Americans for Tax Reform, based in Washington, D.C., has begun a statewide TV commercial campaign criticizing Harrell for pushing the bowl through the budget process.

Officials with ATR said Harrell, in supporting the bowl, had become a champion for "corporate welfare."

However, the timing and placement of the ads have caused many in the S.C. House of Representatives to question their real intent. Some even wonder if they are not really an attempt to prevent Harrell, one of the more prominent members of the Legislature, from running against Gov. Mark Sanford in 2006.

Harrell's name is frequently tossed around as a potential gubernatorial candidate, though the odds of his running against Sanford in a primary are low. He has not been on the governor's list of favorites recently, ever since Sanford's universal tax credit proposal died in the House Ways and Means Committee.

"It's bizarre," said state Rep. John Graham Altman III, R-Charleston. "Clearly there is a secret agenda to this. There is a lot of talk that this is really coming from the governor's office. I pray that's not the case."

Legislators became aware of the ads on the same day the House approved a budget that gave more than $50 million in tax cuts for marriage penalty and estate tax relief. Harrell was the key member in passing those pieces of legislation.

The commercials are airing practically everywhere in the state, except Charleston, Harrell's back yard."My record on taxes is well known," Harrell said. "That's what makes this so strange. There has to be more to it than the tax issue."

Not according to ATR's Chief of Staff, Damon Ansell. Ansell said his organization is against all taxpayer-subsidized stadiums. He said Harrell's support of the Palmetto Bowl "tripped a wire" at their national office.

"It's as simple as that," he said. "There is no conspiracy. The governor did not contact us and ask us to go after Mr. Harrell."

Will Folks, spokesman for Sanford, said the governor had nothing to do with the ads, and added, "The governor was also nowhere near the grassy knoll when Kennedy was shot, he had nothing to do with the Bay of Pigs, he was not involved with the Watergate break-in and to my knowledge, has played no part in the cover-up of any extraterrestrial conspiracy."

Under the budget plan, the state would provide $380,000 a year for the next 15 years to help pay for a stadium large enough to house the bowl during a minimum run of 10 years.

Harrell has said the game would generate up to $48 million, with $5 million or $6 million for the state.

The plan was in the budget passed out of the S.C. House of Representatives, but not in the Senate's version. Harrell fought for the bowl's inclusion during conference committee.

State Rep. Bill Sandifer, R-Seneca, said he doesn't believe ATR is being honest about the goal of its campaign. He said the state has funded athletic facilities at Clemson University and at College of Charleston without catching their attention.

"I checked ATR's Web site and could not find one mention of their opposing stadiums or anything of the sort," he said. "So for them to say they have a history of this type of thing does not seem genuine."

Ed McMullen, president of the S.C. Policy Council, said his organization disagrees with the ad campaign and asked ATR to end it. The S.C. Policy Council, which defines itself as a nonpartisan, tax-exempt public policy research and education foundation, is loosely associated with ATR and has fought in the past on many of the same issues.

"Bobby Harrell has been one of the taxpayers best friends in the Legislature," he said. "I think they didn't check all the facts and just looked at one small thing and blew it way out of proportion."

Clay Barbour covers the Statehouse. Contact him at (803) 799-9051 or at cbarbour@postandcourier.com.

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