Freshman U.S. Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC), who rose to prominence on the wave of tea party support which ushered him into office during the 2010 midterm elections, now has a Democratic challenger.
Bobbie Rose of Charleston plans to file on Tuesday for the Democratic nomination for the District 1 congressional seat held by Scott. In a statement, Rose said her experience in business and education will help her become a liaison between Lowcountry voters and the federal government.
Rose also stressed a need for voters to look beyond party affiliation, and for lawmakers to analyze each bill on its own merits instead of political wrangling. Speaking to Palmetto Public Record on Monday, Rose said Rep. Scott’s plan to cut corporate taxes and repeal regulations isn’t a legitimate jobs program.
“Any time jobs come up, his answer is ‘regulations are choking business,’” Rose commented. “That may happen on a very tiny basis, but it’s a myth that and Scott and [House Majority Leader Eric] Cantor are using to boost corporate profits.”
Rose pointed a study which found that “government regulation has essentially no impact on layoffs.” Instead, Rose said the U.S. and South Carolina should make technological investments that will pay off with new jobs, and even new industries.
“South Carolina is poised to be a leader in alternative energy, and he has nothing to say about wind and solar and the kind of investments we could make to become a national leader in that industry,” said Rose.
But while Rose focused on the importance of working for one’s district, a Lowcountry blogger reports that Rose’s opponent appears to be doing a good bit of work for himself. Rob Groce of Charleston writes that Rep. Scott’s congressional campaign has paid over $27,000 in reimbursement to companies at least partially owned by Scott and included on the candidate’s financial disclosure statements:
Is this legal? Somehow, it is, according to two well-experienced campaign advisors who asked their names not be revealed. A candidate can rent campaign property from his own company, hire himself and his own company for campaign work, and reimburse his own company for any other campaign expenses, too.
But is it ethical? Well, for the best answer possible, picture those same two campaign advisors rolling their eyes very slowly in disgust. Those thousands in campaign payments were nothing more than personal profiting from political ploys.
Scott, who became South Carolina’s first black Republican representative in over a century, won the 2010 general election by 37 points. It will be difficult to beat him, but as Rose is so far the only Democrat who has filed for the race, she will be able to campaign against Scott without the distraction of a primary.
“Scott, who became South Carolina’s first black Republican representative in over a century, won the 2010 general election by 37 points. It will be difficult to beat him,”
Keep in mind, Scott was running against professional charlatan Ben Frasier, a man who’s run as a Democrat multiple times despite being about as liberal as Alan Keyes. Had he been up a real challenger, it would have been a different story. I still wish Linda Ketner had won, but Miss Rose sounds pretty impressive so far.