|
Mullins interviewed
on WMBF-Myrtle Beach
McLeod Responds to
Lt. Governor Bauer's "Stray Animals" Comment Today, Democratic candidate for Governor, Mullins McLeod, responded to Lt. Governor Andre Bauer's comments which drew a comparison between feeding reproducing stray animals to school children who require reduced or free lunch. "It amazes me how some Republican politicians claim a monopoly on Christianity and then go out and say and do some of the most unchristian things imaginable. Lt. Governor Bauer's comments are despicable and the total opposite of the Christian values Bauer espouses," McLeod said.
Mullins
addresses Charleston Democratic Women
Democratic
Leaders Endorse Mullins McLeod Today, a group of Democratic Party leaders from all over South Carolina announced their support for Mullins McLeod's candidacy for Governor
Oyster Roast for Mullins McLeod! Come Join Joe Good, III and Olson, Good & Brown to Support Mullins McLeod for Governor
Mullins McLeod: Candidate for Governor
Key Features – Tax Cuts, Small Business Assistance and Ending the Confederate Flag Debate Columbia, SC -- Democratic Candidate for Governor Mullins McLeod today unveiled a detailed plan to create jobs in South Carolina through a combination of tax cuts, small business assistance and renewed focus on recruiting and creating green jobs. His plan also calls for sending a clear signal to the world that South Carolina is ready to compete in the 21st Century economy by finally ending the Confederate Flag debate. “My plan provides middle-class tax relief, it expands opportunities to help small businesses grow, it prepares South Carolina for the green economy, and it lays out a plan to change the culture of Columbia by outlawing special-interest money and implementing groundbreaking lobbying reform. The career politicians keep recycling the same old talking points when it comes to job creation, I have a real plan that will get South Carolinians working again,” said McLeod.
Provide Middle-Class Tax Relief. Too many South Carolina families are hammered by a tough economy, even though they are working hard. As Governor, Mullins McLeod will challenge the Legislature to retool our tax code so that Middle-Class families get an immediate break on their state taxes. Offer Assistance to Help Small Businesses Grow. Small businesses drive South Carolina’s economy, and are responsible for the lion’s share of our new jobs. Yet too often, the state’s current leadership focuses only on recruiting large industries. That’s why as Governor, Mullins McLeod will: - Provide a tax break to any business creating even a single job. - Re-organize the Department of Commerce so it focuses on growing small businesses with the same focus it places on recruiting large corporations. - Use technology to move all small business services provided by both state and county governments’ online, cutting red-tape and paperwork. - Double the tax deduction for small business start up expenses. Increase opportunities in rural South Carolina. Rural South Carolina remains a key piece of our state’s economy. It’s a mistake to think that more urbanized areas can succeed if rural South Carolina is left behind. That’s why as Governor, Mullins will: - Expand the state's rural business fund. - Expand broadband Internet access in rural areas. - Rebuild failing infrastructures like roads and bridges, and plan for the future with high-speed rails. - Promote local agriculture and launch a strong campaign encouraging South Carolinians to "buy local" to help our family farms. - Provide additional job training opportunities in rural areas through the state’s technical schools. - Take full advantage of existing federal initiatives to revitalize rural communities. Position South Carolina to Recruit Jobs in the Green Economy. The Green Economy will make up a large percentage of future American jobs. In the 1960s and 70s, South Carolina used its technical schools system to recruit national industry to our state. In the 21st Century, we need to do the same with green jobs. That’s why as Governor, Mullins McLeod will: - Refocus the state's technical and vocational educational systems to emphasize worker training for new "green energy jobs," in order to attract cutting edge industry to South Carolina while making us more energy independent. - Provide tax incentives to businesses that embrace green technology. - Charge the Department of Commerce with recruiting green jobs and serving as an incubator for South Carolina companies interested in creating Green Jobs. - Support efforts by our state’s four-year colleges to pioneer new Green technologies. Reform Government and the People Who Run It. For all the talk of reform and change over the last seven years, our state government is more gridlocked and divided than ever before – and special interests are still running the show. This interferes with the creation of good jobs. To change the culture in Columbia, Mullins McLeod will: - Outlaw the special interest PAC money that corporations and special interests use to buy influence. - Set a personal example by pledging to forgo future runs for office, swearing to return to the private sector once his time in office is done. - Require senior staff members of his administration to forswear any future employment as a lobbyist while he remains in the Governor’s office. - End the bickering between Legislature and Governor’s office over where our state’s jobless figure stands by bringing in outside accountants and non-government experts to produce honest figures – which will allow all sides to come together and focus on creating jobs to tackle our record high unemployment rate. - Implement groundbreaking lobbying reform, including some of the strictest reporting requirements in the country. Send a Clear Signal That South Carolina is Open For Business. Too often, when South Carolina finds itself in the national or international spotlight, it’s for negative reasons. To ensure our long-term success in the 21st Century economy, Mullins McLeod will send a clear signal that South Carolina is ready to move past old divisions by removing the Confederate Flag from the Capitol Grounds and placing it in a museum. “The Confederate Flag debate continues to hold our state back. We are not going to compete in a 21st Century economy by prolonging 19th Century arguments. It is time for us to send a clear and unambiguous signal to the rest of the country, and the entire world, that South Carolina is better than what people see on the news, and that we are ready to make progress. By agreeing to move past this old argument once and for all, we will be telling the world that South Carolina is ready to lead again,” McLeod said.
