Quinns + S.C. CfG = BFF

In other Howard Rich foot soldier news, the fine people at S.C. Club for Growth seem to have solidified their ties to (and, perchance, allegiance from?) one of S.C.’s top three consulting firms.

Yes sir, the Quinns gave $6,900 to SCCfG last quarter, spaced out between The Copy Shop, Mail Marketing Strategies and the firm’s personal booze palace, The Back Porch.

Interesting. In Will Folks’ proposal to the Club last year, the Quinns were mentioned as a relatively minor player in the Club’s plans for the ’08 elections.

But, a decent number of the Quinns’ clients were “hit list” contenders, and the firm’s propaganda office has of late been an apologist for SCGOP Chairman Katon Dawson and Rich, Dawson’s newest buddy.

Then again, maybe it’s just a way for the Quinns to ameliorate things because of Rick’s involvement with the state trial lawyers’ organization.

McCain’s long road to 270

As it stand right now, Sen. Barack Obama is on pace to top 300, and possibly 370, electoral votes on Tuesday. But, even if you’re an unapologetic shill and paid staffer for Sen. John McCain, you can’t deny the numbers.

McCain can win every toss-up state, but if he loses Virginia (which is no doubt going to happen, considering the polls), he still loses. Right now, this is the best outcome for McCain, which still ends up in a loss:

Thin-skinned

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It’s really amazing how irritable the crowd at Richard Quinn & Associates is these days. The election is next week, yet the operatives at the firm seem to be working overtime dealing with bloggers than doing work for their clients.

Smart strategy, there.

Now, someone from RQ&A (from the firm’s server, no less) has been trying to post comments, not refuting what Vierdsen’s posted, but just trying ad-hominem attacks:

Wes,

When are you going to start posting under your name now that everyone knows who you are?

Sincerely,

Wes Wolfe’s inner conscience

P.S. – At least Rick Quinn has a job

Then there was this one:

Why are you censoring my comments, Wes? What’s the matter, you can’t take what you dish out?

Well, Vierdsen is used to some good give and take. What’s funny is how thin-skinned Young Republicans are (with due respect to Vierdsen’s conservative friends). John knows it’s YRs at the firm because older Republicans have actually got the maturity to let it roll off and move on.

It reminds Vierdsen of that great American, President Harry Truman. In a famous interaction a supporter yelled, “Give ’em hell, Harry!” Truman responded, “I don’t give ’em hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell!”

Rick Quinn maybe can now pay his property taxes

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Believe it or not, Rick Quinn still hasn’t resolved the back taxes on his former home at 39 Eastpine Court in the Harbison neighborhood. As of the latest update on the Richland County records on Oct. 24, Quinn still owes $2,412.09 on the property, which is slated to be sold at auction.

But, maybe he can pay it now. Word on the street is that the South Carolina Association for Justice (formerly South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association) has re-upped Quinn’s $9,000/mo. contract.

Vierdsen wonders how the fellas at S.C. Club for Growth feel about this. After all, the Club is using RQ&A as its in-state mailhouse, paying the firm $16,730 in June.

As we all know from the Gospel of Luke, you can’t serve two masters.

Who is Keyser Soze?

Fogle’s certainly lined up the usual suspects, and as of 6:50 p.m., these are the standings:

1. Wesley Donehue (18%, 15 Votes)
2. B.J. Boling (15%, 13 Votes)
3. Ross Shealy (13%, 11 Votes)
4. Trav Robertson (11%, 9 Votes)
5. Other (10%, 8 Votes)
6. Mike Rentiers (7%, 6 Votes)
7. Corey Hutchins (5%, 4 Votes)
8. Garrett Gay (4%, 3 Votes)
9. Adam Fogle (4%, 3 Votes)
10. Lachlan McIntosh (4%, 3 Votes)
11. Michael Reese (4%, 3 Votes)
12. Phil Bailey (2%, 2 Votes)
13. Paul Adams (2%, 2 Votes)
14. Will Folks (1%, 1 Votes)
15. Tim Kelly (1%, 1 Votes)
16. Patrick Norton (0%, 0 Votes)

Someone commented that write-in votes should be Hogan Gidley, Morton Brilliant and Greg Foster. Well, Vierdsen can tell you one thing — it ain’t Morton Brilliant. John’s of the opinion that guy is a total douchebag. Is there anybody who knew him that thought he wasn’t a little slimy?

