Ok, I know I spent yesterday talking about how the Daily Kos should endorse the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act of 2013:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Today, I am going to urge the Daily Kos community to endorse Congressional candidate, Elizabeth Colbert-Busch (A.K.A. Lulu) who is running as a Democrat in South Carolina's 1st District. This is is the seat Rep. Tim Scott (R. SC-1) vacated to fill Senator Jim DeMint's (R. SC) seat in the U.S. Senate and is running for the Senate in 2014 Senate Special Election. Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, as you may or may not know, is the sister of Dr. Stephen T. Colbert of The Colbert Report. I'll let Stephen introduce her:
Colbert's endorsement of his sister is pretty amazing. Of course he was funny but he made a terrific argument for his sister. We do need more smart, practical women who will pass common sense legislation like the Violence Against Women Act and Colbert-Busch's experience with wind energy business would give her the opportunity to draft legislation that would not only help battle climate change but also create green jobs. But the main reason why I am excited about Colbert-Busch's campaign is because she has excited a sleepy South Carolina Democratic Party:
http://standrews.patch.com/...
Colbert-Busch has received several endorsements for her campaign. First there's the Young Democrats of South Carolina:
http://www.scribd.com/...
Colbert Busch, the Director of Business Development at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute, is aseasoned negotiator. Having worked previously for the South Carolina Ports Authority and major shipping companies AMI and Orient Overseas Container Line (USA) before taking her current job at Clemson, she has experienced firsthand how business and government can cooperate for the greater good of all. Since starting at Clemson’s Restoration Institute, she has opened the door to thousands of new energy jobs and the largest wind turbine testing facility on Earth.
Colbert Busch will be a strong voice not just for the people of the First and for South Carolina as a whole,but also to strengthen American trade influence and the clean energy economy all of which can stand to gain the jobs South Carolina’s young professionals are studying for.
We offer our endorsement independent of the state Democratic Party, which continues to host a primary for the First Congressional District on March 19. We strongly urge Young Democrats in the First to vote for Elizabeth Colbert Busch on March 19 (and again on May 7). Young and College Democrats are already on the ground working the Colbert Busch campaign, and we are just getting started. - Young Democrats of South Carolina
Both former civil rights leader, Rep. John Lewis (D. GA-5) and Assistant Democratic Party Leader, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D. SC-6) have thrown their support behind Colbert-Busch:
http://mountpleasant-sc.patch.com/...
Elizabeth Colbert Busch is my friend and my sister. I am endorsing her in the Special Election for South Carolina’s First District. The Colbert family has always been a strong advocate for all the people of South Carolina. I have visited the First District and know they need a powerful voice in Washington; Elizabeth can be that voice. I know she will be a hard working and dedicated Member of Congress who speaks up and speaks out for the people she serves. She has never been afraid to get in the way. Elizabeth Colbert Busch deserves the help and support of all the people of the Lowcountry.” - Mount Pleasant Patch, 2/27/13
http://www.postandcourier.com/...
On Saturday, the leading Democrat in the state of South Carolina, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-6) endorsed fellow Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch to represent the First Congressional District. And Clyburn did so forcefully. “We’re in it to win it.”
Clyburn issued a message to potential rivals of Colbert Busch who will look to attack her: “I don’t usually get involved in primaries like this. I want Elizabeth to be tough. I’m going to be tough. And I’m telling everybody involved in this race, ‘Don’t bring it if you can’t take it.’”
Earlier on Saturday, Clyburn appeared with Colbert Busch at a union event in Hanahan. The event was called "Stand Up for Good Jobs in Charleston: T-Mobile Workers Speak Out" and it featured political speakers, union speakers and current and former employees of T-Mobile's German and USA call centers. The Charleston T-Mobile workers are not fully unionized but some employees are part of the CWA Local.
