COLUMBIA--A horse is a horse, of course, until it becomes a political prop.

Then, some lawmakers say, it turns into decorative bull.

On Wednesday, Gov. Mark Sanford held a press conference urging the General Assembly to bring state government out of the "horse and buggy days" by passing his restructuring agenda. He enlisted a horse-drawn carriage as a backdrop, continuing his theme of using farm animals to deliver his message to South Carolina voters.

"We thank members of the House and Senate for their work to date and ask them to look at ways of strengthening the (restructuring) bills that came out of the House," he said. "We have a system of government stuck in 1895, that was created to ensure that if a Yankee in the Reconstructed South or a black man was elected, they would not hold the reins of power."

Last year, Sanford carried two pigs into the Statehouse to protest "pork" in the state budget, sparking a nasty, vitriolic fight. This time, Sanford carefully avoided criticizing lawmakers. He simply said restructuring measures passed by the House didn't go far enough to streamline government and create a strong executive branch. The Senate is debating restructuring in committee.

Initially, lawmakers bristled about the press conference, expecting Sanford to neigh-say their efforts, even though they've been working on restructuring since the General Assembly convened in January. While Sanford took no jabs, lawmakers said they remain perplexed that the governor seems to communicate with them only via TV camera.

"That may play well out in the state, but it doesn't play well with us as far as getting the job done," said Sen. John Land, Senate Democratic Leader. "Sometimes I question what he really wants to get done. Sometimes I believe he'd rather talk the talk than walk the walk."

Privately, many Republicans agree with Land. They say Sanford doesn't lobby lawmakers one-on-one enough and seems to prefer issuing edicts to crafting compromise. House Republicans in particular, who passed most of the governor's agenda items last year and are poised to do so again this year, say they are tired of carrying his water and then being pilloried publicly for not doing enough.

Speaker David Wilkins recited a litany of Sanford agenda items -- income tax reduction, liability changes, charter schools and restructuring -- passed by the House.

"I guess I'm old-fashioned," said Wilkins, R-Greenville. "When you get something accomplished, you pick up the phone and go have a meeting and work with the individual instead of going to the farm and grabbing the first animal you can get."

The House earlier this session passed a constitutional amendment referendum to ask voters whether secretary of state and superintendent of education should continue to be elected or become appointed by the governor.

The governor also wants agriculture commissioner and adjutant general to be appointed positions and says lieutenant governor should run on the same ticket as governor.

Some House members say not all proposals, good or not, would clear the General Assembly. For instance, even though South Carolina has the only elected adjutant general in the country, his constituency has blocked efforts to change.

"We're all trying to work together, and we all want to work with the governor," said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. "The House has passed almost all of his agenda already."

Sanford says he realizes compromise is necessary and that he won't veto whatever restructuring the Legislature passes.

"In fairness to the Legislature, politics is the art of the possible," Sanford said.

After noting that driving a horse and buggy on Statehouse grounds is probably illegal these days, most House members played along with the fun.

"I enjoy animals," said state Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston. "If Mark wants to keep bringing animals up here, I'm all for it."

State Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, expressed bemusement. "We're not used to seeing a whole horse up here," he said.