McLeod Pledges to Veto a Public Option Opt-out and As momentum for health care reform continues to build in the United States Congress, many observers are predicting that reform will include a public option, which would give citizens a choice to purchase guaranteed health insurance at a reasonable price. It is believed that each state could be given the opportunity to opt-out of the public option should they so choose. Today, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod pledged he would veto any legislation denying South Carolinians their right to a public option. "If health care reform includes a public option for people in other states, then it should be there for people in South Carolina as well. I won't allow the insurance industry and their supporters in the state legislature to deny people here affordable health care," McLeod said. "For too long, big insurance companies have prioritized their billion dollar profits ahead of the health and well being of working families. When I'm governor, I'll put people first." McLeod also challenged his Democratic Primary opponents for Governor to make the same pledge to veto a public option opt-out. "As Democrats, I hope my primary opponents will join me in standing up for South Carolinians right to have a public option. For too long, Democrats in South Carolina have been afraid to lead on issues like this. It's time for Democrats here to stop acting like Republicans and stand up for what is right," McLeod said.
McLeod Challenges Gubernatorial Candidates to Follow Following yesterday's investigative report by The State, which revealed that Governor Mark Sanford spent significantly less time performing his duties as Governor when his attention changed to running for higher office, Democrat Mullins McLeod today challenged his fellow candidates for the state's top office to follow his lead and pledge to forgo any run for higher office. "Mark Sanford has been a disaster for South Carolina for a lot of reasons, but focusing his time and energy on national politics instead of dealing with a jobs crisis and failing schools here at home is right on the top of that list," McLeod said. "South Carolina desperately needs a Governor who can put aside their own personal ambition and focus on the job at hand." Shortly after announcing his candidacy for Governor, McLeod pledged to forgo any future run for public office other than Governor. "I think it's imperative that South Carolina elect a Governor who is actually committed to getting the job done. The last thing we need is another Governor who is thinking more about their own future than the people of South Carolina," McLeod said. "That's why I'm calling for all the candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, to follow my lead and take the same pledge. The people of South Carolina deserve to have a Governor who will put them first and they ought to know which candidates are willing take this pledge.
Next Week's Special Session Reinforces the Need For By: Mullins McLeod Once again, South Carolina's dysfunctional government has failed to serve the people of this state. Because state leaders failed to follow simple instructions, the General Assembly will return next week in special session - all on the taxpayers' dime - to ensure that thousands of out of work victims of the recession don't lose their unemployment compensation. As one might guess, we were the only state who didn't get this right the first time and we've waited until the last possible second to fix it. Now, the politicians in Columbia are pointing fingers at each other and are fully engaged in the blame game. Governor Sanford is blaming his own bureaucrats. Legislative leaders say they are surely not the ones to blame. Even some of my opponents for the Democratic nomination for Governor have been holding press conferences claiming to know best how to fix this most recent debacle; others say that if people had only listened to them in the first place, this could all have been avoided. One of my opponents who is a 25-year lobbyist for groups like big tobacco, payday lending and the hazardous waste industry pounced first. His stance seems to be that what South Carolina really needs is more insider corporate lobbyists, like him, in charge. This circus is yet another example of why South Carolina needs fundamental change. Self-consumed recycled career politicians and powerful lobbyists have created a government that serves their interests instead of the people's interests. We've got to start putting people first again. I am the only candidate who can bring real change to our state. I am the only candidate who won't take a dime from special interest PACs. The other candidates are lining up for their money. When I'm Governor, I won't owe the special interests anything. I'll only be working for hard working South Carolina families. Furthermore, I will push for a strong plan to lessen the influence of lobbyists in state government. No other candidate has offered a plan this strong that will return the power to the people. I am the only candidate in this race who is not a Columbia insider or a career politician. I am the only candidate who comes from the private sector. I've started and grown a small law firm into one of the largest firms in the state. On day one of my campaign, I pledged to forgo running for any other office after I serve as Governor. South Carolinians have had enough of politicians who serve in one office but are solely focused on winning election to the next office. I'm running to get the job done and then I'll go back home to live under the laws I helped to enact. This race isn't about me or my career and it never will be. This race is about who can bring the change we need and create good jobs, improve our schools, and expand health care. Our window of opportunity to change South Carolina isn't that wide. I believe that we must act now, or face decades of more dysfunction and backsliding. Our state and our people just cannot take more of the same.
Gubernatorial candidate McLeod speaks on Grand Strand Mullins McLeod, one of six Democrats vying for their party's nod for the governor's race next year, spoke to the Beach Dems Friday at Akel's pancake house, highlighting his views on health care, education and fixing the state's unemployment issues. McLeod was the latest in a crowded field of gubernatorial candidates from both parties to make their way to Horry County to start early stumping for the nod. The Charleston attorney and former head of the Charleston Democratic Party relied on his experience in the private sector and his promise to not seek additional political offices if elected to set him apart from the field. "I'm convinced that we need someone from the private sector to stop the politics," McLeod said. "Democrats as of late ... they run to the Right. They say, 'Well, I'm going to run like a Republican, and they're going to jump the fence and vote for me.' When's the last time a football team had a game where their strategy was letting the other team score their points? That's not how I'm going to run." McLeod recently donated $100,000 of his personal funds to his campaign, according to the most updated filing of the S.C. State Ethics Commission, bringing his total to about $210,000 in donations this quarter. Several of the other Democrats had not filed reports as of Friday. Of the handful of questions from the Beach Dems breakfast, most had to do with health care concerns. One woman asked McLeod if he supported a public health care option. "First, I think we should be fully funding Medicaid. We would be receiving the full benefit of federal matching dollars, which are 3 to 1. That would improve access and care for a lot of people in South Carolina," he said. "We talk about a public option, but to me, it's about competition in general. I support competition in the marketplace, and I think another problem is that insurance companies are making the decisions, not doctors." McLeod will face State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, S.C. Sen. Robert Ford, S.C. Sen. Vincent Sheehen, attorney and former lobbyist Dwight Drake and minister Amos Elliott in the June Democratic Primary. Republicans running for their party nod include U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, S.C. Sen. Larry Grooms, S.C. Representative Nikki Haley, S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, and while Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer participated in the debate, he has not officially announced his candidacy.