Clyburn said Colbert Busch in Congress would be the key vote needed to protect workers' rights. “She has the background, experience and sensitivity that’s needed in this district,” Clyburn said. - West Ashley Patch, 2/16/13
Colbert-Busch has also received the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley (D. SC). Cobert-Busch has also stated her support for comprehensive immigration reform, universal background checks, abortion rights and same-sex marriage which differ from her primary opponent, conservative Democrat Ben Frasier:
http://www.blufftontoday.com/...
On immigration, Busch suggested finding a way to legalize the estimated 12 million undocumented workers in the U.S. Frasier said that, while he sympathizes with immigrants working in the U.S. illegally, any sort of “amnesty” is not an answer.
“Somehow we have to find a way to get them back across the border,” he said. “They are a threat to the American way of life.”
Busch noted the difficulty of further gun control measures in light of Second Amendment protections but said “we have to start with the low-hanging fruit” such as universal background checks. Frasier said he supports background checks and “there’s a difference” between an assault weapon and a weapon for basic protection, but “if you want one for pleasure, you should be able to buy one.”
While Busch is pro-choice and supports same-sex marriage, Frasier opposes abortion in most cases and doesn’t approve of recognizing LGBT couples, though he adopted the more traditional Democratic stances against privatizing Social Security and adopting a so-called “voucher” program for Medicare first proposed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. - Bluffton News, 2/12/13
The Republicans are so scared of losing this race that Ben Frazier may have been suspected of being their plant to throw this race their way:
http://standrews.patch.com/...
Could it be Alvin Greene, Part 2?
Ben Frasier, who filed today to run as a Democratic candidate in the Special Election for the First Congressional District, has already aroused suspicion among some Democrats.
Frasier is a frequent candidate and was the nominee of the Democrats in SC1 in 2010.
During the race, Rep. James Clyburn (D-6) wondered if Frasier, along with Greene, was part of “shenanigans” on the part of Republicans to confuse African-American voters.
In 2008, the Charleston City Paper reported that Frasier was a former to aide to segregationist era Congressman Mendel Rivers.
Frasier has also been accused of living in Maryland, which would make him ineligible for the seat. But in 2010, the Charleston County Board of Elections determined that he met the residency requirements and Frasier ran again.
When Patch spoke with Frasier on Monday he said he lived in South Carolina.
But Frasier had difficulty explaining his motivation for running and seemed to suggest it wasn’t even his idea. He said “they” told him to run, but did not specify who the “they” was when asked.
Frasier said that “they told me to stand down” when asked why he did not run in Nov. 2012, when the seat was up for grabs. He again declined to identify to whom he was referring. - St. Andrews Patch, 1/28/13
The Republicans are being super cautious about their hopes of winning this race that even vulnerable Governor, Nikki Haley (R. SC), is sitting out the crowded GOP primary:
http://standrews.patch.com/...
The next most influential endorsement would be from Gov. Nikki Haley. In the last week, multiple sources have told Patch that Sen. Larry Grooms is actively seeking the governor's support. But sources close to Haley told Patch that it won't be coming, and furthermore, Grooms hasn't even formally asked for it.
The District is an important one for Haley's re-election prospects in 2014. It's in her interest, of course, that the seat stay Republican. But it does not make sense to endorse a candidate in the primary who may not win the nomination, which could potentially alienate the eventual nominee. The risk doesn't equal the reward. - St. Andrews Patch, 2/22/13
If Colbert-Busch wins this district, it's bad news for Haley who PPP showed would trail her 2010 opponent, State Senator Vincent Sheheen (D. SC), in a hypothetical rematch:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/...
In 2010 Nikki Haley was elected Governor of South Carolina by a 51/47 margin, an uninspiring performance given the red hue of the state and what a strong year it was for Republicans nationally. Since then Haley has proven to be an unpopular Governor, and the national political climate has gotten far better for Democrats. As a result Haley now trails her 2010 Democratic opponent, Vincent Sheheen, 46/44 in a hypothetical rematch.