Anyway, it’s a little funny that Fogle’s going after little ol’ Vierdsen. Unlike Mr. Scoop, John doesn’t have an entire major political consulting firm backing him up, and all the resources and advantages that entails, or an extensive network of the firm’s clients feeding him information. He’s just a guy that’s a little smart, can figure out a few things and write a coherent sentence.

It’s like UL-Monroe’s win over Alabama last year — you don’t have to have the depth or the facilities and resources, but when the other guys are throwing you picks on their side of the field on a regular basis, it’s not hard to pull an upset.

By the way, you may want to watch out for the balding guy with a limp.

Who is John Vierdsen [The Palmetto Scoop]

State GOP involved in caging activities?

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If this is true, it doesn’t make sense to Vierdsen. According to sources close to Vierdsonian Democracy the S.C. GOP may be involved in caging activities, which have been a very controversial activity in places like Ohio.

Apparently, the state party has been sending out massive amounts of mailpieces, seen in recent payments here:

…here:

…here:

…here:

…here:

…here:

…and here:

That’s a lot of printing/mail/whatever. And, word is that they’re taking mailings that are returned as “non-deliverable” to conduct challenges to the voter registration rolls.

Don’t know if it’s true, but John’s sources say it is. And, it’s a little messed up. The Republican Party in this state couldn’t be more powerful. Why is the state GOP pulling this?

And, why would Katon Dawson allow it? Sure, politics in South Carolina is a rough-and-tumble business, but Dawson is running for RNC chairman. Certainly, getting involved with unethical voter suppression activity will make him look bad to the rest of the RNC.

Batter up, big boy

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Vierdsen’s quaking in his brilliantly-shined Italian loafers about Fogle’s new jihad. In one of his new posts, the Richard Quinn & Associates resident blogger said, “I have a whole lot more respect for folks like Micah Snead and Tim Kelly and Jennifer Read — all of whom share a mutual dislike for TPS — for having the courage to use their real name than folks like Vierdsen and Waldo who cower in the shadows. So I’m going to find them and I’m going let everyone know who they are. It’s hardball, and they stepped up to the plate to play, so… batter up.”

Oh, no! Lock the door! Grab the gun! Turn out the lights!

Whatever.

It’s nice to see that John’s first on his list, too. Wow – having your panties in a wad to such an extreme degree must be pretty painful. This is how Fogle describes your illustrative host:

Not much is known about this nutjob except that they are or were a political insider and a huge Alabama football fan. They first hit the blogosphere in June 2008 and their existence has so far baffled nearly everyone. But with a penchant for vulgarity and making very nasty, personal, libelous attacks, it’s only a matter of time before they are caught. It’s possible that this is more than one person, as their character assassinations are reminiscent of the “Magic Bullet Theory.” 

That’s hysterical. Here’s a fact for the factually challenged: “libel” is defined as, “A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person’s reputation [and] the act of presenting such material to the public.”

Before you go calling Vierdsen a liar of the criminal variety, maybe you should quit getting drunk and running over people, tell your boss to pay his taxes and come clean as to the SCTLA was paying your boss nine large per month. John’s vetted each of these stories and they’re totally accurate.

Just because you’re pissy about it doesn’t make it libel. Must be that spectacular Georgia Southern eduction.

Oh, and technically, “palmettoscoop.com” is still anonymous. Idiot.

Fogle: Unsafe at any speed

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The following was told to Vierdsen by sources close to Vierdsonian Democracy who eyewitnessed the event. Because this was reported to John, and he didn’t personally see it, the applicable phrase is that the following allegedly happened.

It was 3:50 a.m. at Bar None on Saturday when political consultant and blogger Adam Fogle of Richard Quinn and Associates needed to take a piss. Zooming himself through the crowded bar in his motorized wheelchair, Fogle made it to the bathroom, but the door was closed and there was a line. Fogle looked drunk. Very drunk. And Fogle, he needed to piss.

Noticing the young man in the wheelchair, a 26-year-old health care professional decided he would open the door for him and let him use the toilet. That was when Fogle did it. He ran over the man’s left foot with his wheelchair.