McLeod Campaign Takes in Over $210,000 during 3rd Quarter Today, the Mullins McLeod for Governor Campaign announced that they had raised over $210,000 in the 3rd financial quarter, and will report $ 318,689.94 cash on hand. "The momentum for change continues to build. South Carolinians realize that recycling the same career politicians over and over again won't get us out of this jobs crisis or improve public education," said McLeod Campaign advisor Lachlan McIntosh. "The career politicians and the lobbyists have plenty of special interest money to carve up between themselves, but Mullins' ideas are catching on outside the State House complex and we'll have the funding needed to communicate our message to hard-working South Carolina families," McIntosh said. McIntosh added that McLeod made a significant contribution to his campaign this quarter, a sign of his commitment to change in South Carolina. Most of the third quarter contributions came from individual donors. Unlike the other candidates for Governor, McLeod is refusing to accept contributions from special interest PACs. McIntosh said the campaign would officially file the quarterly report with the SC Ethics Commission later in the week.
McLeod: South Carolina Needs Our Own 'Rural Rescue Plan' Over the last few weeks, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod has released an idea-of-the-week for job creation in South Carolina. South Carolina has been mired in record unemployment for years and McLeod has vowed to make job creation the central focus of his administration. This week, McLeod proposed developing South Carolina's own 'rural rescue plan' for economically-depressed rural South Carolina. The plan would: · Expand the state's rural business fund. · Expand broadband Internet access in rural areas. · Rebuild failing infrastructures like roads and bridges, and plan for the future with high-speed rails. · Promote local agriculture and launch a strong campaign encouraging South Carolinians to "buy local" to help our family farms. · Take full advantage of existing federal initiatives to revitalize rural communities. "I grew up in Colleton County and I know that South Carolina's rural counties are suffering the most from this jobs crisis yet they've mostly been ignored," said McLeod. "The same old approaches aren't going to solve this problem. It's time for something new and something bold. I'll create our own rural rescue plan in South Carolina to create jobs and bring real opportunity to our families."
In Prosperity, Dems stump for top job It took just 30 seconds on Wednesday for the Democrats to go where no Republican would: Gov. Mark Sanford's affair. Five of the Democrats running for governor gathered along with a 100-plus, standing-room-only crowd in a barbecue joint in this quiet community about 150 miles from Charleston. The night was planned to be a chance for the candidates to spend 15 minutes introducing themselves to the community, but turned into an improvised debate at Hamm's Hawg Heaven Barbeque. Hopeful Dwight Drake, a Columbia attorney, started things off. "Last night, the Republicans were here, and what we learned was, there's no difference between those who are running for the Republican nomination and the current governor except two things: Far as we know, they all take fewer vacations and they all have fewer girlfriends," Drake said, as the supporters picked at what Southern fixings were left on their plates. The scene Tuesday for the GOP's first debate was much different. At the historic Newberry Opera House about 10 miles down the road, a sold-out crowd of 400 watched the Republicans debate on stage. Other than Sanford, the Democratic candidates -- Drake, state Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, attorney Mullins McLeod of Charleston, state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex; and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden -- touched on unemployment and job creation, private school vouchers, public school choice, health care and other matters. Drake, a longtime lobbyist, has nearly $109,000 on hand, according to the most recent campaign disclosure forms. He has never run for office before, but said he first considered his gubernatorial run when Sanford did not immediately request a federal loan to fund unemployment benefits last December. Drake said he was prepared to lead the state, citing his work for former Govs. John West and Dick Riley and his involvement in luring BWM to the state. "The biggest problem we have is the highest unemployment in the South," Drake said. "We need to have a governor who understands how to spend his time. I intend to be that somebody. I will be a governor who will go anywhere, meeting with anybody, anytime of the day to bring jobs to this state." Ford of Charleston, who has $31 in his gubernatorial account and $5,900 in his Senate campaign fund, is a community developer trained by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He has served in the Senate since 1993 and previously served on Charleston City Council, and is one of the most controversial candidates. He breaks party ranks and promotes tax credits, vouchers and scholarships for private schools. Ford also trotted out his plan to legalized video poker that he says will generate $4 billion, 40,000 new jobs and 3,000 new business. "South Carolina's got a lot of serious problems. I want to be about solving those problems. We need money to solve those problems," Ford said. "Right now, I am the only candidate that's talking about money. Now, I know a lot of people don't like the kind of money I'm talking about." McLeod, a past county party chairman, has about $156,000 on-hand in his campaign war chest, according to disclosure forms. He talked about the need for new jobs in South Carolina, and used as an example the possibility of Boeing's second production line of its new 787 jetliner coming to Charleston and bringing thousands of jobs and triggering spin-off industries. "Where's our governor? He's on a forgiveness tour. He's playing politics," McLeod said. "My question to Governor Sanford is, why aren't you on a jobs tour. My question for Governor Sanford is, why aren't you camped out at Boeing with your hands out, saying 'What do you need? How can we help? How can we bring you to South Carolina? We need you. We want you.' " Rex of Columbia, who is the latest Democrat to jump in the race, had a little more than $9,000 in his education superintendent campaign account. He took on a question about funding health care for residents. First, Rex said the state must attract more instructors at nursing programs. Second, he said, South Carolina needs to put more money into Medicaid as an investment to draw down more federal money. Comprehensive tax reform is one way to generate cash to do that, he said. "We have a tax system in South Carolina that is so antiquated, so inefficient and so broken that all of us are paying higher taxes because special interest groups over 30 years ago have gotten themselves caps or exceptions from paying what they should be paying -- their fair share," Rex said. The Legislature created a panel to study this issue and make recommendations back to lawmakers. Sheheen, who served in the House from 2001 to 2004 and in the Senate since 2004, has about $460,000 in the bank with $13,600 on-hand in his Senate account. He said the state is lacking leadership and a vision that, for example, will ensure the State Ports Authority is an economic development tool. "We will win this election if we talk about the big issues facing South Carolina," Sheheen said. "If we talk about how we're going to change this state, reform our government, increase the cigarette tax and fund health care. If we talk about these things and we are not afraid, we will win. We must win." The Rev. Amos A. Elliott of Charleston also is in the running for the Democratic nomination for governor but he did not attend the stump meeting and he has not filed campaign fund disclosure forms.
