South Carolina Politics News

U.S. District Judge Joe Anderson will hear a motion by Gov. Mark Sanford today asking that a federal court decide the issues in three lawsuits seeking to control $700 million in federal stimulus money. Sanford opposes accepting the money unless an equal amount is used to repay state debt. However, legislators passed a budget law — and overrode Sanford’s veto — to spend the money. A look the legal questions:Who should decide? A federal court or the S.C. Supreme Court. That’s the question today. Sanford wants a federal court. Advocates of accepting the stimulus money want a state court to decide. Once that issue is resolved, the appropriate court can hear arguments about the issues raised by the lawsuits.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Representative Nathan Ballentine about his opinions on what has happened during the 2009 General Assembly. Many topics were covered ranging from the stimulus money to the multiple furlough weeks taken this session. The following is based off of this interview.
First topic discussed was the passage of the cigarette [...]

State Republicans elected Spartanburg businesswoman Karen Floyd to head the party at a state convention that underscored the divisions facing the GOP as it prepares for 2010 elections.

Floyd, who was unopposed, was elected unanimously. She said her 2006 loss running for state Superintendent of Education had motivated her, as well as national Democrats who had her seeing red.

“I have hope and excitement and a vision for our great party,” Floyd told the convention crowd.

But during speeches by state officials, party divisions were clear about what it means to be a Republican after several losing national cycles.

Gov. Mark Sanford listed lawmakers in the General Assembly who stood with him to oppose accepting some federal stimulus money. Sanford does not want to take a portion of the federal money unless the state pays off an equivalent amount of debt.

Attorney General Henry McMaster has signed up more than 160 fundraisers and advisers for his expected Republican campaign for governor.

The list includes many of the state’s top traditional GOP fund-raisers, as well as some key players in the election of Republican Gov. Mark Sanford in 2002.

A strong fundraising team is important, political observers said, because advertising-based campaigns are becoming more expensive. A fundraising edge, they cautioned, does not ensure victory.

Their decision to back McMaster could signal a desire by South Carolina business leaders for a more pragmatic governor, an Upstate GOP consultant said.

McMaster is emulating U.S. Sen. John McCain, whom he supported and who assembled a deep bench of S.C. supporters to win the state’s GOP primary.