“It hurts badly,” the health care professional said, back at a table near the bathroom where Fogle had just emerged. “It’s a three on a scale of one to 10,” but he expected it to be much worse by the next day, he said. “I’d give it a 50-50 chance that my navicular has been fractured,” he said. “It hurts like a son of a bitch.”

The man was angry.

“You don’t just roll over someone who’s going to open the door for you,” he said.

According to the man, Fogle did apologize, although it was “well after the fact.”

“I think he did that shit on purpose and laughed about it,” the man said.

If you were at Bar None early this morning and witnessed the incident, Vierdsen would like to know your take.

Barrett has 24.5 times more cash than Dyer

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The last decent contested race in this state looks the worst for the Democratic candidate. Jane Dyer, who didn’t have a chance to begin with, is down, in a big way, to perspective gubernatorial candidate Rep. Gresham Barrett.

According to the disclosure reports, Barrett has over $729,000 on hand for the homestretch of the campaign, while his challenger has only $29,739. On top of that, Dyer has $4,000 in debt to deal with.

Vierdsen thought a while back that Dyer had no chance, and the latest reports simply reinforce that belief.

Also, there’s the lame issue that Fogle’s trying to bring up, that Barrett will go to another consultant for his gubernatorial run. Really, dipshit?

Maybe you should make a call to your boy B.J. Boling, who worked with you in Sen. John McCain’s primary campaign before going over to Starboard. Imbecile. Obviously your tax-evading boss is passing this shit on.

Oh, in an unrelated issue, come on Will, don’t be a douchebag. Either say “motherfucker,” or choose a different word. Switching around letters is what idiotic middle-schoolers do.

Jane Dyer [FEC.gov]
Gresham Barrett [FEC.gov]

Nancy Harrelson should be scared of Jim Clyburn’s warchest

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In the other “whatevs, it’s a fucking blowout” race in South Carolina, Republican Nancy Harrelson is tilting at windmills against Rep. Jim Clyburn in SC-6. By the way, if someone can find Harrelson’s disclosure reports with the Feds, Vierdsen would like to see it.

You can search for “Nancy,” “Harrelson,” “Nancy for Congress,” and “Nancy 4 Congress,” but the FEC’s usually brilliant Web site will not turn up the goods. What the hell is going on?

Much like SC-2, SC-6 is an impenetrable fortress for the opposition party. That was the idea when the Black Caucus and the Republicans got together years ago to gerrymander the districts to make a black-majority district and a super-secure GOP district.

It’s doubtful that Harrelson will get lucky, because, let’s be honest, this thing was done the moment she filed. Clyburn has, get this, $1.35 million dollars on hand with a little over two weeks until Election Day.

By the way, this is pretty funny, from Harrelson’s donation waystation Slatecard.com:

Guys, guys – you could have put together that cash for a decent dinner at The Back Porch. Or, do you get your meals comped?

Hey, Vierdsen doesn’t like Clyburn. He thinks the incumbent is just a tad corrupt. He feels the same about Rep. Joe Wilson. The guys are never going to get a legit challenge, so they do whatever. And, ultimately, it won’t matter. Both will win comfortably.

Jim Clyburn [FEC.gov]

Don’t like taxes? Don’t pay them.

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Rick Quinn is in trouble with the Richland County treasurer again. Just two years ago, his rental property and former residence at 39 Eastpine Ct. in the Harbison area was mentioned in The State for being behind in property taxes. At the time, Quinn said:

Quinn said he moved, and the bill was sent to his old address. “I’ve taken care of it now,” said Quinn, who owns several rental properties and buildings.

He promptly didn’t pay the 2007 taxes on the house, and owes $2,412.09. According to Richland County records (updated Oct. 9), it’s slated to be sold on Nov. 3 to recoup the back taxes.

Damn – guess the bad economy’s hitting everybody.

Richland County property owners late paying taxes [The State]

Vierdsen gets some love from The State

We’ll give The State a pass for calling Vierdsen “John Vierdsonian.”

On S.C. blogs [The State]

More fun with the Quinns: What’s up with RQ&A and the trial lawyers?

