SHINDIG NO-SHOW

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s effusive personality has always left us thinking he’d be a lot of fun at a party. Which is probably why Bauer’s absence from Gov. Mark Sanford’s recent Christmas party for state constitutional officials was so noticeable.

It’s a State House legend that Bauer and Sanford’s staff do not get along well, so the question seemed natural: Did Sanford invite Bauer to the party?

Bauer said that the night of the party he was “probably working so diligently in the office, I might have missed it. Sometimes I get caught up in my work.”

Did he receive an invitation? “I’m sure I probably did. I get so many invitations and you can’t go to everything.”

Sanford’s spokesman Chris Drummond said the governor’s staff checked the invitation list and mailing labels after the party and found that Bauer was indeed on the invitation list. So what happened to the invite?

“It either got lost in the mail or it got lost in his office,” Drummond said.

Which begs the question why they needed to mail an invitation to Bauer when his office is directly across the State House lobby.

Bauer refuses to speculate as to the motives behind his mysterious lack of an invitation.

“My new year’s resolution is trying to do a better job of getting along with people who can relay my interests and thoughts,” Bauer said.

When it was pointed out that the new year hasn’t come yet, Bauer said, “No, but I’m already focused on that.”

FLYING HIGH

Bauer has been a busy man: state senator to lieutenant governor to airplane pilot to lieutenant colonel — all in one year.

Having just recently received his certification as a private pilot, Bauer last week was named commander of the South Carolina Legislative Squadron of the South Carolina Wing of the United States Air Force Auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol.

Col. Saul Hyman, commander of the S.C. Wing, presented Bauer with his rank — lieutenant colonel — and a flight suit during ceremonies at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

While Bauer could get the chance to fly for the Civil Air Patrol on emergency services and homeland security flights, Hyman said, his primary role will be to drum up support for the Civil Air Patrol’s three missions: aerospace education, cadet programs, homeland security and emergency services.

Bauer also will work to rebuild the Legislative Squadron, which has been inactive in recent months.