Democrat SC gov hopefuls speak at stump meeting Democrats hoping to become the next governor made jokes about Gov. Mark Sanford's affair in what turned into their first informal debate in the race for their party's 2010 nomination. The cracks came from the beginning as Columbia lawyer Dwight Drake noted a Republican debate Tuesday night a few miles away in Newberry. The GOP candidates all sounded the same as Sanford. But "far as we know, they all take fewer vacations and they all have fewer girlfriends," Drake said, bringing a burst of laughter from the crowd. Sanford returned from a secret rendezvous with an Argentine woman in June and has become the butt of political jokes ever since. Legislators are awaiting a State Ethics Commission investigation to decide whether and when to begin impeachment proceedings that could cut short the 15 months remaining in his second and final term. The Newberry County Democratic Party gathering at a barbecue restaurant packed with more than 100 people was supposed to be a stump with speeches only, but it effectively became the first debate for the five candidates in the field. It was also a preview of the themes Democrats will use to regain the governor's office they lost to Sanford in 2002. Now, they're looking to Sanford's weakness and other national GOP scandals and missteps to turn things their way. The candidates offered ideas on taxes, health care, education and turning the state's economy around. "There's no reason we should be near first in unemployment ... and near worst in education," Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod said. State Sen. Vincent Sheheen noted the first gathering of the field was being held in tiny Prosperity. "That's what we're going to return to South Carolina: prosperity." He said when he's elected, he'll put professionals in charge of running agencies like state's economic development agency "not just political buddies." And while one of the candidates proposed bringing back video gambling to raise money for schools, health care and other programs, the four other hopefuls roundly rejected the idea. State Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston said the state's problems demand money and he'd raise $1 billion by making video gambling outlawed in 2000 legal again and putting 25 percent tax on the games. He said that would pay for innovative school program like intense after-school teaching as well as tax credits for children to send their children to private schools. "We've got to have money to save this state and I'm the only one talking about money," Ford said. But Ford's ideas were a bust with the other candidates. None wanted vouchers or video gambling. "I don't believe we need to go to gambling to solve our problems," McLeod said. Rex said the lottery, one of the few forms of legalized gambling in the state, isn't working the way it is supposed to because it is now paying for things that tax collections in the past covered. Relying on more gambling "just won't work," Rex said, noting slumping gambling revenues in other states. "People cannot depend on it." Even Ford doubted his chances of winning. "Everyone would have to agree that would be a miracle," Ford said.
McLeod: South Carolina Must Prepare For the New Economy Over the last couple of weeks, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod has released an idea a week for job creation in South Carolina. South Carolina has been mired in record unemployment for years and McLeod has vowed to make job creation the central focus of his administration. This week, McLeod's idea is to refocus the state's technical and vocational educational systems to emphasize worker training for new "green energy jobs" in order to attract cutting edge industry to South Carolina while making us more energy independent. "These new industries in renewable energy are popping up all over the world and South Carolina has to be ready. Our workers have to be properly trained or these companies create their jobs somewhere else," McLeod said. "South Carolina can't keep sitting still and expect to compete with other states." "For good reasons, the new energy economy is the wave of the future. We need leaders who will prepare for the future and move South Carolina forward," McLeod said.
Mullins McLeod Inspires Progressive Democrats Mullins McLeod inspired the crowd at the Northeast Democrats' September Breakfast this morning. He's running a progressive campaign, and he's running to win. He's a former chairman of the Charleston County Democratic Party. His hard work and inspiring leadership helped turn Charleston County from red to blue. Mullins intends to campaign in every county in South Carolina. And to turn South Carolina from red to blue.
McLeod Proposes New Lobbying Regulations Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod is proposing several tough new lobbying reforms "...designed to end the powerful reign that registered lobbyists have enjoyed over South Carolina government." “Time and time again the lobbyists have run rough-shot over the people. They run the show in Columbia and don’t have to answer for their actions,” McLeod said. “Most of what they do is done behind closed doors and the voters back home never know about it.” The most intriguing part of McLeod’s reform package will force lobbyists to report all meetings they have with legislators or their staff to the State Ethics Commission, which will post those meetings on-line within 24 hours. Voters will be able to sign up for email notices alerting them when their representative interacts with a lobbyist. “The voters back home deserve to know when a highly paid lobbyist working for special interests like polluters or tobacco companies attempt to influence their legislator. The voters should be in charge, not the lobbyists,” McLeod said. Other reforms proposed by McLeod include immediate public on-line reporting of all lobbying contracts, daily public on-line reporting from each lobbyist detailing the number of hours they spent on State House grounds, and lobbying bans on immediate family members of top government officials. “The same old ways in Columbia have given us record unemployment and failing schools. As Governor I will shake things up so that our government starts putting people ahead of the special interests." McLeod said. The McLeod Lobbying Reform Package:
McLeod Urges SC Congressional Delegation Members to End With August recess for the United States Congress winding down, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod today called on South Carolina's Congressional Delegation members to stop engaging in useless rhetoric and reform the nation's health insurance system. "The current system doesn't work. Thousands of hard working South Carolinians can't afford health insurance and just as many are under-insured," McLeod said. "These people deserve more from their Congressional delegation than grandstanding and hyperbole." McLeod was especially critical of US Senator Jim DeMint, who has been traveling the state hosting 'town hall meetings' in attempts to block the reform process. "Senator DeMint has chosen to engage in bottom of the barrel, misleading, and dangerous rhetoric designed to misinform and scare people. His desires to please corporate interests and the insurance industry have him working against the best interest of many of his constituents. People in South Carolina need their members of Congress to put their interests first and work for a real solution to the health care crisis," McLeod said. As Governor, McLeod vowed to do his part to expand coverage and reduce the cost of prescription medication, but pointed out that for real reform, Congress must lead. "South Carolinians have been forced to endure six and half years of Mark Sanford, record unemployment, and an ineffective legislature controlled by special interest lobbyists. It's a shame that so many in our Congressional delegation have decided to play politics rather than solve this problem. If our politicians would stop the partisan games, we can have real reform that lowers costs, guarantees choice and makes sure that medical decisions rest with patients and their doctors - not insurance company bureaucrats," McLeod added.
