The Bauer Deal
South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer has announced that he will not run for governor next year should current governor Mark Sanford resign from office. This coincides with reports that key Sanford allies are encouraging him to step down or face impeachment.
There should be no surprise here, folks. First, it’s politics. Second, it’s South Carolina politics, and third you heard it here first.
Two weeks ago, The Spy wrote:
South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer posted on his Facebook page the following: “Moving into my new home in Greenville.”
Such ownership has helped fuel speculation that Bauer may change his mind about running for governor next year and, instead, run for Congress. The most recent – and persistent – rumors indicate that Bauer will challenge Rep. Bob Inglis for the Republican nomination for the 4th District congressional seat.
As pointed out in that post, for the Lt. Gov. “running for Congress as governor may well be a lock. Besides, he would still get to put “former Governor of South Carolina” on his resume.“
In exchange for bowing out of the governor’s race next year, in addition to being interim governor, Bauer will also get support for his Congressional run.
Here’s more prescient wisdom from The Spy; Sanford will resign because there is nothing else for him to do. The pressure has reached the level of extortion and resignation is preferable to excommunication (see: Richard Nixon).
But this movie doesn’t end there. GOVERNOR Andre Bauer will endorse Henry McMaster to succeed him. The sitting Attorney General is the favorite among the real powers in state government – state legislature Republican leaders. McMaster represents the old school political machinery that doesn’t threaten the status quo.
As for the remaining gubernatorial candidates, things just got a bit more difficult.
Could we be so lucky as for this “deal” to become public and we rid ourselves of two slimly politicians at once? McMaster and Bauer…involved in one shady deal to trade the Governor’s Mansion for a congressional seat?
These people are thugs in suits, and we cannot forget this. Sanford is no saint, but we will be worse off with Bauer, who by the way has taken scores of private flights and NOT reported them as the law requires. Hmm, that is the same thing Sanford stands accused of…
There has been a “deal” in the works for quite some time. Andre sold his soul to the Quinns (consultants running Henry) who orchestrated much of this to bring Sanford down. Not saying our governor is clean by any means. He did what he did and then went on to make a fool out of himself to boot, but the Quinns have known about this for quite some time and they were preparing for it and it has worked out perfectly for them (so far). The Quinns were behind the signs that popped up all over the state several months ago calling for Sanford to be impeached over not taking the stimulus money. They were planting that “impeach” idea in peoples heads, knowing they were going to push Sanford’s affair into the public eye.
Will they get away with all this? Who knows. Andre and Henry must be derailed.
As distasteful as Mark Sanford’s behavior is, he is definitely the lesser of evils.