DONALD BEATTY ELECTED TO HIGHEST JUDICIAL POST IN PALMETTO STATE
The so-called “Republican” S.C. General Assembly elected a liberal, overreaching black Democrat (and judicial appointee of Barack Obama) as the next chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court.
How in the hell did that happen?
Well, for those of you who follow the actions of “Republicans” in the Palmetto State – you shouldn’t be surprised.
Donald Beatty – a former Democratic lawmaker – was elected despite having accepted a nomination from Obama to serve as a U.S. district judge.
Beatty is notorious for having cut a deal with “Republicans” at the S.C. State House in the 1990s to give them control of the chamber. As part of that deal, GOP leaders agreed to continue redrawing district lines in such a manner so as to preserve “majority minority” seats in the S.C. General Assembly.
That’s led to some staggeringly non-competitive legislative elections …
This corrupt deal also got Beatty elected to the Supreme Court in 2007 – and now lawmakers, using seniority as their guide, have tapped him to replace Costa Pleicones when he steps down at the end of the year.
Beatty was elected chief justice despite having stuck it to lawmakers in 2014 on the infamous “minimally adequate” ruling – which held that government-run schools in poor regions of the state were failing in their obligation to provide a “minimally adequate” education to the children they served.
We address the dubious constitutionality of that ruling here.
Beatty was also elected despite rumblings from Washington D.C. – where investigators vetting his federal appointment appear to have stumbled on some sort of scandal involving a 2008 traffic stop.
Of interest? Beatty was elected “by acclimation,” meaning individual lawmakers did not cast votes for his nomination. In other words, when it comes time for these “Republicans” to be held accountable – they can easily say they did not support Beatty.
So much for governor Nikki Haley‘s “on the record voting,” right?
Ah, “Republican” rule …