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KNOTTS CALLS FOR LEGISLATURE TO ‘MOVE SWIFTLY TO RID OUR STATE OF THIS GOVERNOR’
In a letter to South Carolina legislators, a prominent state senator Thursday said Gov. Mark Sanford’s supporters were behind recent Internet rumors that Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is gay. And he encouraged the General Assembly to remove the disgraced governor immediately.
“During the last two months, we have discovered plenty of solid reasons to remove our current governor from office; but now there’s one more reason: the people trying to keep Sanford in power have stooped to a new low with this week’s false character assassination of Bauer,” Knotts wrote.
A national blogger wrote Monday that Bauer is secretly gay and that multiple male sources had confirmed having sexual relations with the lieutenant governor.
Knotts said individuals close to Sanford were behind the attacks, which he said were “100 percent false.”
“As a former target of a false rumor started by the Sanford Camp I can tell you with absolute certainty this attack was orchestrated on behalf of Mark Sanford, either directly or indirectly, and financially subsidized by him or one of his many ‘front-groups,’” Knotts wrote.
Knotts noted that he was the subject of similar Sanford-backed smears when “a former Sanford employee and political consultant made a totally false claim about me, designed only to damage my character and reputation and embarrass my family.”
The governor’s office, however, denied the assertions in Knotts’ letter.
“This letter is simply wrong – and in that regard, as bizarre as many of the other claims and attacks of recent weeks,” said Sanford spokesman Ben Fox. “Some have even argued this indeed points to an obsession with slandering anyone who tries to change the ‘good ol’ boy’ system of politics in Columbia.”
The letter, in which Knotts said Sanford has “has moved from a simple embarrassment to a desperate and unstable person which is a danger to our state,” was reportedly sent to every member of the General Assembly.
[VIEW THE COMPLETE LETTER HERE]
The senator said the timing of the “smear campaign” was not a coincidence.
“Last week, Bauer called on Sanford to resign, and last weekend, the House Republican Caucus decided almost unanimously to move forward to ask Sanford resign from office, under threat of impeachment,” wrote Knotts. “Two days later, the National blogger devised a carefully-crafted smear – intentionally worded to deceive the public about Andre — which was immediately spread across the Internet by Sanford associates and former staffers.”
But Fox said the governor’s office was focused on more pressing issues than a smear campaign against Bauer.
“South Carolina is facing serious challenges, and the Governor is dedicated to addressing these challenges alongside other members of the legislature committed to the same,” said Fox. “We have a state capital with too much spending, too little transparency, and as shown by this letter, at times too many political attacks.”
Knotts asked the House and Senate to “swiftly to rid our state of this Governor.” He further requested that “that if any committee or sub-committee, whether it be in the House or the Senate is armed with subpoena powers during any upcoming impeachment proceedings, a full-fledged investigation into this week’s attack against the Lt. Governor be included.”
Sanford has come under fire after revelations of an extramarital affair led to media investigations of his travel records. Three separate reports accused the governor of using state aircraft for personal travel, violating state requirements by using high-priced airfare, and not reporting the use of private aircraft.
__________
UPDATE: “I have known Andre since he was eight years old,” Knotts told CNN. “Ain’t a homosexual bone in his body. That boy is a good boy. It’s a just an attempt to prevent Andre from become governor.”
Talk about a poor choice of words.
Never thought I would agree with Senator Knotts on much, but today on this one, he is right. The only way to get over all of this is for the Governor to resign immediately. I am tired of all the apologies and shenanigans and “waiting on the ethics commission.” The Dems are lying in the shadows with plans to defeat our best candidates on how we have failed to take care of “character issues” and dereliction of duty in 2010. Our state capitol is also way too full of hypocrisy, and that starts at the top.
This was a very dumb thing for Bauer and Knotts to have done. Now the entire state will hear rumors that only a few have heard.
Who is advising Bauer? Are they certified idiots or just amateur idiots?
Bauer’s choice of advisors is indicative of his judgement. Let us hope he never moves that band of morons to the Governor’s office.
I thank God for Sen. Knotts and Sen. Thomas. Where we’d be without them, I dare not imagine. It is a horrifyingly true assertion that we in SC have a psychologically impaired, morally devoid, blasphemous, deranged, vindictive vermin as Governor.
[...] Today’s headline on the Palmetto Scoop, quoting a prominent Republican Sanford foe: "Senator: Sanford behind rumors that Bauer is gay." Copyright © 2008 Capitol News Company, LLC | Distributed by Noofangle Media [...]
It is passing strange to treat Jake Knotts as a “source” of anything other than methane.
Shows what a smear campaign can do, regardless of if it’s Sanford behind it or someone else. The power of public relations and publicity. And our obvious love of gossip.
Good thing no one is focusing on the budget, education and the like.