Sanford didn't disclose many flights on private planes, Governor Mark Sanford took dozens of flights on private planes and didn't report them as donations, which an Associated Press report suggests may violate state law. The report says the governor took 35 trips on private airplanes that he did not report on campaign or ethics reports. According to state law, officials must report "anything of value" worth at least $200 "if there is reason to believe the donor would not give the thing of value" if the recipient were not an elected official. "We continue to believe that the AP is selective in their view of the governor's travel," Sanford spokesman Ben Fox said. "That has been the case, and based on this press account, it looks like this may continue to be the case." Columbia attorney Karl Bowers, who was asked by the governor to respond to the latest allegations, said there is a "friends and family exception" open to a subjective interpretation of the relationship between the donor and the officeholder. "With the flights in question the office believed it was operating in full accord with all state laws," Fox said. "In many instances the governor was using private airplanes rather than the state plane as a way of saving taxpayer money. In other instances he simply, but emphatically, disagrees that flights should be classified as something other than what they were - with 'friends and family.' In still others arranged and paid for by an outside campaign committee or another political candidate, his campaign committee believed disclosure requirements would be met by the committee that had procured the flight." Bowers said of the governor's 400+ trips on private planes there were "maybe six or seven" trips that he said might be subject to the reporting requirement. But Cathy Hazelwood, general counsel for the state Ethics Commission, told the Associated Press all of the governor's flights on private planes "need to be disclosed somewhere." "South Carolinians are again asking themselves whether this governor is so arrogant that he thinks the law doesn't apply to him, or so ignorant that he thinks he can get away with breaking any rules that inconvenience him," said state Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler. "Whether Mark Sanford's current problems are caused by his arrogance or ignorance, it's clear that many of South Carolina's problems are caused by his failure to be an effective governor." Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod renewed his call for Sanford's resignation, saying he would personally deliver to Sanford a signed petition demanding the governor step down. "He has misused his office, misused taxpayer money, and now we learn he has been taking valuable gifts under the table," McLeod said Friday. "It appears he's committed a serious crime. We need a governor who is worried about creating jobs, instead of just worried about keeping his own." In a separate investigation into flights not related to the AP report, a state Senate probe two weeks ago said Sanford broke the law when he charged taxpayers for more expensive business- and first-class flights. The state Ethics Commission has promised to investigate the governor's use of taxpayer money for those flights, and it is possible the commission will also look into the allegations made in the AP report.
McLeod petition urges Sanford's resignation-Sign Petition Democratic gubernatorial contender Mullins McLeod has begun a petition demanding Gov. Mark Sanford resign from office.
Gov. Mark Sanford missed jobs meetings, e-mails show Gov. Mark Sanford didn't attend a Greenville dinner meeting last month with a company interested in a “significant” expansion in Greenville County because of the governor's trip to Argentina to see his lover, according to staff e-mails and the chairman of the Greenville County Council. A member of the governor's staff, according to the e-mails obtained by The Greenville News under the state's Freedom of Information Act, declined on June 19 a request from state Department of Commerce officials for the governor to attend the Greenville meeting, saying “unfortunately he cannot be there.” At the time, Sanford had left the country, unbeknownst to his wife or staff, who thought he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail, in order to visit his lover in Buenos Aires. Joel Sawyer, spokesman for the Republican governor, said in response to Democratic criticism on Tuesday that “the governor has talked in great detail about the mistakes he has made, and has apologized for those mistakes. He is committed to the process of building back the trust of South Carolinians.” Sanford returned to Columbia on June 24, after cutting his trip short, and announced that he had had a year-long affair. The Greenville dinner was held later that night at Soby's restaurant. “The dinner went off as scheduled and no mention was made of the governor,” said Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven. “I think the dinner was very successful.” However, he said the company, which he wouldn't identify, hasn't announced a decision on whether it will expand. The e-mails released by the Governor's Office masked identifying information about the company, its location, the millions of dollars in possible expansion and the number of new jobs contemplated. Kirven declined to name the company, saying officials were still in negotiation. He said he learned Sanford wasn't coming when news surfaced that the governor had been in Argentina. He said he assumed at that point the governor wouldn't attend. Kirven said Sanford's appearance, had the Argentina trip not occurred, would have “enhanced” the meeting, but he doesn't believe it would have made the difference in the company's decision. He said the expansion will be welcomed by the region if it occurs. “It is very significant,” he said. “It is not something that would make headlines around the country, but it would be very important to this area.” Sanford's staff also declined a dinner to celebrate another company's expansion announcement. A Sanford representative apologized in an e-mail, explaining that the governor's schedule “is just absolutely jammed this summer.” Democrats pounced on the news Tuesday. “Mark Sanford placed a higher value on his personal pleasure than bringing jobs to a state with a 12 percent jobless rate,” said Sen. John Land, leader of Senate Democrats. Mullins McLeod, a Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, also criticized the governor over missing the dinner. “With tens of thousands of South Carolinians out of work, it's time for Mark Sanford to do his job,” McLeod said in a statement. “That starts with meeting these two businesses immediately, apologizing