Sheheen is able to overcome South Carolina's GOP lean for two key reasons. He has a 51/35 advantage over Haley with independents, and he's picking up 15% of the Republican vote while losing only 10% of Democrats. Sheheen leads Haley despite having relatively low name recognition- only 45% of voters are familiar enough with him to have an opinion, suggesting some of the profile he built up in 2010 has already receded. - PPP, 12/11/12
South Carolina is going to be a political hot spot this year and next year. You have Colbert-Busch who is energizing the base and could be going up against disgraced former Governor, Mark Sanford (R. SC), in the special election. You have the Club For Growth looking to take out Senator Lindsey Graham (R. SC), a special election for Senator Jim DeMint's (R. SC) seat and a highly vulnerable governor facing a rematch against a well-renowned candidate with name recognition who also excites the Democratic base:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
The back room at Zorba’s in Irmo was packed. The staff had to retrieve extra chairs from an adjoining room to make sure everyone had a seat. While the food at Zorba’s is delicious, it probably wasn’t the main reason for the crowd. The monthly meeting of Irmo Democrats was bigger than usual because Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D- Kershaw) was the guest speaker.
Sheheen challenged Nikki Haley for governor in 2010 and was narrowly defeated. It’s widely assumed that he will again challenge Haley in 2014. His appearance at Zorba’s did little to refute that assumption.
After dinner, Sheheen spoke briefly in a manner that sounded a lot like a stump speech. - Irmo-Serve Oaks Patch, 1/18/13
I for one am really excited both about Colbert-Busch's candidacy and the political hot bed South Carolina will be. Like I've said before in my previous diaries, there is nothing sweeter than beating Republicans on their home turf. Picking up this seat will make Nikki Haley's worst nightmare come true and could lead to her defeat in 2014. Candidates like Colbert-Busch and Sheheen have woken up the party and clowns like Sanford and Haley have tarnished their party's credibility in a southern state like South Carolina. Now I don't doubt that Tim Scott will hold onto to DeMint's seat but I can't wait to see who the Club For Growth comes up with to go after Lindsey "Campaign Off of Benghazi" Graham. That race alone will be hilarious to watch.
We here at the Daily Kos community owe it to Stephen Colbert to get behind his sister. Colbert has provided us years of laughter and Elizabeth Colbert-Busch not only offers us another pick up opportunity but another step forward in turning a red state like South Carolina into the purple category. If you're still on the ropes about Colbert-Busch, you should give this interview a read:
http://www.postandcourier.com/...
As director of business development for Clemson University's Restoration Institute, Colbert-Busch is, for lack of a better term, the school's corporate matchmaker. She finds companies that could benefit from the kind of advanced environmentally conscious research the university is doing -- wind turbine testing, water studies, different kinds of renewable energy -- and partners with them. More to the point, she asks them for money. In return, the corporations get the kind of cutting-edge information to help them stay one step ahead of the competition.
Colbert-Busch used to think she was defined by her career. It's easy to understand, after all. Her job was something she loved dearly. So when the opportunity to work for Clemson came knocking in 2008, she initially balked at the idea.
"I just wasn't sure because I thought I had it all," she says. "I was about to say no, but I thought about something my dad used to always tell me: 'Take every legitimate adventure and don't be afraid.' "
So she took the ultimate leap of faith and accepted the job, something she's thankful she did every single day.
It turned out to be the perfect fit. She helps companies see the value of being green, something she believes wholeheartedly is the future of all successful business. In turn, the money these companies invest in the university helps the state of South Carolina.
"It used to be that economy and ecology clashed. That is not the case anymore. Now, the environment and economy go hand in hand. My job is a testament to that," she says. "And, my God, do I love it." - The Post and Courier, 2/6/13
How can you not love her? I believe in her, South Carolina Democrats believe in her, the DCCC believes in her, we should believe in her. So what do you say guys? We may never see a Colbert in the White House but we sure as hell can send one to Congress. The Special Primary is March 19th and the Special Election is April 2nd. Let's help Elizabeth Colbert-Busch become the next congresswoman from South Carolina's First District! You can donate to her campaign and get involved here:
http://colbertbuschforcongress.com/