Another Sanford Sellout
GOVERNOR TRYING TO THROW INSURANCE DIRECTOR UNDER THE BUS FOR HIS OWN FAILURE TO AVERT COASTAL INSURANCE CRISIS
FITSNews - February 6, 2007 - There’s a line from Hamlet that seems to fit perfectly with South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s approach to life and politics these days:
“One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.”
According to the website SC Hotline, Sanford is trying to throw his own Insurance Director under the bus for a mistake he made that cost 20,000 coastal homeowners their storm insurance.
From the SC Hotline report:
The controversy stems from the Sanford administration’s August 2006 failure to move what is called the “wind pool line,” a boundary that determines which coastal areas are eligible for wind and hail insurance given South Carolina’s vulnerability to hurricane conditions.
Sanford’s failure to move the wind pool line has resulted in approximately 20,000 South Carolinians losing access to storm insurance, a crisis which was the subject of a State House hearing last week.
Of course, rather than take responsibility, Sanford went looking for the first warm body he could find to throw under the bus.
This time it was Eleanor Kitzman, who did absolutely nothing but serve the governor faithfully and capably as Director of the Department of Insurance. Kitzman warned Sanford about the crisis to come and offered him the solutions he needed to solve it several months in advance.
Quoting Kitzman from the SC Hotline report:
“Expanding the wind pool in the manner proposed responds to consumers’ immediate needs and will stabilize the market while exploring other long term solutions,” Kitzman wrote (Sanford staffer Marisa) Crawford.
That was August of last year and Sanford, of course, did nothing. But now he’s trying to make Kitzman the scapegoat for his own failure to take action.
People ask us all the time why we’re so hard on the governor lately.
Frankly, it’s stuff just like this.
For all his talk of being a leader, he just isn’t one.
One day Mark Sanford may learn a little something about personal loyalty, or fidelity to one’s ideals, or the importance of accepting responsibility when you make a mistake.
But that day isn’t today, people.
Today he’s nothing more than your typical politician - cutting somebody else’s ass to try and save his own.
Comments
By Ronald W on February 6th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Whats up with this guy Sandford? Does the Guv ever get drug tested?
By Reconstructed on February 7th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Wow, if he actually had all agencies and Constitutional officers under his belt think of the disasterous effects he could have. That is why many people like their portfolio in government as diversified as their portfolios.Indeed, there is a management fee on a mutual fund , but it is less risk than one stock, and well worth it in a conservative government as well as conservative portfolio that is the investment of the people by the people.
It appears we should once again put the Insurance Commissioners office back on the ballot.
By Ronald W on February 7th, 2007 at 6:58 am
Sanford is a great example of someone that was good in Congress (legislative branch skills) ….
but sucks as Guv (executive skills).
I voted for him twice, and like him personally…but just can not understand what he is doing? Does he come up with this stuff himself? Or is it his staff? Or wife?
What’s up wit dis
By Jackie on February 7th, 2007 at 10:01 am
willie- maybe the guv has problems with loyalty, as you say. but maybe you’re not the best one to comment on that subject. looks like sour grapes, is all.
By fitsnews on February 7th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Jackie-
Perhaps you missed one of the three statewide opinion editorials Sic Willie wrote and got published defending the governor against his many detractors - all three of which came MONTHS AFTER the governor threw Sic Willie under the bus on a personal level.
Or the dozens of blog entries on the old FaithintheSound sticking up for the governor and his ideas against a recalcitrant, obtuse legislative branch.
Sour grapes? Please.
We understand that “attacking the messenger” is part of the Governor’s Office strategy for dealing with this latest f*ck up on their part, but you can’t say Sic Willie didn’t continue to persistently, passionately and publicly go to bat for the governor long after Sanford deposited a knife in his back.
Thanks for your comment, though.
-FITSNews
By Jackie on February 7th, 2007 at 10:28 am
fair enough, but i said “looks like sour grapes.” and it does look like it. appearances count for a lot, which you of all people ought to know.
not everybody has read everything sic willie has written about the governor (does that surprise you?).