[...] just about everyone but me is talking about this. (Such as Politico, and both national and state blogs.) No newspapers so far, though, unless I’ve missed something. I can well imagine the [...]
I agree that both Bauer and Knotts are complete idiots, but that has never kept anyone from political offfice in this state. As for being gay, who cares. Being gay does not automatically disqualify someone for office. I could name names but will forbear.
[...] supporters of Lt. Governor Andre Bauer are saying that Sanford and his supporters are spreading rumors about Bauer’s personal life: In a letter to South Carolina legislators, a prominent state senator Thursday said Gov. Mark [...]
why replace a fornicator with a Sodomite
Ahyone name “Andre” is either Scottish, French, or Gay.
Not sure which category the Lt. Gov falls under. He doesn’t look Scotish, so someone better wave some brie and escargot in front of him and see if he partakes.
[...] here to read the rest: Senator: Sanford behind rumors that Bauer is gay AKPC_IDS += "1574,";Popularity: unranked [...]
I think maybe hi IS gay. He’s single, dresses well, has great hair… In fact th more he denies it the more I think its true. Let’s call for a full investigation!
Or we could cut the nonsense and try togovern, but we know Knotts & Bauer don’t want to do that.
Knotts & Bauer, Jake & Andre – what a couple…
This is a tricky one, because on the one hand, I usually couldn’t care less if he’s gay. On the other, his policies are anti-gay, so that makes his homosexuality relevant, if he is homosexual.
But I’d hate to see Sanford rewarded, if Sanford is indeed behind these rumors, because too many people think Bauer’s being gay disqualify him from being a politician. That’s not right.
In any case, Sanford should have been gone a month ago. He’s a hypocrite and a fool. I don’t care how many times he says God forgave him. That’s so arrogant. How come he’s so sure God forgave him, but not Bill Clinton? Meanwhile, Bill Clinton never went running around accusing others of doing the very thing he was doing himself. Who’s the better person?
It is sad that politics have come to this. Andre may be colorful but he is definitely in no way gay and I’m sure there are plenty of people who can back that up myself included.
Said “national blogger” has a pretty good track record at being right about these things. Too bad the GOP has a serious hang-up with teh gheys.
As a resident of NY, I feel your pain regarding the WTF? nature of your current state government. My sympathies.
To SC’s credit, your legislature is actually acting like a branch of government enforcing a check on another. Unfortunately, you don’t see much of that these days.
http://www.blogactive.com/2009/08/rumors-confirmed.html
I concur with several other posters. This was probably the dumbest political ploy I have ever seen.
Be Bauer gay or straight, before these dummies went into action it was just a back story. Now it is on CNN and other national outlets.
With friends like these, Bauer does not need enemies.
somebody call the waaambulance, he called me gay!
Is or is not South Carolina the armpit of the country?
Hey Fogle, why so obsessed with Sanford? Let him finish out his term, so he can keep the spend-happy state legislators in check and keep Bauer from rubber stamping everything they want. Sixteen months is not a very long time; his political career is already over.
I reprinted this in the comments here and just letting you know! Fair is fair, equal time, and yada yada…
Good work Jakie, Andre and your advisers. You secret plan to let everyone on the planet know you are gay has worked.
I woke up this morning to hear, on a mainstream radio station, the article being read about Andre Bauer being gay (and perhaps Governor Sanford being behind it).
The announcer had never heard the rumor, till now. Along with everyone else.
[...] new favorite state: South Carolina (again) Senator: Sanford behind rumors that Bauer is gay SC Gov. is being accused of calling the Lt. Gov. a Friend of South Carolina has officially [...]
Is Knotts Andre Bauer’s “beard”, or some “swinging partner”? He seems to have a lot of intimate knowledge of Bauer’s sex life.
“Andre is not gay,” Knotts said Thursday. “Having known him since he was 8 years old, I am 100 percent certain this rumor is false.
LOL! Larry Craig wasn’t gay, either. Or Mark Foley.
Here’s the post. Read it and weep. This guy has been showing up at Cher concerts for years.
http://www.blogactive.com/2009/08/rumors-confirmed.html
Apparently in the republic party, it’s worse to be assumed Gay (and possibly celibate) than to be straight, married, and ‘christian’, yet cheating on your wife with SC government funds!!
Now LA Gov BOB JINDAL (R) is accusing local paper/religious progressive organization accusing him of using State helicopter to go to 14+ fundamentalist churches without reimbursing the treasury for the weekend non-work jaunt, he labels them as “gay lovers, supporters of gay marriage…”
ID Sen. Larry Craig the most anti-gay, self-loather of all–in an airport bathroom stall tapping the floor looking for glory holes??!
