NANNEY ATTACKS FORMER OPPONENT, PRESIDENT BUSH FOR CELEBRATING FREEDOM

State Representative-elect Wendy Nanney continued her odd fixation with her former opponent today when her campaign manager Mike Green posted a creepy, stalker-esque photo of Rep. Gloria Haskins’ private home on the SCHotline Website.

In the photo, a Colombian flag can be seen flying from Haskins’ front porch. Green used this to make the childish claim that Haskins, who was born in Colombia prior to legally relocating with her family at the age of 12 to pursue the American dream, “is going back to her roots.”

What Green did not mention is that the flag was flying in honor of Colombian Independence Day, which marks the anniversary of that nation’s liberation from Spain.

In remarks given today at the White House, President Bush noted that it is appropriate that the U.S. and Columbia celebrate their freedom so close together because the two nations have much in common.

“Like the United States, Colombia gained its independence when a band of patriots rallied together against a distant monarchy,” Bush said. “Like the United States, Colombia was unified in its earliest days by a daring general who became the country’s first President. And like the United States, Colombia built a new government around the rule of law and the notion that liberty was an unalienable right.”

Also not mentioned is that Green cropped out the American flag which was displayed opposite the flag of Colombia.

Campaign tricks like these are commonplace in South Carolina, but rarely after a campaign has ended. And usually, the attacker does a better job of researching the symbolism of what they are attacking before they launch the assault.

But for Nanney, this is apparently a continuation of the tactics used to win her campaign. Her June 10 victory came largely as a result of a forged e-mail circulated through direct mail by her campaign.

SENATOR BASHES OBAMA, BALKS AT MAJOR PRESS COVERAGE

The liberal blogosphere was abuzz today after Not Very Bright unleashed a story that took hold with other local blogs and trickled all the way up to MSNBC.

In the above video from Elonkey, host David Schuster took South Carolina Sen. Kevin Bryant to task for not defending a post made on his blog last week — which was taken down amidst today’s hubbub — with a controversial image comparing Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama to terrorist Osama bin Laden.

In the post, which was fed to the national media through Wonkette, Bryant embedded a photo of a t-shirt with pictures of Obama and Osama that read “the only difference between Obama and Osama is just a little B.S.” The letters “B” in Obama and “S” in Osama were both highlighted.

When MSNBC “reached out” to Bryant, he declined to be interviewed. Instead, he offered a cookie-cutter statement that helped him in absolutely no way.

Now, I know Bryant isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but when a national cable news network asks you to be on television, you do it. I don’t care what it’s for, you always say “yes.”

Some voters in Anderson County can’t even remember what kind of paint chips they ate for breakfast, much less the reason behind all this. In a week, all they’ll know is that their senator was on the talking picture box.

Plus, what kind of person lets that little weasel Shuster bully them around? Seriously… man-up.

LOBBYIST/CONSULTANT GIVES TO DEMOCRATS WHILE ON RETAINER WITH REPUBLICANS

During the 1998 gubernatorial campaign, Columbia political consultant Warren Tompkins was leading former Gov. David Beasley’s re-election bid while lobbying for the video poker industry, which spent millions to defeat him. Beasley would lose that election with 45 percent of the vote.

Supporters and clients of Tompkins looked the other way on that unethical action, hoping he would reform his ways and not inflict upon them a similar fate.

But once again, Tompkins is playing both sides — only this time, the victim is the entire state Senate.

The Palmetto Scoop has learned that Tompkins, who has been on retainer with the Senate Republican Caucus for direct mail, web design, and general consulting for more than a year now, gave $5,000, the maximum allowed by law, to the Senate Democratic Caucus on June 27 of this year.

While the contract with Republicans is with his consulting firm First Tuesday Strategies and the money given to Democrats came from his lobbying firm, those actions still conflict with each other; His political arm being paid to increase Republicans in the Senate while handing money to Democrats with his lobbying arm.

Since the Republican Caucus pays Tompkins from its operating account and those disclosures are not published under state ethics law, it is difficult to know for certain how much he has made.

But the caucus did transfer $275,000 from its campaign account — which is public record — to its operating account in the last quarter, suggesting Tompkins took in between $27,000 and $42,000 since April for the industry standard 10 to 15 percent commission.

So if you happen to be wondering the halls of the Statehouse this January and hear a fiddle, you’ll know who’s playing it. The only question is, which song will he be playing?

LT. GOV. DEBATES LEFTIST LOON OVER CHRISTIAN TAGS

The heated debate over South Carolina’s spiffy new “I Believe” license plates has recently made its way to the national media where it is garnering major headlines.

That attention multiplied last month when the Americans United for Separation of Church and State teamed up with the Hindu American Foundation to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Christian pastors, a humanist pastor and a rabbi (no, that’s not the start of a joke) to prevent South Carolina from becoming the first state to issue the tags.

That lawsuit is still ongoing, but last night Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer took to the Glenn Beck Program on CNN Headline News to discuss the “offending” tags. His sparring partner? None other than Americans United for Separation of Church and State Executive Director Barry Lynn.

Here’s an excerpt:

BAUER: If, in fact, Christians were the only ones allowed to get this tag, then I would say his claim was legitimate. But the fact that no other group has asked for one, no other group has gone through the steps to try to get one, no other group has even expressed that they would like to get one, I don`t really think you have a case here for that.

LYNN: Oh, that`s nonsense.

PAGLIARULO: Reverend, go ahead. Go ahead. I know that you`re champing at the bit. Go ahead.

