.
Let Harrell have the job.
Gov Haley should get her veto pen out. How can the Senate reconvene sine die w/o a Pro Tem? LoL. Or take the Pro Tem, Sen Peeler, then refuse to step up to Lt Gov. CJ Toal will side with you if push comes to shove. Sen Courson must have a few marbles loose to resign Pro Tem…LOL
Sounds like a job for Alvin Greene.
We have a winner.
Jim Demint started the recession. Or was it global warming that started it. Nah, I’m going with Jim Demint.
— the GrandZero0000000
Since when do two Queens beat King?
This is obviously a function of the animosity that the Governor, a Clemson graduate, and incoming President of the College of Knowledge have toward the University of South Carolina. The legislative goodwill that justified McConnell being able to benefit COK? Gone, gone gone. At least the progressives at COK can take comfort in being able to boast of having the first widely-known gay leader of any college or university in South Carolina – since Jim Holderman.
Just appoint Andre Bauer and we can have 6 months of laughs.
^^WINNER
That may work, just as long as there is a budget line for the cost of washing children’s feet.
??
http://wonkette.com/416656/south-carolina-lt-governor-andre-bauer-likes-to-wash-childrens-feet-and-give-them-new-shoes
OMG! Just when I thought I had seen and heard it all…
Is that the person SNL’s “The Church Lady” was patterned after? If she’s not, she sure missed a good opportunity to have been.
Thanks for the clarification!
“Do they ever resist?” No! “Usually they’re timid, they’re shy.”
=====
Now that is S-C-A-R-Y……
You know, I tried to figure out just WHO in our state legislature was worthy of being re-elected this year. I’m not saying who it is, but he didn’t run last time.
Referring to Mr. Andre “don’t forget to release the handbrake” Bauer?
WTF do they between now and January? WTF did they do from January till now?
Nothing! They hardly do anything any other time!!!!!!!!!
Don’t forget that they spend a lot of time slapping each other on the back, why do you think they spend twice as much time in session and accomplish half as much than most other states. Some states meet for three months every other year, and can come up with two annual budgets during that time.
I’d like to know if John Courson collects a per diem for every day he travels across town (the Statehouse has to be a good 3 miles from his house).
Fuck John Courson, he knew full well when he was elected President Pro Tem that if anything happened above him that he’d be required to fill the position as Lt. Governor. Now that he refuses and resigns as President Pro Tem, if he stays in the Senate he needs to be barred from running for that position again.
This old fuck who calls himself a “Marine” needs to go back home to his flower garden. As far as his glorious military service, he never left the state of SC during the time of the Vietnam war because of connections his family had.
Double fuck him: He voted for toal
So did you, Brad Hutto. We all know you are a Toal puppet and many of us know why she, I mean, She controls you absolutely and completely. It’s a high price to pay for keeping that law license from being suspended or you receiving at the very least, a public reprimand.
My brother is a Marine, but you wouldn’t know, because he doesn’t go around telling everybody and their mother that he is one. Courson is a career politician who doesn’t even have the balls to do what is right (and required) for the state. Squishy hit the nail on the head – why did he take the position if he knew that there was a chance he might be LG? I guess he wanted his business card to have another title on it or something. Bastard.
Sad thing is, Courson never “was” a Marine by their standards. He went through bootcamp and that was about the end of it. I mean other than waving at those he went through bootcamp with as they boarded planes for Vietnam and he stayed in Columbia.
Ladies and Gentlemen….for all of your viewing pleasure Lt. Governor Bobby Harrell
Courson is accusing McConnell of threatening to resign early in order to force him to accept the Lt. governor’s job if he doesn’t support efforts to get research status for the C. of Charleston. That is why Courson resigned. Hutto and Peeler are fighting in support of Courson to delay the bill and have it go through committee process.
I think that I’m on the Courson, Peeler, Hutto side of this. I never thought I’d say that.
All three need to be run out of office.
There are few certain west columbia council members that would love the job.
If Courson resigns his position, he should resign his office!
I suggest Thomas, Coke n Hoes are a powerfull combination.
While everyone is listening to this BS there is a bill in the House–S375 that, if passed, would take your private property from you, resell it to a developer, then in the event the developer doesn’t make enough money off it charge you the difference. A very dangerous bill that should be deep sixed like yesterday.
Well, we better elect Connor, stat!!
“Peeler said McConnell did not call on him and recognized another senator who proposed fast-tracking the college bill. Peeler said Courson was threatened to “toe the line” on pushing the College of Charleston bill or be forced into becoming lieutenant governor.”
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/06/04/3487341/courson-resigns-senate-leadership.html#storylink=cpy
You would think all these “fiscal conservatives” in Columbia would jump at the chance to eliminate a government office and save the hallowed taxpayer money — oh, what am I saying? That rhetoric only applies when it doesn’t conflict with their political ambitions.
Appoint Robert Ford or Alvin Greene for this limp, um lame dick session.
Hey Fits! I support Curtis Loftis and am going to vote for him. That said, can you please do something with the “Support Curtis Loftis” ad that automatically plays when your main page loads? It is annoying as shit. Are ads really paying that much more if they automatically go into an audio tirade the minute the page loads?
I sent him something along the same lines, I hate these videos that automatically play as soon as you open a website or your mouse passes over them. I’ll not vote for Curt Loftis simply because of shit like this, even if I agree with everything else. I won’t vote against him, I’ll just pass over that election.
Na man, go on and vote for him. It’s some of the idiots who are supporters who are responsible for this PITA, not Curtis.
Clemson’s Palmetto Poll Republican Primary Voters:
Q2.
If the following three candidates ran for governor in the fall, for whom would you vote?
a.Nikki Haley 73%
b.Vincent Sheheen 6%
c.Tom Ervin 2%
d.Undecided/Don’t know 19%
Total 100%
Granted this is Republican primary voters, but Tom Ervin is not hurting Haley enough to help Sheheen.
Throwing in: Haley wins at 53.4% — it is in the stars.
This just shows that McConnell is slicker than whale shit. HaHa — who needs friends now?
So glad to see more and more people are learning just what a hypocritical, two-bit, blowhard Courson truly is. It took me years to do so but I finally came around to reality with that gasbag. Reagan Conservative my ass. Goldwater Conservative my ass. It’s all about what’s good for him. Semper Fi my ass.
Curtis, you’re going over the top and aggravating people with that instantaneous babble of somebody endorsing you. I immediately search for the “off” button to shut the guy up. It is really, really pissing me off. Please stop this.
Make that “valiant Marine” Courson, eat it!
I wish the Marines would make Courson take those Marine Corp. stickers off his vehicles. He did just enough to get those stickers, no more. Real Marines should be disgusted at this old fart coming off as though he’s some sort of military veteran. I believe Lindsey Graham is more of a veteran warrior than Courson.
If you do the research, Courson had a desk job in “acquisitions department.” His closest encounters with danger was lifting heavy storage boxes. He’s an overweight, belching, bimbo.