AND HE’S DROPPING SOME “MAD” CASH …
Former S.C. Senator John Kuhn (RINO-Charleston) is jumping into the race for first congressional district seat being vacated by Tim Scott – and plans on pumping a quarter million dollars of his own money into the bid.
Kuhn – who famously sparred with former S.C. First Lady Jenny Sanford during his tenure in the S.C. General Assembly – lost his seat in 2004 to Chip Campsen, a close friend of the Sanford family. Ironically, Campsen is also contemplating a bid for the soon-to-be vacant first district seat … and Jenny Sanford’s name has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
A tax-and-spender during his legislative career, Kuhn has recently found fiscal religion – as evidenced by his 2012 endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential bid. Has he found his marbles, though? Famous for his long-winded, high-pitched, borderline incomprehensible tirades from the well of the State Senate, Kuhn is … how do we put this nicely … nuts.
In fact during one rant he boasted that he would eternally hold the entire S.C. General Assembly hostage to his “whim.”
If only he had succeeded …
Anyway, whether Kuhn has found his marbles remains to be seen … but he’s clearly found his checkbook. And while he isn’t going to win this race (God help us if he does), his $250,000 self-financing pledge shows just how expensive this race is going to be.
Candidates who want to have a shot better start dialing for dollars … and fast.
Kuhn is the second politician to formally announce his candidacy for Scott’s seat – joining Charleston, S.C. businessman Teddy Turner IV (son of media mogul Ted Turner). Numerous other candidates are expected to announce their intention to seek the seat in the days to come, though (for a list of who they are, click here).
UPDATE: Here’s a draft of Kuhn’s press release we were forwarded …
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36 comments
Wait…a Ron Paul supporter who is “nuts?” I won’t believe it.
Hes no more a nut than Congessman Wilson. Nutcases seem to be attracted to Congress.
Kuhn was the first to write a letter of recommendation to the South Carolina State Ports Authority endorsing Warren F. Lasch — a convicted federal criminal — to take over the “Veterans Terminal” at the closed Charleston Navy Base.
He did this in his first week as Director of the Maritime Association of the Port of Charleston. Without Board approval. And got his ass chewed out for doing so.
Kuhn later apologized for that, saying he “didn’t know what he was doing” and that he “didn’t know Lasch was a criminal.”
The SCSPA later “ate” some $5 million in uncollectible debts that Lasch’s “startup” company — Charleston International Ports, LLC — had run up.
This “debt-forgiveness” occurred after the SCSPA contracted with PricewaterhouseCoopers (for $175,000) to conduct a “forensic audit” of CIP (also owned by Ric Tapp and Bill Schachte) that determined that CIP had “zero equity.”
Pressuring the SCSPA to “let Lasch, Tapp and Schachte go” was Sen. Kuhn and Sen. McConnell (for whom Lasch was Hunley submarine fund-raiser).
So, Kuhn helped screw us taxpayers over by $5 million. . .
More details to follow. . .
Fat Elliot Summey, also delusional enough to think he could be elected to this seat, would not like people to know that he had a paid, full-time position with Lasch’s CIP.
L. Duane Grantham, CIP’s President, makes interesting comments about Elliott Summey in a lengthy deposition.
Elliott, according to documents, and Grantham’s deposition, had a $35,000 annual salary, an unlimited American Express expense account, a new company truck, and company-paid insurance benefits.
This $35,000 was for basically driving errands and “keeping himself busy.” He also ran errands and moved furniture and equipment into the Warren F. Lasch (Hunley) Laboratory that were improperly taken from other buildings at the Navy Base.
It was a job his father, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, “pressured” Lasch, Tapp, and Schachte into “creating.”
In the deposition Grantham admits that Elliott Summey was grossly overpaid, inexperienced and completely ignorant in the shipping business, and that this was Elliott Summey’s first job.
Documents also exist showing that Elliott Summey, appointed by Sen. McConnell to the board of the South Carolina Board of Paroles and Pardons, regularly threw correspondence, from the Board concerning upcoming votes to release or not release youthful offenders, into CIP’s dumpster, unopened and unread. How’s that for civil service?
The deposition was conducted, and the exhibits collected, pursuant to a lawsuit filed against CIP.
Something in Charleston is named for Warren. I can’t remember what it is? Warren Lasch something . . .
I love you WC.
We have crazy ass Nikki Haley as a Gov.
crazy ass Joe Wilson in Congress
crazy ass Jim Clyburn in Congress
crazy ass Barak O’Bama in the White House
crazy ass Harvey Peeler Majority leader in the Senate
Why not Crazy ass John Kuhn?
Cause dumb ass, we already have too many crazy asses in elected office.
Joe Wilson crazy for sure.
We need more Ron Paul “crazies” in Washington … this Country wouldn’t be on the brink of fiscal collapse had there been more Ron Paul’s in DC.
Is it that crazy to want to balance the budget. I think we could use more people in Washington that are Ron Paul Crazy
Selling dope, Whores and leaving us wide open to Attack, is no way to balance a budget…
Ron Paul does not understand the Accountability of the US. He’s seems Stuoid and LAzy…aside from being Kooky…
Kuhn’s too left-leaning…Does not have a chance…Neither does any Sanford (too disgraced, too failed) w/ suspect leftist leanings…..