LYNN: Yes. I mean, that`s nonsense, because of course you could go to the Department of Motor Vehicles if you have $4,000 or 400 people who want a plate, but it can only say the name of your organization and any specific logo of your organization.

You couldn`t, for example, go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get a plate that said, “I do not believe anything.” That would be illegal. And the lieutenant governor knows that this is the only plate (ph) promoted by the state.

Bauer also sort of “bet [his] entire political career” on Lynn and company losing in court. With some of the latest rulings coming from activist judges, that may be a pretty bad bet for Bauer.

Regardless, I’m hopeful that this will teach us a lesson about having 800,000 stupid, pointless license plates in this state. Probably not, but a guy can hope…

TEAM TOMPKINS ONCE AGAIN DOING BATTLE WITH THE TRUTH

The guys over at First Tuesday Strategies (pictured on the cover of their 1994 album “Turn it Upside Down” above) have put together a little “Consultant Roundup” in the hopes of playing up their “big wins” in this year’s primary elections. It was a clever little idea that put their success rate at 90 percent while showing all of the other firms at 50 percent or worse.

The problem is, they flat-out ignored at least one huge race they lost, while giving themselves loads of credit for mostly token victories by incumbents facing only light opposition. The truth is, they lost their two biggest races.

If other firms took the First Tuesday approach and only ran incumbents bankrolled by huge special interests running against an easy challenger, then they too would be successful 80 percent of the time — probably more.

First Tuesdays also deceitfully left off races that other firms won.

Here’s how it really breaks down: (continues…)

DESPITE PARTY VICE CHAIR’S PLEAS, IT MAY BE A WHILE

After the thorough butt-whooping laid down by Jake Knotts in Senate District 23 Tuesday that left Katrina Shealy and her consulting firm — which pretty much bet the farm on winning that race — licking their wounds, Lexington County GOP Vice Chairman Scott Malyerck sent out an e-mail to the party faithful seeking a speedy reunification.

Said Malyerck:

We must not allow any one single primary campaign deter us from our mission…to put Republicans in office. If we hold grudges because a particular candidate did not win, it does our great party no good whatsoever and will eventually weaken what it has taken so many so long to build. That is what the Democrats want, and that is what we cannot allow to happen.

I know our party members will come together. I’m asking that we join and work together as we have for years, united in the belief that what our party stands for is important. [...]

Let us remember that building a bigger, better, and more effective county party is what we must focus on as we move into summer and then fall. Let us always hold our head up proudly for we are truly blessed, after all, we are Lexington County Republicans.

After the nasty dog fight that unfolded over the last month, it’s safe to say it’s going to be a while before the shattered Lexington GOP can re-align itself. And I’m pretty sure Knotts will be seeking revenge after the nature of the attacks against him.

So don’t expect to see TPS at any Lexington County Republican events for the next… well, probably ever. And if you worked for Shealy in any way, you would probably do best to just leave the county. Hell, to be safe, you should probably just leave the state.

STARBOARD COMMUNICATIONS ALSO REELING FROM DEFEATS

There was a time when the road to victory in South Carolina elections went through consultant Warren Tompkins.

But ever since Tompkins and his firm First Tuesday Strategies guided former presidential candidate Mitt Romney — who dumped millions into winning the Palmetto State’s coveted Republican Primary in January — to a disappointing loss, the road has gone straight down hill for the bad boy politico.

“[Tompkins'] rotten tomatoes style of campaigning used to work down here,” one insider told The Palmetto Scoop. “But people have gotten sick of it. Politicians have taken note too and are jumping ship as fast as they can.”

In last Tuesday’s primaries, Tompkins’ top candidate suffered a crushing defeat. Ninth District Solicitor challenger Blair Jennings lost to incumbent Scarlett Wilson, whose campaign was managed by Gov. Mark Sanford’s former Communications Director Chris Drummond, by more than 16 points.

And the Senate Republican Caucus, which Tompkins oversees, also saw an unprecedented number of candidates picked off.

Sanford’s former Chief of Staff Tom Davis notched a huge upset victory over Sen. Catherine Ceips while Sen. Jim Ritchie, the darling of the Caucus, came a mere 47 votes from losing his seat outright. Ritchie is expected to lose by double digits to challenger Shane Martin in this Tuesday’s run-off.

But Ritchie isn’t the only candidate receiving Tompkins’ help who faces the possibility of an upset loss. (continues…)

HEY, THERE’S NOTHING ELSE TO DO TONIGHT

I usually reserve “live blogging” for special occasions because I think it’s one of the most overkilled things in the ’sphere. Like when someone sits in their living room and writes continuous updates about something that 30 million people are also watching on television.

But I haven’t done a live blog since the Myrtle Beach debate and there’s a lot going on tonight. So between now and whenever I decide to head out to the various victory parties around town, I will do the live blog thing.

So check below for updates throughout the night.

11:51 p.m. - I apologize for the abrupt end of the live blogging. The thunderstorms in Columbia laid waste to my Internet. Anyway, check the Greenville News or WIS for a complete list of results. It was a big night tonight.

9:01 p.m. - In State House District 37, Steve Parker will defeat incumbent Ralph Davenport.

8:59 p.m. - Shane Martin has just crossed 50 percent in State Senate District 13 with 60 percent reporting and could be on his way to a huge outright upset.

8:57 p.m. - In State House District 117, Tim Scott will win without a runoff holding down 53 percent of the vote. (continues…)