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Though it changed its name to the South Carolina Association for Justice, most peeps ’round Columbia still refer to the organization as the SCTLA (South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association). Word is, there’s been some interesting things going on between Rick Quinn and the SCTLA.

Apparently, the state’s premier trial lawyer organization has been paying Rick Quinn $9,000 per month, though people don’t know why. Evidently, at the latest meeting of the organization, they tabled a proposal to extend Quinn’s contract. Mind you, he’s not a registered lobbyist for the organization, so what’s the money for, anyway?

And, why is the new SCAJ holding off on re-upping him?

Quinns involved in Abramoff-like deals?

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Months ago, Vierdsen heard that gubernatorial son Tumpy Campbell was going to have his ass in a sling over the Catawba Indian gaming scandal.

According to the Greenville News:

Collier’s lawyers argued in sentencing documents that Collier “relied upon and responded to” the consultants’ recommendations. “He had no intent to violate the law and every reason to expect that he could rely upon the two respected political consultants who had been engaged for guidance.”

Collier went on to allege in the pre-sentencing brief filed in January that “a number of the reimbursements for contributions to candidates for federal office were made to one of the political consultants mentioned above, the son of the former governor who was employed by Mr. Collier’s company to lead the political efforts. This individual clearly knew that he was being reimbursed for his political contributions to federal candidates.”

Campbell said he was the son of the governor referred to by Collier in the documents but said he did nothing wrong.

The other consultant, who wasn’t identified in the documents, was referred to as “one of the state’s leading Republican political consultants.”

The Collier in this case is David “Terry” Collier, who received probation in regard to the above allegations. There are some funny things happening here, and it’s not getting out.

Like, say, a story in The (Rock Hill) Herald in January of 2004 that said that Richard Quinn was doing polling for the Catawba Indians at the time. This is the same Brahman of S.C. politics that is a close unpaid adviser of Sen. John McCain.

What’s even more interesting is that Rick Quinn was involved with Campbell in working with the Catawbas. In the story, Quinn was mentioned as “‘The other consultant, who wasn’t identified in the documents.” It’s no secret that Quinn was working with Campbell, and the two have been working together in the firm Campbell/Quinn LLC.

It’s kind of interesting that S.C. resident d-bag consultant/blogger/convicted felon Will Folks failed to mention this well-known fact in his post on the subject. Some might wonder why.

Also involved with the tribe? None other than Palmetto Policy Group principal Larry Marchant, the Catawbas’ registered lobbyist. It’s worth noting, too, that South Carolina’s cornerstone think tank (and school choice policy incubator) South Carolina Policy Council is involved, as well. After continually opposing gambling issues, the Policy Council did a 180 on the issue without notice or disclosed reason. Sources to Vierdsonian Democracy have said it had to deal with the involvement of former SCPC president Ed McMullen.

Needless to say, this scandal goes way deeper than Campbell’s actions. So, when are the Quinns, Marchant and McMullen going to be called on the carpet?

Late governor’s son says he did nothing wrong in donation case [Greenville News]

Fogle’s having problems

Maybe the web people at RQ&A aren’t so good, after all.

Howard Rich’s pool boy announces his puppetmaster is in the clear

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What a surprise – one of NYC millionaire Howard Rich’s heimwehren here gets an “exclusive” and talks to a “legal source” about Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster shutting down any chance of looking into Rich’s attempt to buy the S.C. General Assembly.

Vierdsen wonders who at the Greenville News gave Will Folks the information from the attorney general’s office. For some reason, the name “Dan Hoover” keeps knocking about. That wouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

Of course, there was never any chance of McMaster doing anything – he’s too busy checking up on his many properties around town. Ha! But seriously, his consultants have taken thousands of dollars from at least one of Rich’s front groups, and he’s going to want Rich’s deep pockets and the help of S.C. Club for Growth and SCRG when he runs for governor.

The biggest thing about this, though, is what Michael Kinsley likes to say about DC: The scandal is about what’s legal, not what’s illegal.

Will Folks’ inferiority complex gets the best of him

Unbelievable. Did somebody not hug Will today? Did Howie not return his call? It looks like Folks’ mentula vegrandis mentality caught up with him again.

