Thursday THRASH Award: "SC" Club for Growth
Why did the SC Club for Growth target Rep. Bill Cotty in 2006?
That’s an odd question to kick off the final Thursday THRASH award, I know. Especially because the SC Club for Growth says it’s definitely not shilling for an out-of-state agenda, which is the entire basis for the THRASH awards.
True, the Club has had some interesting, out-of-state characteristics during its brief existence. The Club's website still features Karen Iacovelli, member of “New Yorkers for Choice in
Education,” on its board of directors. She’s most famous around these parts for signing a statement that says she favors “ending government involvement in education,” the pledge of a California-based
And yeah, the last Executive Director of the SC Club was
But hatred of our schools is a real-deal
The SC Club’s mission is fiscal conservationalism, not vouchers. Electing fiscal conservativationists – that’s its thing. Totally independent of out-of-state control.
So naturally, the Club has a PAC that targets candidates who don’t follow their agenda, which, I repeat, is not dictated from out-of-state interests. I can’t say that enough.
So why did the Club for Growth target Bill Cotty in 2006?
The Club recently ranked the Republican representative the 7th most conservative representative in the state. So it doesn’t make a whole helluva lot of sense at first blush.
I wanted to get an answer to this, so Gervais called the SC Club’s executive director, Matt Moore.
What did Matt say? Well, nothing. He wouldn’t talk. I talked to his answering machine a couple times, and then got an email from him offering to answer my questions via email.
Here’s the queer thing: You know how Gervais reached
That’s the number for 
Just a crazy hunch, but I was right.
You see, SCRG’s founder/financier,
"Club for Growth State Action" oversees and supports the 7 state Club for Growth affiliates, like the one we’re lucky enough to have. According to tax filings, Rich has personally served as director of several of these state affiliates, including
So in 2006, when Howie spent $20,000 on two separate candidates, one in the primary and one in the general election, to try to oust the unsinkable Bill Cotty, the “SC” Club for Growth dutifully did its part to help Rich. After all, he pays the rent.
So why did the Club for Growth target Bill Cotty in 2006? I think it’s obvious. It starts with "v" and rhymes with schmouchers, and Cotty wasn't buying it.
But that's just my opinion. If you really want to know for sure, you can just call 212-1051 and find out. And when SCRG receptionist Maxine puts you through to Matt’s Club for Growth voicemail, let ‘em know the Club is a winner … of the 5th and final Thursday THRASH award.
The Howard Rich Advocacy & Shilling for Hire (THRASH) awards were created to honor "
6 comments:
Ross,
Note the 2006 Club scorecards, when Representative Cotty scored a D grade (42.13 out of 100 - we were scoring on a curve). Since it was 2006, we didn't have the benefits of knowing that he'd clean up his fiscal act for 2007...
Also, the scorecards were incomplete when we made our PAC support decision (a necessary evil of scheduling primary filing in the middle of legislative session and having a primary one week after session ends). When the Club's Board came to that decision (in fairness, after meeting with both Representative Cotty and his challenger), his scorecard grade was sitting on a solid "F" grade. Only after he start taking his challenger seriously in that election did his voting improve on fiscal issues.
In retrospect, I'm very glad that Rep. Cotty's voting improved to the point of being 7th in the house in 2007, his lack of support for school choice notwithstanding.
Hope this helps explain why the Club took on Bill Cotty in 2006.
It does help explain it, Joshua, but not nearly as much as the shared office, shared phone lines, and shared boss-man with SCRG:
"In District 79 in suburban northeast Columbia, six-term incumbent Republican Bill Cotty survived a June primary challenge from Sheri Few who was supported by the conservative South Carolina Club for Growth as backing 'free market educational choice.'"
(10/14/06 Associated Press)
For what it's worth, there are quite a few other political/lobbying outfits in their same building. I'd bet if you called any one of them they would put you through to another.
So Matt Moore only responds to intervew requests via e-mail?
In The State's article about Howard Rich, titled "Bill aimed at out-of-state contributor," John Monk writes that Hpward Rich only responds to interviews via e-mail and not by phone or in person.
Sounds like a job requirement for his followers.
I can just imagine the morning Josh Gross awoke to the phone call from Howie -- "Josh....I want you to move to South Carolina." Bet he looked at his wife and said "Sweetie, He called. Hope you know how to make sweet tea!"
Ordinary people have no idea how much out state money flows into SC.
For every dollar we know about MANY more come to this state influence our lives. They come to nonprofits that have loose reporting laws, they come in differnet names and to different accounts. The pay direclty to some venders, and indirectly to others.
It is a scandal with tremendous effect...these guys and their partners have have bought the right wing of our party...and there is nothing we can do about it.
Try this one...and Josh can try and say different if he really wants to be made the fool.
Randy Paige was Chief-Headhunter-in-Charge for the ED position for the SC Club for Growth. Josh wasn't the Clubs first choice.
He set it up and has since failed to "knock'em down".
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