Nikki Haley and Tom Rice, Anything But Conservative Reformers
By Paul Gable
On this penultimate day of the primary election season, the forces of Gov. Nikki Haley and Congressional candidate Tom Rice will be joined in a stop Andre Bauer mode.
What a pairing. Haley endorsed Rice last Friday after she unsuccessfully tried to have Bauer stop Sen. Jake Knotts from blocking her proposed administration bill one day before.
Haley said in her endorsement of Rice, “I and other members of the Reform Movement watched for years as Andre Bauer sided with the establishment and undercut the conservative agenda. We don’t need another self-interested career politician in Washington. Michael and I completely support Tom Rice – an accountant and tax attorney – as we continue to focus on jobs and the economy for this growing and important new district and our state.”
Haley blames Bauer for siding with the establishment to undercut conservative agenda, yet she supports the biggest establishment insider in Horry County politics in Tom Rice.
Haley claims to oppose the local one-cent tourism tax, yet she endorses not only one of its biggest supporters but also one of its biggest benefactors.
Rice’s biggest contribution to the economy of the new 7th Congressional District was a major attempt to run off the bikers and the millions of dollars of business they bring to the Grand Strand economy throughout the year.
His AvCraft bailout package was his first “jobs” initiative as county chairman. The one-cent tourism tax has allowed Rice’s buddies to reduce their corporate marketing budgets by 90 percent while shifting the advertising costs to public tax dollars.
Remember, the one-cent tourism tax led to the Coastal Kickback scandal. Wonder if Nikki is getting one of those famous paper bags filled with cash on the bus today?
And who can forget Rice’s strong support for Coastal Uncorked, the weeklong wine tasting event that draws no tourists but serves the interest of the Dunes Club crowd and is funded by over $400,000 of public dollars while events such as the Sun Fun Festival are cancelled?
Such decisions do not help the local economy in general, but maybe Nikki’s and Tom’s focus “on jobs and the economy” is limited to how it helps them advance their personal agendas.
Haley has her own problems. She faces an ethics inquiry beginning Thursday for her actions as a House member. Haley is no reformer, far from it. She rode the coattails of the Tea Party movement into office and promptly forgot it.
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Paul-
Curious what happens to you and the cry babies when you lose on Tuesday? Perhaps Walmart would hire you as a greeter? Sucks to be you.
Nikki Haley says integrity matters – well if it matters so much what are we doing with her as governor because Nikki Haley has absolutely NO integrity. She is the one that turned the 7th cong. race dirty.
Can’t wait to here ABATE’s response to this whole thing. They love Nikki, but HATE Trillion Dollar Tom. Should make things interesting. Won’t do any good for the primary, but will definately have an impact on Nikki’s re-election.
If by some miracle Tom wins on Tuesday, the county wins because we will get rid of him as chairman. He’s not qualified to be in the House, but he’s demonstrated he’s not qualified to be county chairman either. Maybe getting him 400 miles away would be a plus. Who knows.
Right on every point in the article and in that comment, Paul. keep up the good work.
Well … dirtier, anyway.
I would never presume to tell them their business, but it would serve her right they kicked her out of the organization, and did it in a very public and very embarrassing way.
This endorsement has nothing at all to do with what is best for SC7 or for the State of SC. It’s all about our immature, narcissistic horror of a governor and her personal vendetta against Andre Bauer.
Do you honestly believe anyone gives a flying sh#% about ABATE? Geez you folks are insane.
Wait a minute, didn’t Andre have a vendetta against Nikki first?
Didn’t work out so well for him last time, and I doubt it will tomorrow.
Or Paul, maybe Andre should go with Tom. It might be the only place left where he hasn’t tried to run for something.
Pay attention, troll, and maybe you’ll learn something.
The governor joined the organization and made a huge deal out of it. It is a mark of what a total fraud she is that she she now supports their number one enemy, and has endorsed him in his run for Congress.
ABATE has a lot of members in this district. Probably more in the PeeDee than down here. It’s a brotherhood. They are on their phones and computers tonight, contacting each other, urging them to get out and vote. Not just each individual biker, but their family members and friends, whether bikers or not.
Between the tea party groups and the bikers, a good number of people will turn out tomorrow to vote for Bauer. Tom Rice remains virtually unknown out on the other side of Gallivants Ferry. He has little support in Georgetown County. There will be people up all night trying to build more momentum for Bauer.
I may be one of them.
Now excuse me, troll. I need a cup of coffee. The I have work to do.
Boz-Keep an eye on the ballot box tonight. I believe YOU will learn something.
What were you saying Boz?