This is the same Jakie who refused to debate Allen Ray at a Lexingto GOP meeting. Rather, in his usual bully fashion, he pointed at him and said, “the only reason he’s running against me is because he is gay, and I oppose same sex marriage”
Jake Knotts…
Proof that pork fat rules!!!
If Bauer is gay then he is clearly violating state law and should be removed from office immediately. Bauer should step forward say if he is or is not gay and if he is not prove it. We dont need a faggot in the Governor’s mansion.
I’ve been fascinated by the whole political story in South Carolina. There is a melodramatic movie waiting to be made from this fascinating story.
You have the attractive spurned wife (Jenny Sanford – now appearing in Vogue); the private schooled four young sons, the bombshell Argentinian girlfriend (the Governor’s soulmate); the juicy and poetic love e-mails; the allegedly Gay Lt Governor (see Blogactive for this story); the sanctimonious Governor with his moralistic bombast and insistence on being cheap in everything but his own pleasures; the religious right and GOP dominated state that continues to play the high moral caliber card; the C Street House connection to the halls of Washington political/religious power and a couple of other philandering politicians (Ensign, Pickering); the ostensibly straight Senator Linsday Graham; the former home schooling, erotica writing Chairwoman of the SC Board of Education; the Waterloo-spouting Jim DeMint; the Republican-dominated House of Representatives struggling with how to get rid of Sanford (impeachment anyone?) and on and on.
I wonder who is writing the story and who in Hollywood will play the leads?
Quote “This was a very dumb thing for Bauer and Knotts to have done. Now the entire state will hear rumors that only a few have heard.”
It is indeed ironic. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde trial when Wilde took the father of his lover to court for being called a “sodomite”.
Bauer should take similar action if he really wants to clear his name.
I hate to break it to you people but methane has nothing to do with the smell of flatulence. It is hydrogen sulfide.
I hate to break it to Senator Porky, but the rumors about Bauer have been going around for a very long time. They didn’t start with Sanford’s situation. And while he lied to his wife and had an affair, exactly why is that the business of the Taliban members in the General Assembly? What a moralistic lynch mob. Shame on them. Shame on Sanford for what he did to his wife, but that is between her and him and nobody else’s business, especially Senator Porky. Remember gluttony is a sin just like adultery. Adultery hurts the spouse, but when a Senator turns into a piglet that increases health care costs for the state. I’d rather have an adultery in office than a moralistic porky.
There should be an immediate investigation. Knotts didn’t bring this to the public eye, it was all over youtube and other websites that showed the video of Bauer or had articles about him calling for Sanford’s resignation. And those of us who weren’t born yesterday ran into these groups doing it to other candidates during elections, too. They are scripted, work in tandem, and tend to favor formats like youtube, Huffington Post, blogs, townhall.com or article response areas like this…. for instance, there are people here attacking Knotts without commenting *on the topic* in any reasonable manner or they switch topics to get people off the track, this is their MO. They could either be behind a candidate opposing another like Sanford, someone planning to run in the next election against Bauer from either party or they work for special interest groups opposed to the candidates’ agenda. It could possibly be gays, I’ve seen them do this before to candidates opposed to gay marriage, even if they were for civil unions (like Romney.) I’m not making accusations directed at anyone until we see some evidence. These people are destroying our Democratic process and their right to libel is not covered in free speech, neither is racketeering, it is against the law on the internet or off. NAIL THEM, CHARGE THEM AND MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF THEM. Bauer should also file a civil suit for financial damages. This is affecting every citizen, not just people in SC. Party’s over, suckers.
And just fyi, the ISSUE is NOT that gays are good or bad, it is that someone is lying about someone else who isn’t in the hope it will brand him as a liar and hypocrite to destroy his political career or undermine his attempts at getting Sanford removed, who should have taken that hike a long time ago.
It is true someone is doing this and that’s no secret, but Knotts had better have some proof it was people connected to Sanford in some way or he is breaking the law, too.
[...] [...]
Why doesn’t he just proudly come out? If McGreevey had done that in New Jersey (and not married a woman), he’d still be governor, and he’d have a good shot at re-election.
[...] days ago rumors once again surfaced that SC’s Lt. Governor Andre Bauer is gay. The Palmetto Scoop now has proof that Sanford was behind the rumors. Baur had recently gone on record demanding [...]
Why is it always Republicans that have the weird sexual histories and not Democrats?
And to those who are using anti-gay epithets – you keep reinforcing the fact that conservatives are universally backward traditionalist non-fact-based troglodytes. Keep it up, kids! Thanks for giving us 2012!
Oh please. You can take one look at Sanford and tell he screams gay. I mean come on. I live in washington d.c. and have a political family and all i can say is. pull the wool off of your eyes for once and see the real picture here. look at the governor of new jersey and think real hard about it. men who are in the political eye at that age are already married at that age. he is blind sidiing you with his looks and charm.