Wilkins accepts Bush nomination

David H. Wilkins said Wednesday that he has accepted President Bush's nomination to become ambassador to Canada. Patrick Collard/Staff e-mail this story More details Speaker David Horton Wilkins Born: Oct. 12, 1946 Education: B.A. from Clemson University 1968; a law degree from University of South Carolina in 1971 Family: Wife, Susan Clary; children, James and Robert Member: Board of Visitors of U.S. Military Academy 2004 state chairman: Bush-Cheney Re-election Campaign Military Service: Army 1971; Air Force, 1973-76 Related Related stories: • House speaker may face new tests up north Previous coverage • Wilkins speculation stirs GOP, Democrats • Biden would back Wilkins as ambassador • Wilkins' departure could lessen Upstate's Related Web site • Learn more about the embassy's art • Learn more about the ambassador's role

Wilkins, 58, said, "I'm excited about Canada; it's the one I wanted."

Standing in the second floor Statehouse lobby, deserted all but for reporters and photographers, Wilkins said his "highest goal is to bring honor to my country and to the nation of Canada."

The announcement culminated weeks of speculation and a day of intensity for House members —and Wilkins —as final arrangements were made by telephone with the White House staff.

Wilkins, one of the state's most powerful political figures, was a key player in 2000, helping Bush turn his campaign around in the South Carolina primary following his upset in New Hampshire by Sen. John McCain. He chaired Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

His departure will leave a power void in Greenville, whose interests he has watched over for a decade, and in Columbia where jockeying to replace him has been underway for weeks, ever since speculation of his impending nomination first surfaced.

It will also open his House District 24 seat for the first time in a quarter century.

Having turned down two previous overtures from Bush, Wilkins said that it was a matter of timing, that four years earlier, the House was headed into a difficult reapportionment fight "and there were a lot more issues on the table. The timing's better for me now and I feel like it's a good moment to leave it in capable hands."

Wilkins said that he and his wife, Susan, discussed the nomination with President Bush on April 18 when the president addressed the Legislature.

He expects to remain as speaker at least through the June 2 adjournment while waiting for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and, later, the full Senate, to process his nomination.

Gov. Mark Sanford praised Wilkins for having "consistently advanced the notion of making our state as business-friendly as possible. He's a real credit to South Carolina and I've got every confidence he'll be a credit to our nation in his new role."

But Wilkins' departure may signal a power shift to Charleston and, possibly, the Midlands.

Greenville has had either a speaker or governor in Columbia for more than 30 years.

With Sanford and House Majority Leader Jim Merrill hailing from Charleston and Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, also from there, Greenville Mayor Knox White has said a "Charleston ascendancy" is looming in state politics.

Exactly when Bush will send the nomination to the Senate and how quickly the Foreign Relations Committee would hold hearing was unclear Wednesday.

One influential Democratic member of the panel, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, last week gave the green light to a Wilkins nomination, praising him in Columbia as an honorable man.

Gordon Giffin, a Washington and Atlanta lawyer who was ambassador to Canada from 1997-2001, said Wilkins political background and ties to Bush will be a plus for him.

Referring to the post as "in substantial form a political relationship," Giffin said, "You're dealing with an elected government and how they make judgements on working with the United States. And someone who has got experience in and a feel for the political process and environment is extraordinarily well-suited to do that job."

Anticipation gripped the House chamber as the day wore on and no announcement came.

Each time Wilkins left the platform, members' eyes were riveted on him, Senators drifted in, expecting to hear an announcement.

"I thought it was today," said Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens.

House members joked about keeping the debate going.

At one point, Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont, turned to the extra-large press corps and asked, "Any legislation you want me to bring up so we can keep talking?"

The adjournment motion, when it came, was shouted down, but Wilkins ruled for the ayes.

Three Republicans are seeking to replace him:

Harrell of Charleston, chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee; Jim Harrison of Columbia, Judiciary Committee chairman; and Doug Smith of Spartanburg, speaker pro tempore. Rep. Harry Cato of Travelers Rest, chairman of the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, dropped out April 26.

Interviews with legislators suggest an eventual Harrison-Harrell showdown.

With Wilkins leaving, much of the legislative power could shift to Charleston, especially if Harrell replaces him.

But a Harrell victory could propel Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont, into the Ways and Means chairmanship. Cooper is among the leading contenders if the seat becomes vacant.

With Republicans outnumbering Democrats 74-50 in the House, no Democrat has a chance to win, but the minority party can play a role in determining which Republican does.

The GOP candidates have been courting Democrats as assiduously as their GOP colleagues and Democrats have been seeking the best offers in terms of restoring some of the power assumed by the majority over the last decade.

Twice before, Wilkins turned down overtures from Bush, first for a U.S. District Court judgeship and later, for ambassador to Chile. He accepted appointment to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy.

The post in Ottawa has been vacant since March when Paul Cellucci, former governor of Massachusetts, resigned after nearly four years in Ottawa.

Wilkins' tenure in Ottawa would likely not last beyond January 2009 when a new president takes office.

He won the speakership following the 1994 elections when Republican gained near parity with the then majority Democrats. Several Democrats, seeing their districts trending Republican, bolted to the GOP, allowing Wilkins to oust Democratic Speaker Robert Sheheen of Camden.

Wilkins and his wife will live in a 97-year-old, 32-room limestone manor perched on a bluff overlooking the 1.5-mile wide Ottawa River with a view of the Gatineau Hills visible to the east in Quebec.

The residence, situated in Rockliffe Park on 11 acres of lawns and landscaped gardens, is furnished with antiques and reproductions and artwork on loan from contemporary American artists and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

The fortress-like and architecturally controversial embassy building is in downtown Ottawa. That's where Wilkins' office will be.

Giffin is a member of the Bowater Inc. board. His parents moved to Canada when he was six weeks old and left at 17 to attend Duke University. His wife is the former Patty Alfred of Easley. They met as students at Duke.

The Giffins did smooth the way for Wilkins by having grits shipped from Atlanta and instructing the chancellery's chef on the fine points of preparing the Southern favorite.

Wilkins said he has visited Canada in the past and has begun studying the nation's history, politics and culture.

At some point, before or after confirmation, he will attend "ambassador's school," be sworn in and depart for Ottawa, Canada's capital, Wilkins said.

Wilkins said he hoped his years as speaker would provide him with valuable skills as an ambassador.

"I hope it's made me a little wiser and smarter, dealing with controversial issues. Being the speaker, I believe you have to develop leadership skills or you can't survive. I believe I've done that," Wilkins said.

"I've often said (leading the House is) like herding cats, getting a lot people from a lot of different areas with a lot of different philosophies to decide that they want to be for this one issue and do it together. I hope I can take that skill in my new job," he said."

Staff writer Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.