Seat will go HARD right…If Tim Scott endorses his top staff guy…it’s over..
Voters in SC are Gut-Sick over Obama…Prove you’ll go HARD Right Against Obama..and you’re in….
Well maybe now we need to bet on him that BigT has given his official he has no chance endorsement. Its if BigTitty says this guy has got it in the bag that I begin to write that candidate off
Joe McKeown is his top staff guy.
If he runs,he wont win even with Scotts endorsement.
And Joe is pissed now knowing he got the Big T kiss of death.
And T, keep thinking Scott got this b/c he is a supposed “conservative”. The idiot governor let it out of the bag why he was selected. And you know why, too.
Joe Wilson is NOT a very smart man. Actually he’s a moron. Butch needs to post under his own name.
No Joe (Wilson) in 2014. Wilson is a weenie.
criminal behavior seems to be a prerequisite for running for political office. there seems to be no shortage of criminal behavior to represent us. this isn’t just an empty rant, but it is substantiated with facts such as elliott summey’s no-bid contract with the city of north charleston (liberty homes project) being demolished by the city of north charleston – jes trucking – that disappeared after the contract.
In South Carolina, anti-Obama sentiment is good politics…
Even Sanford was able to Exploit that….
You F#*!in Idiots think that just because Obama was able to scam OH. Fla. and Penn. that $#!* will sell in SC…
We are not so stupid as the Rust Belt..
“Prove you’ll go HARD Right Against Obama..and you’re in….”
Hmmm…exactly who has won doing this against Obama…and which losers who are “harder right” then Romney do you think would have won? Exactly, no one, and you know they would have lost worse than Romney.
Step away from the keyboard and get some air, dbag.
Just read Kuhn’s press release about “creating” an alfalfa hay market in Japan. What is pure, complete hogwash. The US West Coast – Japan hay market existed in Japan DECADES before Kuhn was even born.
Kuhn created the USA-Japan hay market like Al Gore invented the internet.
Hay is one of those EXTREMELY cheap commodities from the USA that is easy as pie to export. It’s a bottom-load cargo. The ocean freight to export hay from Long Beach to Yokohama is $300 per container. Practically nothing but better than shipping the containers back empty.
When the containerships are empty, the lines accept hay export bookings, and when containerships are full with better-paying frieght, the hay export bookings are declined.
Hay is treated just like baled scrap metal and waste paper — EXTREMELY CHEAP STUFF — it’s “shit.”
We’ve had hundreds of “entrepreneur exporters” like Kuhn shipping hay through LA/Long Beach to Japan, and none can make a long-term living exporting that single commodity.
We call them “Johnny Jump-Ups” — like the flower.
That explains why Kuhn shut down and moved to Charleston: hay bookings denied.
“Hay? That’s shit!” as Jim Poon (Orient Overseas Container Line) would instruct Stratos and the Booking Dept.
Wasn’t he the crazy assed senator who showed up at the Tri-Delta house and promised all the girls jobs and the SC Senate and when the girls actually showed up to work there were no jobs. Seems like I remember everyone in Columbia laughing about this a few years back. #Sleazy
Crazy nut showed up at the Capitol in DC and claimed he was a congressman. Said he meant jobs but didn’t do shit to create any. People are always laughing at his incompetence. Was Joe Wilson!!
Very Shady guy
Its possible for candiates like Summey and Kuhn to win this special election considering Henry Brown represented the district for year.
Chip Campsen doesn’t have a chance. He’s just a grumpy, arrogant old man. How did he ever get elected to anything ever?
This dude is always advertising his estate planning course in Charleston.
Well known and true Crazy John Kuhn story:
Kuhn asked his neighbors on Church Street, Celeste & Charles Patrick — well-known generous democrats — why they wouldn’t contribute to his republican campaign for senate, since he’s their neighbor.
Naturally they supported his democrat opponent, they asked him to leave, and they wondered how such a stupid man with such stupid questions could do well enough to afford his house.
Friends laughed back: “Trust fund!!”
So, am I to assume his pledge to spend $250,000 of his personal funds will not be fulfilled?
For those in here who don’t want to pay for The State online. Just use private mode on your browser, then open up The State site.
And use a adblock filter so that convicted wife beater, the 5’8 Will Folks doesn’t get a cent of advertising revenue on his website.
I’ll be supporting Larry Grooms for Congress. Crazy John Kuhn doesn’t stand a chance.
If I use Kickstarter to help fund my campaign, would anybody here be willing to chip in? I’m not a career politician, and I have a pretty healthy dislike for just about everyone who has thrown their name in the pot for this race.
Flaming bags of poo on the doorsteps of all the candidates. Just need enough for some dark clothing, a flashlight, some paper bags, and a lighter and/or waterproof matches. My pets can provide the poo.
Any takers?
Joe Wilson is an absolutely beautiful man.He has turquoise eyes and his voice gives me a very large erection.Very erect and very large.
I love him,and maybe you don’t.That’s Okay.’Whatever’,as they say.BTW,I’m kneeling,and my knees are bleeding,profusely.
He’s the third candidate to announce not the second. Keith Blandford was the first to announce yesterday morning after that Teddy Turner announced.
I hope they all bankrupt themselves with campaign expenses.