for misleading them, and making sure they know that South Carolina welcomes their jobs in our state.” Land also asked for Sanford's office to disclose any other “missed economic development opportunities.” “Governor Sanford's economic development philosophy has always been hands-off,” Land said. “Now he owes it to us all, critics and supporters alike, to come clean about other missed opportunities to create jobs. Only then can we begin the long and slow process of clawing back from one of the nation's worst jobless rates.” Kevin Landmesser, vice president of the Greenville Area Development Corp., Greenville County's economic development organization, said he was under a non-disclosure agreement with the prospect and couldn't comment. The e-mails were among 570 pages of electronic messages from Sanford's staff dated from June 17 to June 24 released under the state open records law. The records also reveal that the governor's staff was sensitive about the prospect of the governor not doing all he could to promote economic development. In a June 23 e-mail to a CNN staffer, Sawyer responded to comments by U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina that Sanford had been out of the country during April wildfires in Myrtle Beach. “He was out of the country on a Commerce recruiting trip when it started, and he came back immediately while it was still happening,” Sawyer wrote in the e-mail. “I'm sure had he not been on that trip, Rep. Clyburn and others would be accusing the governor of not doing enough to meet with business and attract industry.” Carol Fowler, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, said, “It's not just the development opportunities Mark Sanford turned down for the 10 days he planned to be in Argentina. Since we haven't had his schedule, it makes us wonder how many other opportunities he has turned down over 6½ years because something else sounded like more fun.”
Democrat gov hopeful McLeod raises nearly $169,000 A South Carolina lawyer says he's raised $168,845 in his bid to win the Democratic Party's nomination for governor. The campaign of Mullins McLeod on Thursday said that came in a little over five weeks of fundraising during the quarter that ended June 30. McLeod entered the race with a pledged not to take political action committee money. McLeod's campaign said the candidate couldn't raise money for five weeks because he was involved in an out-of-state trial after he launched his campaign in April. Financial reports for the first quarter are due by Friday.
McLeod Raises Over $165,000 for SC Governor's Race Friday is the deadline for candidates to file their quarterly fundraising reports, and the numbers are beginning to trickle in across the state. First out of the gate among the S.C. Democratic gubernatorial candidates is newcomer Mullins McLeod, who is reporting that his campaign raised $165,345 in just over five weeks. "I'm honored that so many South Carolinians have joined our campaign for change. The political insiders and Columbia politicians have been opposed to this campaign since day one, because they know I'll shake up politics as usual and focus on what matters most - creating jobs," said McLeod. According to his disclosure report, McLeod has raised $168,845 to date and spent just over $13,280, leaving the Charleston attorney and small businessman with $155,564 COH moving forward. It's a strong start for the McLeod team. As for his primary challenger state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the Sheheen team reported $271,362 COH as of April 10, 2009. We'll bring you more numbers as they come in.
SC Gov. Sanford's stimulus fight brings ETV cash South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's started the year wanting to cut $724,000 from the budget of South Carolina's public television station. Instead, the governor's battle with state lawmakers over accepting $700 million in federal stimulus cash brought national cable and network news attention - and $45,000 to ETV for use of its studio facilities and satellite time. ETV's charges came as it lost a quarter of its state cash and more than a fifth of its staff in the midst of $1 billion of state budget cuts. ETV even worried about how it would come up with the cash to keep the satellite lease used by Sanford, but mostly intended to beam education programs to classrooms. Because Sanford lost his ballyhooed fight to keep the state from tapping the stimulus cash during the next two years, ETV will pick up $540,000 to cover satellite costs. ETV President David Crouch chuckles when asked about the change of fortunes. He doesn't know exactly what the profit was from Sanford's appearances, but said, "We probably do make little bit of money off of it." Sanford cable networks appearances through ETV have become more frequent since he took on the federal stimulus issue after November's election. ETV billed for 46 appearances between November and mid-May, according to records the agency gave The Associated Press. Sanford's stance made him a favorite of conservative hosts, including Fox News shows and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, who Sanford got to know during his three terms in the U.S. House. Fox News accounted for 31 of the billed appearances with a total cost of $24,000. MSNBC had six Sanford billings costing $8,525. Sanford doesn't seek out those appearances, said Joel Sawyer, the governor's spokesman. "We're an invited guest on those shows," he said. Sanford, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, raised his national political profile and talk of a 2012 White House bid in the process. He became the nation's only governor to sue to prevent his state from getting money intended mostly for education. Sanford deemed it would saddle the nation with debt and devalue the dollar. Back home, even Republicans have criticized Sanford for spending too much time making political points on the stimulus fight. The stimulus fight had nothing to do with politics, Sawyer noted. "It's totally policy," Sawyer said. "Anybody who has been watching the governor for the past 15 years that he has been involved in political life knows this not a new tune." But Mullins McLeod, a Democrat running for the office term-limited Sanford leaves in 2011, says the governor should be spending more time taking care of the job he has. With the state ranking third nationally in unemployment, "we need the governor to be focusing on helping families that are hurting right now. Instead, he's been on the air for months raising his national profile and furthering his national political ambitions." Sawyer dismissed the criticism. "If people cared what Mr. McLeod thought, maybe they'd be asking to interview him, too."
