South Carolina Cesspool: Will Folks Needs To Be Out With It Or Shut Up–UPDATED
Posted by Melissa Clouthier
on May 28 2010 Filed under News & Opinion, Politics.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
You can’t prove a negative. That is, Nikki Haley cannot prove that she did not have sex with blogger Will Folks. So, the onus is on him to prove that sex, or an “inappropriate physical contact” happened. So far, nothing–well, except for increased blog hits and lots of attention. But no picture. Phone records that mean precisely nothing.
So no, I don’t agree that there’s smoke, even though my friend Dan Riehl thinks there might be.
And no, I don’t believe my friend Erick Erickson proved that Will Folks is being paid or anything else by the Andre Bauer campaign, though there’s motive enough for him to be.
And no, I am not sure of my own theory about the Romney campaign involvement (remember all the “help” Sarah Palin received from former Romney staffers?), but Wesley Donehue won’t go on the record and clarify things though we did talk publicly back and forth on Twitter today.
The best writing on all this has been Robert Stacy McCain, who I link to here:
OK, so whose campaign was pushing this story? Folks has hinted that it was Gresham Barrett’s supporters, including Wes Donehue and B.J. Boling. But if Knotts was the guy whose detective got the (alleged) “compromising” photo — as is “pretty widely known” among South Carolina Republicans, one source told me — the most likely gubernatorial campaign to be pushing this story would be . . .?
Andre Bauer, an ally of Knotts. However, Bauer yesterday told South Carolina Radio Network, “I heard that rumor for over a year, but we did not have a thing to do with it.”
Plausible deniably? If Knotts was trying to take down Haley to benefit Bauer, it’s possible that Bauer himself wouldn’t have been informed of it. (Remember that Nixon didn’t know about the “Plumbers” plan to break into DNC headquarters at the Watergate Hotel until after the burglars had been arrested.)
Nobody knows exactly what Folks’ motives are, but there is something extraordinarily fishy about his own explanation of his decision to “admit” the alleged affair on Monday. Folks himself was the primary source of the affair rumor, and is also the primary source about the alleged “compromising” photo.
Folks has written the script of this drama, putting himself at center stage, and that may be his only motive — to make himself the star of the show. But reporters in Carolina should be asking Jake Knotts if he had anything to do with this sleazy attempt to take down Nikki Haley.
And, just to show you how sleazy GOP politics can get, last fall, Andre Bauer was forced to deny rumors that he is gay — rumors that were blamed on Mark Sanford.
Let me just say this about who does NOT benefit by this story circulating around: Nikki Haley.
The more this idle talk continues on, the more it damages her. Obviously, Will Folks is NOT her friend and desires to burn bridges.
Was he blackmailed with a picture? Did he see the picture or was he played for a fool and there is no such thing. Or, is he enjoying being the marionette master?
Is Will Folks the player or is he being played?
I suspect that he’s out of his depth here. And really, since his reputation is shit now anyway, he should start naming names and take the whole sordid state down with him. Eventually, because now he’s being watched, the truth will come out.
If this whole deal is a fit of revenge because the Haley campaign got rid of him or he was spurned as worthless by the Sanford campaign, that will become evident.
If his preening and self-agrandizing blog posting about this was purely to hurt Haley and gain readership, that will be fleeting.
If someone paid him “six figures”, as Erick says, that will come out too–or it better. That’s a hefty allegation.
Basically, at this point, these accusations come from a political hack. Folks needs to prove what he said–put up or shut up.
And everyone else dragging this story around for their own blog hits is damaging Nikki Haley. This is not helpful to her, not in the least.
Innuendo and rumor do not account for much in politics…except to damage and destroy. I suspect that’s the point of all this by Will Folks. I hope he fails and I hope his nasty foray into slime bites him in the rear. I suspect it already has.
UPDATED:
“Folks’ conduct in this has been despicable. Someone should simply drive over and coldcock the SOB at this point. This is shaping up like a replay of McCain in 2000. And it would be a damned shame if someone’s reputation, or career were ruined over it and no one ever truly knew what was what. I fear that may yet be the result of this.
UPDATED:
Robert Stacy McCain notes how difficult it is to un-allege things. Yes it is. He has some pretty damning information over at his place.
Who knows.
Related Posts
- South Carolina Consultant Wesley Donehue Pushing Will Folks To Leak Worked For The Romney Campaign–UPDATED, UPDATED AGAIN
- ESTABLISHED: South Carolina Is A Fetid Swamp Even By Political Standards–UPDATED
- South Carolina Governor Primary: Who Benefits Most From The Smears?
- Stacy McCain: Heads Rolling In South Carolina
- Nikki Haley South Carolina Primary Results – Seems Runoff Bound
Short URL: http://libertypundits.net/?p=16494
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tabitha Hale, Melissa Clouthier, Melissa Clouthier, WooHooYoo, Bob and others. Bob said: RT @MelissaTweets: Will Folks, the money, and who benefits from this: http://bit.ly/b9wUFz #nikkihaley [...]
I am not sure that Nikki Haley is the one suffering from this anymore. Sure, the people in SC who already did not like her seem to be enjoying the shadyness of the whole situation, but most people have, at least since since Monday's bombshell, shrugged the whole thing off.
The only one really getting damaged from this whole mess is Will Folks himself. It seems that he was either promised, or was expecting the photos (or a photo) to be released, and now he just looks like a complete loser.
If there really is a photo, then the person who posseses it has “gotten their money's worth” and will probably stick it in a safe and is letting it sit until more profitable circumstances arise.
And if there is not a photo? Then Sic Willie just destroyed his own reputation both politically and within the blogosphere. That would make him the biggest Rule 6 ever.
Brian O'Connor
http://www.RedDogReport.com
It's clear what's going on here: Folks was backed into this corner by someone trying to screw him over. Looks like he decided to strike back instead of roll over. Didn't he say there was a PI out trying to get dirt on him? WHY?? Who's out to get him? What ever for?
[...] consequences – and the consequences for Will Folks could soon become quite serious indeed.Melissa Clouthier at Liberty Pundits describes this scandal as exposing the “cesspool” of South Carolina politics. As for Will Folks, Dan [...]
[...] Many have speculated as to why Folks is making these accusations. The consummate reporter that he is, Stacy McCain seems to have made the most headway over at The Other McCain today, but concrete answers continue to be elusive. [...]
[...] Melissa Clouthier asks if Will Folks is a player or being played. [...]
Goober, here's who is trying to screw him over, and several others to boot
http://palmstatepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/05/l...
The turn of phrase – inappropriate physical relationship' has me questioning the authenticity of this alleged affair. It is too vague of a term and Folks has never clarified precisely what he means or provided definitive proof of a physical relationship. Then again, he didn't need to – the media inferred what they wanted from that phrase.
This alleged event and the furor that has erupted among the political class has me questioning whether politics in SC and across the nation devolved into a scene from Soraya M? An indistinct allegation is all that is required to destroy a conservative female political candidate? If this baseless allegation sticks, female conservative candidates running with a family values platform need to double down.
Goober, here's who is trying to screw him over, and several others to boot
http://palmstatepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/05/l...
The turn of phrase – inappropriate physical relationship' has me questioning the authenticity of this alleged affair. It is too vague of a term and Folks has never clarified precisely what he means or provided definitive proof of a physical relationship. Then again, he didn't need to – the media inferred what they wanted from that phrase.
This alleged event and the furor that has erupted among the political class has me questioning whether politics in SC and across the nation devolved into a scene from Soraya M? An indistinct allegation is all that is required to destroy a conservative female political candidate? If this baseless allegation sticks, female conservative candidates running with a family values platform need to double down.