Sizing up Sanford--Lawmakers like governor, cite lack of leadership

Democratic legislators generally praise the personal attributes of Republican Gov. Mark Sanford. They even like a lot of what he has said about politics and public policy.

But, in the final analysis, the T&D Region lawmakers conclude that the freshman governor was ineffective in promoting his legislative agenda.

His only major initiative that got any traction was the SMART Funding bill that would give public schools more financial flexibility. It passed the House and will be taken up by the Senate next January.

"We were already doing some of that," Rep. Jerry Govan said.

And they were dismayed that he did not provide strong leadership as the Legislature wrangled with one of the most difficult budgets in many years.

"One of our disappointments with Sanford is he came in and said he'd do a lot of things, but he really didn't provide a lot of leadership in (some) areas ...," Rep. Harry Ott said.

"He didn't take any aggressive leadership on the budget," agreed Sen. John Matthews. Instead, Sanford traveled to Bermuda just as the Legislature was at a critical juncture.

"I thought that was unacceptable. The governor needed to be there," Matthews said. "This year was a learning curve for the governor."

The governor "said in the beginning he was not going to surprise the legislators," Sen. Brad Hutto said. "But in reality that's not what happened."

As a former congressman, Sanford knew how federal government worked but he "had no experience in state government," and he found out "there's a big difference," Hutto said.

Give him a little more time, Hutto said: The "thoughtful and intelligent" governor has already "gotten better at it."

Sanford and his legislative liaisons were inexperienced and "somewhat naive," Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said. "That's all a part of learning."

More significant is the fact that "he owns up to it," Cobb-Hunter continued. "I like Mark Sanford. He's a personable, likable guy -- just naive. He's a down-to-earth kind of guy. And he's a humble public servant. That's rare -- and refreshing."

"He's a person of his word, very honest, and tells you what he thinks. I appreciate his candor and openness," she continued.

"I am impressed with his willingness to sit down and talk with me as a Democrat. He is not partisan. He says he is the governor of all South Carolinians, and I really believe that," Cobb-Hunter said.

Besides talking the talk, Sanford has walked the walk. He attended the Legislative Black Caucus' major fund-raiser gala and "mingled well with the crowd," Govan said.

"He has had an open door policy. He has been willing to meet with us to discuss issues of importance," Govan continued.

But "tough times demand strong leadership," Govan said, adding that former Gov. Jim Hodges was much more effective in promoting his legislative agenda in his first six months in office. Of course it helped that Hodges was a former state legislator.

Much of the governor's opposition has come from members of his own party, Govan noted. "Democrats have not put obstacles in this governor's way. We have pretty much stayed out of that" and let the Republicans battle each other.

Govan pointed out that the Democrats called for a "programmatic review" of the state budget, which essentially means going back to square one and "starting anew and fresh." But "it fell on deaf ears" in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Now that the governor has decided to build his next budget in a similar way, "we're happy to see the governor join us in thinking about the process in that way," Govan said.

Cobb-Hunter is reserving judgment for now. "The key is whether there's substance with the style," she said. "If it's serious, then I commend him."

T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552.

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