McLeod Calls for Fundamental Change in SC Today, Governor Mark Sanford vetoed millions of dollars in stimulus funding meant for public school teachers and law enforcement. In response, Democratic candidate for Governor Mullins McLeod called for an end to politics as usual in South Carolina. “Years and years of the same old tired politics have reduced us to the point that we’re actually fighting about whether we should accept needed money for schools and law enforcement agencies. Overriding the Governor’s veto just isn’t enough. We need a fundamental change in direction in South Carolina. We can’t change directions until we change the people in charge,” McLeod said. McLeod has already pledged to forgo any run for future office after serving as Governor and is refusing the accept special interest PAC money. “Most anyone would be better than Mark Sanford, but more politics as usual won’t work. I’m running for Governor to bring real change to South Carolina,” McLeod added.
McLeod Urges Sanford To Focus On His Current Job Today, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod reacted to a news story by Politico.com reporting that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will be the special guest for a dinner tonight in Virginia hosted by Republican fundraiser and former Nixon aide Fred Malek. The web site reports that the purpose of the dinner is to help wealthy GOP donors choose a candidate for President in 2012. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was invited to the dinner, but declined due to serious ice jam flooding in her state. McLeod made the following statement: "I strongly urge Governor Sanford to focus on the job he has until looking for his next one. Ice jam flooding may not be a problem here in South Carolina, but we have plenty of them. We are in the middle of a jobs crisis with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and we are being forced to fire teachers. Whether he likes it or not, Mark Sanford is our Governor. Instead of looking for a promotion, he needs to focus on fixing the problems we face right here," McLeod said. McLeod has already pledged to return to private life after his time as Governor. "South Carolina needs a Governor who will focus like a laser beam on creating jobs and fixing our schools without distractions," he said.
McLeod wants early voting in SC Charleston attorney and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod said he will make early voting and easier access to polls a campaign issue. South Carolina should have early voting like its neighbors in North Carolina and Georgia, he said, and vowed to veto any legislation he believed would make it more difficult or time-consuming to vote. "If the legislative Republicans keep trying to make it difficult for our citizens to vote, they’ll feel the full power of the Governor’s office come down on them," McLeod said. "South Carolinians deserve the ability to vote and make their voice heard in an efficient and convenient way that fits in with their busy schedules."
McLeod Makes “Putting People First, Pledges No PAC Money, No Future Run for Office and Lobbying Ban – Charleston, SC -- Mullins McLeod, Democratic candidate for South Carolina Governor, today pledged to take a series of steps that will remove politics-as-usual from the governor’s office, and help the new administration focus on its core mission of creating jobs and improving schools. “We’ve got nearly 12% unemployment, but Columbia has done nothing while too many people go without work,” said McLeod. “We’re in this mess because of a governor who puts his own political career ahead of South Carolina’s interests, and a government that’s been captured by special interests.” “We need real change. We’ve got to get the governor’s office refocused on doing what’s best to create jobs. That’s why I’ve made the ‘Putting People First, for a Change’ pledge. It will get our governor focused on jobs, for a change,” added McLeod The Putting People First, For a Change Pledge In order to clamp down on politics-as-usual in the governor’s office, Mullins McLeod has made the following pledge to the people of South Carolina. (1) No PAC Money. Corporations and special interests use PAC money to buy influence. Mullins McLeod will ban PAC money from his campaign. (2) No Future Run for Office. Our current governor spends all his energies focused on his own political advancement. Mullins McLeod will change that by swearing to return to the private sector once his time in office is done. (3) A Ban on Lobbying by Administration Members. When citizens volunteer to serve in office, it shouldn’t be for the future hope of making money from influence-peddling. Mullins McLeod will require senior staff members to forswear any future employment as a lobbyist while he remains in the Governor’s office. (4) Honesty and Transparency. Our governor spends too much valuable time bickering over whether economic development and jobless numbers are correct. Mullins McLeod will cut through this impasse by bringing in outside accountants and non-government experts to produce honest figures – which will allow all sides to come together and focus on creating jobs to tackle our record high unemployment rate. “I intend to spend my administration focused on South Carolina’s needs, not my own political agenda,” said McLeod. “My focus will be creating jobs, helping South Carolina families through this recession, and improving our public schools. And after my time is up, I’ll return to the private sector to live under the laws we passed.”
Dem faithful hear possible candidates Democrats dove into the 2010 political season Friday by introducing the party's loyalists to three potential gubernatorial candidates: Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod, House Minority Leader Harry Ott of St. Matthews and Sen. Vincent Sheheen of Camden. The men, who talked mostly strategy and called out lessons they would learn from Gov. Mark Sanford and President Barack Obama, sat down for a friendly discussion at the Inn at University of South Carolina that helped kick off the annual Dem Weekend events. --McLeod, a Walterboro native who has lived in Charleston since 1998, said Democrats need to engage more people, but they can't act like Republicans and expect to beat Republicans. He is running on the need to put people back to work, offer high-quality education and provide affordable health care. The time to win the governorship is critical because of the forthcoming redistricting, he said. If left up to the Republicans, they would draw Democrats completely out of power, McLeod said. Like Obama, the state's Democrats need to tap new resources. A competitive primary will help turn out voters, and it's key to have a nominee who will fight back with the Republicans and is optimistic enough to turn the debate around, he said. --Ott, who is mulling whether to run, has served in the state House since 1999 and works as a farmer. He said priority No. 1 is putting people back to work. Democrats need a candidate who can relate to everyday people and is a person with strong faith, family values, allegiance to public schools and South Carolina values such as gun rights, Ott said. He said he has been married for 32 years, attended the same church for 57 years, is a member of the National Rifle Association and spent 12 years on the Calhoun County School Board. Democrats need a candidate who, like Sanford, can connect with people, Ott said. The candidate should be wise enough to preempt Republican's attacks, he said. --Sheheen, a lawyer and former prosecutor who has served in the Legislature since 2001 and is now in his second Senate term, said this election is a transformative event for the state. Democrats need a leader who can teach the positive role government can play in people's lives, someone who is able to transform economic strategy and who can go on offense when it comes to public education. The party must use race, in the way a room of Democrats actually looks like South Carolina, as a strength, Sheheen said. People are looking for someone they can trust and believe in, he said. They need to capitalize on the spirit Obama left behind and learn from Sanford's ability to set the tone. Also in the race are Sen. Robert Ford and the Rev. Amos Elliott, both of Charleston. They were invited but didn't attend. The state Republican Party will hold its convention May 16 in Columbia. U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett of Westminster and Furman University political scientist Brent Nelsen are in the running on the GOP side. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and Attorney General Henry McMaster also are expected to announce soon.
