Noble speaks out against Rich cash
Phil Noble of the S.C. New Democrats launched a seven-city tour of South Carolina Tuesday to highlight the ever-growing amount of campaign cash flowing into the state from New York businessman Howard Rich.
Noble, also a Charleston businessman, said Rich and his allies have pumped more than $600,000 into state House and Senate races so far this year — about three times what they spent during the 2006 general election.
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That matters because Noble said Rich wants to "use our school kids like lab rats in his radical social experiment of vouchers and tax credits for private schools."
Noble called on candidates to refuse or return their money, saying he was heartened that Republican state House District 45 candidate Deborah Long did just that, returning $12,000. The New Democrats launched a Web site two weeks ago — FightHowardRich.com — to highlight who is taking such donations.
Lowcountry candidates in contested races Nov. 4 who have, according to the Web site, include Republican state Senate candidate Mike Rose, Republican incumbent state Rep. Wallace Scarborough, Republican state House hopeful Jill Kelso and Democratic incumbent state Sen. Robert Ford. Rose said he has received no donations from someone named Rich.
Scarborough's opponent, Democrat Anne Peterson Hutto criticized him for taking $7,000 from Rich, but Scarborough said he supports school choice and charter schools but opposes vouchers. He noted the donors have the same philosophy as Gov. Mark Sanford, whom he supports.
In a video earlier this summer in which Rich talks to state GOP chair Katon Dawson, Rich said his contributions are 100 percent legal.
"If I want to do something that I strongly believe in, like empowering parents whether it's in South Carolina or Georgia or California or any place, I should be allowed to do that," he said. "The opposition wants the status quo. That's all they want."
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
charlestonhome (anonymous) says...
Interesting that Noble objects to campaign donations by someone from out-of-state who's view he opposes, yet the Presidential candidate of his own party has received nearly $5 MILLION from foreign countries, ten times that of McCain. Is that foreigners trying a social(ist) experiment in our country? Give vouchers a try and let parents choose. At an educational ranking of 49th out of 50 states, what do we have to lose?
October 30, 2008 at 2:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
"use our school kids like lab rats in his radical social experiment of vouchers and tax credits for private schools."
MY GOD LET HIM DO IT! THE CURRENT GOV SCHOOL SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING. TYPICAL DEMOCRAT, DOESN'T WANT TO LET YOU HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR MONEY OR YOUR SCHOOL CHOICE. THEY REALLY THINK THEY KNOW BETTER? HOW'S THAT BEEN WORKING OUT PEOPLE?
We have one of the highest drop out rates, 49th place ranking, what else do you need to know? Oh yes it will actually help the black children NAACP. While the drop out rate is horrible (1 in 4), it's worst in the minority community (1 in 3)for those that suck in math, that adds up to 33% of your kids will drop out.
October 30, 2008 at 6:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MP (anonymous) says...
Noble backs more failing policies supporting wasted funding for more failing schools when someone wants to give the students who want to learn a fighting chance. His party candidate for president, however, has raised and spent almost a BILLION dollars- a billion. That is one thousand million. Much of it from questionable sources like foreign (including terrorist supporting) countries. Also, why does Obama already have his people meeting with the heads of terrorist organizations like Hamas and the PLO? Jeez, people. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, think maybe it's a duck?
October 30, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lou9 (anonymous) says...
Yeah, he gripes about $600,000 for the other party but how about his boy Obama already spending 300 million on his campaign, after he backed out of his pledge to accept public funding? Kind of the pot calling the kettle black. If he wants more funds in SC maybe he ought to give Obamba a call and ask him to redistribute some of his wealth.
October 30, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barrister (anonymous) says...
Enough about the national races! We have a serious problem locally. Mike Rose claims to be ethical and for transparency in government. Yet, he has accepted $1000 donations from Paul Farago of Asheville and Douglas Levine of Miami. These guys are funneling RICH money to candidates all over the state. Rose's statement that he has not accepted money from anyone named Rich is his attempt to deceive the public. In fact, it sounds alot like Bill Clinton. I call on candidate Rose to explain his relationship with these two men.
October 30, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldblue (anonymous) says...
Lets just end the loophole. This clown doesn't care about kids one bit, it is all about ending government. Why is it that all the whack jobs want to use SC, first it was that Christian seccesson group, now some New York millionaire.... is it that they think we are that stupid or is it the dollar just goes further?
Money in politics is a cancer, this bunch of losers is no better than the group that got pulled into Lost Trust; if you will sell your kids down the river what else do you have to lose.
October 30, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
Dollars go much further in South Carolina and it helps that the average South Carolinian would sell grandmother's silver for a hit of oxycotin.
October 31, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ed52 (anonymous) says...
a democrat accusing someone of cheating. now thats funny.
October 31, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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