CAYCE — U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's most powerful Democrat, backed out suddenly Wednesday from a planned appearance at an election eve event in Sumter after some supporters raised concerns about him joining a congressional candidate who confessed to domestic violence.
The reversal came just a couple hours after The Post and Courier reported that several of Clyburn's closest allies were privately expressing alarm that the last-minute appearance alongside Archie Parnell, who has admitted that he once beat his then-wife in the 1970s, could jeopardize his chances of becoming the first ever African-American House speaker.
Given the early supporters Clyburn has garnered for a leadership bid, some Democratic colleagues were puzzled by his decision to link himself to Parnell in any way — even indirectly — particularly as many Democrats no longer view that race as competitive.
In a tweet Wednesday evening, Clyburn said he will no longer attend next Monday's Sumter Fish Fry, where he was scheduled to appear alongside Parnell, who is running in the 5th Congressional District against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill.
"In view of the misrepresentations of the purpose of the end-of-the-campaign fish fry in my district and hometown of Sumter, SC, I will not attend the event and I still do not endorse Archie Parnell," Clyburn, D-Columbia, tweeted.
Asked about his decision to attend the fish fry, Clyburn told The Post and Courier earlier Wednesday that it had "nothing to do with Archie" and he had not spoken to him about it. Appearing at the same event as Parnell would not have constituted a re-endorsement of his campaign, Clyburn said.
Despite Parnell's campaign suggesting the congressman was coming at their request, Clyburn told The Post and Courier he accepted the invitation from young Democratic volunteers in Sumter, where he was born and raised.
"I’m going to thank them and tell them not to be discouraged by the experience they’ve had in this campaign but to stay involved and let’s see what we can do irrespective of how unpleasant some of this experience has been," Clyburn said.
While Clyburn's reputation among South Carolina Democrats remains widely viewed as unimpeachable, a House leadership race can present wholly different dynamics, pitting him against strong contenders with similar resumes who may look for any reason for colleagues to oppose Clyburn's ascension.
"I’m not sure why he would take this kind of risk at this point with so much at stake for his own leadership prospects," said one Democratic member of Congress, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about internal party conversations without fear of reprisal.
"Jim has a long history that Democrats appreciate, so I’m not sure that one single event like this would be disqualifying," the lawmaker added. "But it’s definitely not helpful, and it could be harmful."
Nevertheless, the National Republican Congressional Committee swiftly jumped on the news, calling Clyburn's decision to appear with Parnell "disgusting" and telling him to withdraw.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee withdrew their support of Parnell after his divorce records became public this spring and have stuck by that decision.
With Democrats poised to win back the House majority in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has insisted she will keep her spot atop the party leadership. If Pelosi cannot muster enough support, however, Clyburn has made clear his intention to pursue the job.
Currently the third-ranking House Democrat, Clyburn initially brushed aside concerns about how the appearance with Parnell could affect his odds of winning a top leadership role.
"The future of young especially African-Americans in politics in South Carolina is much more important to me than what impact something like this may have on me personally," Clyburn said.
An early mentor to Parnell, Clyburn said he remains disappointed in how the campaign unfolded. Parnell did not initially tell his own staffers about the graphic details contained in his divorce records, which were first published by The Post and Courier in May, and many of them quit.
"It was very unfortunate," Clyburn said. "I told him that he should consider withdrawing at the time it happened. He made the choice not to, and it's his campaign."
Parnell has apologized repeatedly and insists he's become a changed man in the decades since the incident. He rebuilt his campaign apparatus. Parnell's campaign spokesman, Michael Wukela, argued that voters in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District appreciate the candidate's candor in addressing the issue.
"If you're going to attack Clyburn for being moved by that example of leadership, then shame on you," Wukela said. "We don't expect our leaders to be perfect, but we do expect them to learn from their actions and take responsibility. That is the leadership that Archie has shown."
South Carolina Democrats are hyper-wary of crossing Clyburn, the most influential Democratic powerbroker in the state, and many declined to comment publicly on the issue. Others downplayed it.
Bakari Sellers, a CNN commentator and former state lawmaker who has been open about his ambitions to someday replace Clyburn when he retires, said he could see how Clyburn's decision could come up in intra-caucus discussions.
But even though Sellers personally rescinded his endorsement of Parnell, he said he could understand why other Democrats would believe he remains a better choice than a staunch conservative like Norman.
"Any attempts to say that Clyburn condones domestic abuse because he's appearing with Archie Parnell are ludicrous," Sellers said, "and I think those are political plays."
Later Wednesday, a group called Protecting Our Vote PAC filed a federal fundraising disclosure revealing that they are spending around $35,000 on direct mail supporting Parnell.
The group is closely allied with Clyburn, who helped create it in 2012.
