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LOCAL PARTY WANTS SCGOP TO SETTLE FIGHT, KICKING, SCREAMING ENSUE
From what I’m told, dealing with some Republican activists is a lot like handling a toddler. They take complete control over their situation by screaming, crying, and occasionally dirtying their diapers.
In South Carolina, there is no greater example of this than in Berkeley County where — unbeknown to those of us who live outside the GOP’s proverbial Narnia — there is an ongoing war between two opposing factions of the party.
And this Hatfield-McCoy-style feud threatens not only to implode the county party, but to also have a major impact on the heated South Carolina Republican Party chairman’s race.
Things came to head this weekend when local activist Richard Corbin sent a nasty email to SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson expressing his outrage that the state party had not interjected into the battle on his behalf.
“It seems that we have a lot of rules, but no one nor any way in which to enforce them,” Corbin wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Palmetto Scoop. “Maybe it is time for someone to take charge and insist on things being done correctly, whether there is a rule to substantiate it or not.”
Corbin’s emotional outburst was apparently spurned on by the fact that his adversaries, who are in control of the county party, are exploiting a loophole in SCGOP rules that allows them to hold pivotal precinct reorganization meetings at a small, inconvenient location. That move, Corbin said, was a ploy to retain power.
“I had hoped that you would now do the things that you can do to help us get these jerks out of our Berkeley County Republican Party.”
Those “jerks” Corbin referenced would be his rivals. They include County Chaiman Wayne Arnette and local allies Roberta Combs, National Christian Coalition President, Drew McKissick, former RNC National Committeeman, and Wayland Moody, 2nd Congressional District Chairman.
Dawson declined to comment on the situation, but one of the candidates running to replace him did not do the same. And that decision will likely turn this local argument into a statewide issue.
Former Republican nominee for State Superintendent of Education Karen Floyd injected herself in the feud last weekend at the Berkeley County Republican Breakfast.
According to Corbin, Floyd “won several folks over when she said that she would get involved if situations such as we have described were to arise and she was State Party Chairman.”
Floyd’s opponents were quick to call the move a mistake.
Spartanburg GOP Chair Rick Beltram told TPS, “It is very dangerous that she would want to ‘intercede’ into issues over which the SCGOP chair has no legal standing.”
Beltram called Floyd’s move a “shortcut” that would wrongly bypass the SCGOP executive committee, which he said has original jurisdiction over the issue. He said Kevin Hall, who is also running for the SCGOP chair post, “parroted my comments.”
Added Beltram, “Does the SCGOP want to become a litigation location for unhappy people who chose not to take the path that the law has prescribed?”
Corbin countered in his email, however, that Beltram and Hall were “taking the easy way out” by not interjecting, and said it would cost them support in Berkeley County.
But doing so would reverse years of state party policy to stay out of local affairs.
So what is the right thing to do? And what impact will Floyd’s play have on the SCGOP chair race?
As Corbin noted in his letter, “only time will tell.”
I just know that I don’t want to be anywhere near Berkeley County when the two factions begin throwing dung at each other… literally.
I’d generally agree with the comments about the “jerks”. The way they’ve attacked and strong-armed in Berkeley County is unconsicionable and certainly un-Christian.
They are some of the most angry and bitter people you’ll ever meet. Pray for them.
Hey, Beltram is doing the same thing in Sparkle in the name of “inclusiveness.”. When did Beltram start wanting to be inclusive?
Floyd was right, Hall and Beltram were wrong. What Karen Floyd said was that she would use the power of the Chairmanship to bring violation of the rules to the Executive Committee’s attention and as Chairman, she would encourage the Executive Committee to exercise its role as arbitrator of these types of conflicts. She wants to do the right thing and she understands the right way to go about it. Maybe she should be our next Chairman…
Wouldn’t the chairman be obliged to intervene in the case of unfair treatment of one faction by another? I don’t see why this is being blown up.
Please, under Katon’s Leadership he had to intervene on many occasions and help the local parties, this just shows the inexperience of Kevin Hall of actual party politics and what the State Party Chair is suppose to do and as for Mr. Beltram, he knows all to well as being a County Chairman that Chairman call the State Party all the time to intervene and help solve disputes.
So much is being made about nothing and I mean nothing! Ms. Floyd was taking the position of a leader. She was explaining how a true leader should “lead” when there is or may be a problem. She was not saying that she would intercede or intervene, she said she would take a look at the situation as a leader and act upon it as needed. The action she offers could be a simple as bringing the problem to the attention of the Executive Committee so they can act upon it. Yes there are systems in place to handle problems on the county level, but IF those steps were not taken, then the leader of the Party could inject herself to prevail upon the systems in place to take another look, to look deeper and to rule in an effective and timely matter.
Is everyone out there so afraid someone will actually “look into” a problem? Do we have that much to hide? Are we already preparing to make sure the new Chairman will not be able to effectively do her job? We need a leader who is not afraid to examine the problem and take appropriate action. We welcome Ms. Floyd!
Adam-
Did you have an exclusive with Beltram or did you take the time to contact the other folks in the race for their opinions? I’d hate to think you’ve taken up the ways of the dark side aka Sic Willie and start taking money to promote certain candidates. Don’t be a mouthpiece for Beltram. Everyone in the state knows his mouth is big enough already as it is and doesn’t need your help to hear the nonsense he is talking.
GM – If you think I’m a mouthpiece for Beltram, then you obviously haven’t been reading TPS very long. Google “Palmetto Scoop” and “Beltram” and let me know if your opinion changes.
Mitchell, if you really think Adam is going to go out of his way on behalf of Beltram, you’ve gotta be kidding.
Berkeley GOP politics is about as nasty and dysfunctional as you will find. He found a good story about a county party that is so messed up that it’s hard to keep under wraps anymore.