McLeod enters race to succeed Sanford The Post and Courier - April 23, 2009 Charleston lawyer Mullins McLeod announced Wednesday he is running for governor next year because he wants to create jobs and unlock the potential of the state's voters. "I wouldn't get in this race if I didn't think I could win," he said. "There are a lot of things that need to change in Columbia. For one, we've got to change the way government is run. We have to get to a point where we're working on behalf of people all day every day and actually producing results: jobs, quality education, affordable health care." Citing the state's unemployment rate, the nation's second-highest, McLeod said Gov. Mark Sanford's opposition to using $700 million in stimulus money to support schools jeopardizes teachers' and students' ability to reach their full potential. "Ideology cannot trump common sense," he said. McLeod jumped into the race three days before state Democrats will meet in Columbia for their annual convention, and he joins a Democratic field that is increasingly crowded. McLeod sent a letter to delegates Wednesday announcing his bid, saying the state's current leaders have "proven themselves powerless in the face of record unemployment ... (It is) abundantly clear that South Carolina needs a new direction." Democratic state Sens. Vincent Sheheen of Camden and Robert Ford of Charleston also are in the race, as is the Rev. Amos Elliott of Charleston. McLeod, 37, grew up in Walterboro but has lived in Charleston since 1998. He graduated from Wofford College and the University of South Carolina's School of Law. He is the son of the late W. Mullins McLeod, city prosecutor and former district administrator for U.S. Rep. Mendel J. Davis. The elder McLeod was the Democratic candidate in 1982 for the 1st Congressional District seat. McLeod said he is running to win the governorship and is not deterred by the state's GOP leanings. "I think that South Carolina voters have consistently shown that they will look at each individual race," he said. "Unfortunately, some of our statewide Democratic candidates in the past have not run at the Republicans. They've tried to imitate the Republicans, and I think that's why we lost. I'm going to run a modern, 21st century campaign that focuses on the issues that matter." The GOP field is growing, too. Third Congressional District Rep. Gresham Barrett and Furman University political scientist Brent Nelsen are in. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and Attorney General Henry McMaster plan to announce later.
We Deserve Better in a Governor The State - April 15, 2009 South Carolina has never impeached a governor. So the “Impeach Sanford” signs springing up across our state probably aren’t a serious request to invoke Article XV of the South Carolina Constitution. Instead, we should take them as a prayer for relief. Because in desperate times we turn to our leaders — and we’re getting no leadership from the governor’s office or other key elected officials. Gov. Sanford has made it clear that South Carolina will continue fighting the stimulus money that other states are using to put people back to work. This, despite his having overseen the second-highest unemployment rate in the country. This, despite astonishingly broad support across our state for the stimulus. If South Carolina were a corporation, Sanford the CEO and the taxpayers were shareholders, he would be fired. The problem is broader than this latest leadership crisis in Columbia, however. Mark Sanford has spent so many years arguing that South Carolina offers only a “weak governor,” that now in our moment of crisis he’s doomed himself to a weak response. The truth is that South Carolina’s governorship is as weak or strong as the individual sitting in the chair. A strong governor determined to do right by the people of South Carolina can recruit businesses and jobs, invest in education, cut taxes on working families and rally the awesome strength of South Carolina’s people to his side to bring change. All have been done by previous governors. And all must be done by the next governor. For the past six years, South Carolinians have paid their taxes, gone to vote and had little or nothing to show for it from the governor’s office. That must change. We need a governor who is committed to results, not excuses. We need a governor who won’t tell The New York Times, “I sleep like a baby” in the Governor’s Mansion, while more than 11 percent of the people who hired him go without jobs. Most of us don’t have to read in the paper that times are tough. We have close friends, good hard-working people, who are out of work. Even if our governor disagrees with the “principle” of the stimulus package, how can he look hard-working people in the eye and tell them he is going to stand between them and the help they desperately need? The current style of politics coming from the governor and Legislature has become a poison, and South Carolina needs a strong antidote. How did we get to this point, where an 11 percent unemployment rate is met only by gridlock and more partisan bickering? We are here because politicians in Columbia have been looking out for their own political advancement instead of staying in touch with the needs of the people of South Carolina. That’s why I propose that our next governor should be required to endorse an accountability agenda, by making the following pledges: • To spend each day focused on our core priorities of jobs, education and fiscal responsibility — not partisan politics. • To forgo any run for higher office. • To bring true transparency and accountability by posting a schedule each week so the people can understand how their governor is spending his time. • To use 21st century tools such as the Internet and online town hall meetings to open the inner workings of the governor’s office to all the people as never before. South Carolina deserves a governor who gets up each morning and says “let’s get something good done for the people of South Carolina.” Electing a governor who believes in the accountability agenda is a good first step. Mr. McLeod is originally from Walterboro and is now an attorney in Charleston. He is being discussed among some Democrats as a possible gubernatorial candidate.
|
|
