In 1952, I was in the second grade. My teacher took a “Presidential Preference Poll” of our class. I lived in a middle-class neighborhood–mainly blue-collar workers. Almost everyone was “Democrat.”
I was the only one who said, “I like Ike!”
As a college student, in 1964, after reading “Conscience of a Conservative,” I campaigned for Barry Goldwater. I voted for Nixon twice, Reagan twice, Bush 1 twice, Dole, Bush 2 twice, McCain, Romney, and Trump 3 times.
Naturally, after being elected to the South Carolina Statehouse in 2022, I was going to caucus with the Republicans.
It’s called Rule 16B. It’s a rule of the South Carolina House Republican Caucus–the group that decides who gets the best committee assignments, who gets campaign money, who gets friendly access to leadership.
To be a member of that caucus, you must sign an agreement. That agreement says you will not campaign against an incumbent Republican representative “in good standing” seeking reelection.
Let that sink in! To be in the Caucus, you pledge not to campaign “in any way” against an incumbent “in good standing.”
The five Republican legislators who had to resign after the grand jury investigation in 2016 were “in good standing.”
I asked this question that day, “If my son who lives in Greenville decided to run against an incumbent in his district, does this mean I could not campaign against the incumbent and for my son?”
The answer given by leadership? “That is correct.”
So, here’s the deal: If you are a part of the South Carolina House Republican Caucus, you are silenced by your oath not to tell the citizens of South Carolina if there is a bad apple in the House. You certainly cannot try to recruit someone to run against that bad apple.
You can’t help a new conservative who wants to challenge an establishment incumbent. You can’t even stand beside your own son or daughter if they choose to run against one of those protected incumbents.
That’s not Unity! That is Tyranny!
When I was asked to sign that agreement, I said no! I told them that my First Amendment right to free speech did not end when I was elected. I was told that I could not be part of their caucus.
So be it! I will NEVER surrender TRUTH for club membership.
Rule 16B, along with the other caucus rules make sure that “You the People” get more fluff than fact from some of your representatives.
Here’s the frustration: when legislators can’t speak freely, the truth never reaches the voters who own the government.
One day, during debate on the House floor, a representative said to another representative, “So you actually trust your constituents more than you trust the ‘experts’?” That Freedom Caucus representative responded, “I could not have said it better myself. Yes! every single time.”
The people I represent may not have a lobbyist, but they have common sense. They know when they are being misled–lied to. They know when a politician starts talking like a bureaucrat.
The Bible says, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” That’s honesty. That’s transparency. That’s accountability.
If you cannot tell your voters, the truth about what’s going on in Columbia you don’t represent them–you represent the political machine.
Rule 16B may silence some, but it will not silence me, and it should not silence “We the People.”
Ask your representatives if they signed that agreement. Ask them what they have agreed to keep silent. Ask them why “the people’s business” isn’t being done in public.
Because this is your government. Your money. Your future. And no caucus, no club, and no rule should ever come between you and the truth.
If you believe the people deserve honesty more than politicians deserve comfort, share with your friends and neighbors.
The only thing more dangerous than corruption is silence.
Share this with your friends and neighbors. It’s time! To bring sunlight back to South Carolina.
