Thursday, April 14, 2005

SC Gov Sanford - A Man to Watch

Today is a great WSJ day - OpinionJournal: "Last year, Republican Gov. Mark Sanford carried two squealing piglets into the Statehouse to make a point against pork. This year, he brought a horse and buggy to the Statehouse entrance to argue against South Carolina's outmoded system of governance.

The common themes in Mr. Sanford's broad reform agenda include market competition, fiscal conservatism and government accountability.

As governor, he has encountered strong opposition from legislative Democrats who continue to fight his efforts to create private school competition to public education and to sharply cut the rate of individual income taxes. Senate Democrats, in particular, remain a force....
...the governor is being mentioned as a national political candidate because of his consistent conservatism, engaging "aw shucks" manner and winning campaign record. Recently, the Cato Institute rated him fifth on its Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors. (The folks at Cato will be pleased to know that he has informally indicated his intention to run for a second term.)

Though idiosyncratic in his approach to the Legislature, Mr. Sanford enjoys a level of popularity that even his detractors acknowledge. Last year, a poll done on behalf of the governor's office showed popular support for his legislative agenda--and displeasure with legislators who oppose it."

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