The only reason Folks’ blog is ranked so high is because 1) he’s been blogging since he got canned for pleading guilty to criminal domestic violence and 2) he’s still got enough frenemies in this festering industry called politics that feed him information. For that matter, the reason Fogle‘s blog is getting hits is because people want to know what RQ&A is up to, period. Of course, you never see him without Rick and Adam Piper, so you might as well as one of the higher-ups.

So, yeah, Will, you’ve got a lot of hits. A monkey could get a lot of hits if it blogged consistently, on the same topic, for three years. That’s how blog readership works. A monkey would probably not throw as much of its own shit and wank off in public a little less, but you can’t have everything.

UPDATE: Vierdsen would like to thank Summer’s Eve for jacking up his hit count. Danke.

Fogle’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer

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There are some things you expect from Georgia Southern. The triple-option offense, for example. But not writing ability from broadcast journalism graduates. Frankly, it’s amazing that anyone in that part of Georgia has a TV, anyway.

So, it came as no surprise to Vierdsen when Fogle posted something truly silly on the Quinn firm’s online newsletter. It started out with a true blowjob piece on former S.C. GOP executive director and RQ&A consultant Trey Walker, who is running Sen. John McCain’s operations in the mid-Atlantic states.

For some reason, this kid thinks that Virginia Sen. John Warner is running for reelection. Sorry to burst his bubble, but it’s former Virginia Gov. and Democrat Mark Warner that is on pace to whup former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore’s ass in November.

FAIL.

And, Walker didn’t do such a good job for McCain in the Virginia Republican Primary in 2000, even while Democrats came out in places like Richmond and Northern Virginia in droves to make sure George W. Bush wasn’t the GOP nominee.

McMaster put on the spot regarding Howard Rich contributions

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The struggle over NYC millionaire Howard Rich buying our government is heading into its next stage, after seemingly reaching a fever pitch during the primary season.

According to a story in yesterday’s Greenville News, Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster is being put on the spot by several public interest groups to halt these legal, but wholly unethical and democracy-subverting tactics by Rich.

Basically, what Henry Mac said was that his office had received numerous complaints, but they’re not doing anything about it. What a shock – considering how tight his consultants, Richard Quinn and Associates, are with Rich and his cronies, it would have involved an investigation into people politically closest to him.

But, that’s not stopping others from mounting an effort to re-level the playing field.

Also Thursday, John Crangle, head of South Carolina’s chapter of Common Cause, said the organization is considering a civil lawsuit against Rich that would seek a declaratory judgment on the legality of the donations. Crangle said the state board would review the issue at its September meeting. Common Cause seeks to limit the influence of money in politics.

McMaster declined to identify those making the complaints, but in June the Greenville chapter of the League of Women Voters released a letter asking him to “enforce our existing laws and investigate Mr. Rich and his numerous organizations, foundations and associations.”

In the letter, league president Jane Welch wrote that “we were very concerned recently to find information concerning… Rich … who according to the information I am enclosing, has contributed money to many candidates’ campaigns for the South Carolina House and Senate, and has also made a sizeable contribution to our governor, Mark Sanford.”

The information she sent consisted of Web sites and news articles outlining Rich’s donations.

But, considering McMaster’s feeling toward the situation is, “The information is out there somewhere. Meh. Whatever,” it’s doubtful his office will do anything.

State attorney general reviewing Howard Rich donations [Greenville News]

S.C. Club for Growth’s attack mail came from out-of-state, RQ&A

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Can you believe it? One of Howard Rich’s South Carolina handmaidens, S.C. Club for Growth, went to four different out-of-state mailhouses for their attack pieces during the primary season, running up a tab of $15,620.77.

4/21/08
Resolution Graphics (Minnesota)
$1,337.22

4/21/08
48HrPrint.com (Massachusetts)
$2,570.19

4/29/08
FOL Strategies (Virginia)
$600

6/5/08
On Target Public Affairs (Georgia)
$11,113.36

When it came to actual in-state firms for some of the nastiest ads of the cycle, they went to two places – Lexington firm Pine Press Printing, paid $5,058.59 on June 20.

The biggest payment of all? A princely sum of $16,730 to Richard Quinn & Associates on June 24. Maybe that’s why Fogle‘s been such an apologist for Rich and his tactics.