Candidate’s Poetry Target of Criticism

BY ROBERT BEHRE
The Post and Courier

In the race for James Island’s House seat

And asks voters to respond with their feet.

Eugene Platt, the Democratic challenger for the House District 115 seat, said this week’s mass mailing that features excerpts from three of his racier poems apparently has backfired.

The campaign mailer says Platt “promotes deviant sexual behavior in erotic poetry collection,” lists Platt’s telephone number and urges people to “tell him his values aren’t our values.”

But Platt said Thursday he has yet to receive the first negative call.

Platt also said he senses the hand of his opponent, incumbent Republican Rep. Wallace Scarborough, adding, “If Mr. Scarborough feels that this kind of mailing will benefit his campaign, he is so far out of touch with the values of our community that he does not deserve to represent it in the Legislature.”

But Scarborough said he knows nothing about it. “That’s the risk you run when you run for public office. People want to tear you down. I think that’s unfortunately the way politics is some time.”

The mailer was paid for by South Carolinians for Responsible Government, a Columbia-based conservative group that normally focuses not on poetry but on

lower taxes, property rights and school choice. Spokesman Denver Merrill said the group doesn’t endorse candidates but tries to educate voters.

“When you read it (Platt’s poetry), it’s pretty disturbing, to be honest with you,” Merrill said. “That was our logic behind putting out that piece of mail.”

The mailing includes excerpts from three of Platt’s poems, including this passage from “Blue Robe”: “lying awake, i await your entry. my position is that of rest, but my attitude is anticipation. you delay erotically with womanly preparation.”

Platt said it’s absurd to think there’s anything wrong with that. “I’m not promoting deviant sexual behavior any more than William Shakespeare or the Bible, with the Song of Solomon. In time immemorial, since human beings began making scratches on the walls of the caves, humans have celebrated intimacy with human beings.”

Mark Gainer of James Island agreed. He was one of about 20 callers who called Platt not to complain about the poem but about the mailing.

“I thought it was despicable slandering of a candidate and has nothing to do with any of the issues. I feel that Mr. Platt can write any kind of poetry he wants and it should have no bearing on his candidacy,” Gainer said.

Platt’s verse has lurked in the background of his political life since he ran for Congress in 1990 and his opponent, Republican incumbent Arthur Ravenel, joked: “His poems don’t rhyme!”

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.

All signs show that Scarborough is in trouble because he keeps shooting his own foot off … he has taken Andre Bauer’s superlative for “most likely to beat yourself.” And only in a district that includes Folly Beach can a candidate get away with having poetry on his campaign website. No, seriously http://voteplatt.com/poetry.php. Democrats may be picking this one up.

Full story via The Shot…

NEW POLITICAL PARTY WILL GIVE EXTRA BALLOT LINE TO 5 SC CANDIDATES

Working Families Party Emphasizes
Health Care, Education and Creating New Jobs

CHARLESTON, SC – Five political candidates will appear on the ballot on November 7th twice because they have been endorsed by a new political party, leaders of the party announced today. South Carolina Working Families (SCWF) has been recognized as a political party in South Carolina and designated two congressional candidates, two state legislative candidates and one candidate for the Charleston County Council as its 2006 standard bearers.

“South Carolina Working Families is a grassroots coalition of community organizations, labor unions and independent voters that emphasizes health care, education, raising wages and creating new jobs,” said party chair Erin McKee. “We’re endorsing candidates that have pledged to make our goals a central part of their agenda.”

The candidates endorsed by the SCWF this year are:

• State House of Representatives:
  • District 79 - Anton Gunn
  • District 115 - Eugene Platt
• U.S. House of Representatives:
  • District 1 - Randy Maatta
  • District 3 - Lee Ballenger
• Charleston County Council:
• District 9 - George Temple

Each is also running as a candidate of the Democratic Party.

“Voters in the districts where South Carolina Working Families is fielding candidates can send a message of support for the Working Families agenda by casting their vote for the candidates with the words ‘Working Families’ next to their name, instead of voting for the candidates just as Democrats,” said McKee. “With enough votes for Working Families, politicians will know they have to make the needs of working families a priority – affordable health care, stronger schools and new jobs improving our infrastructure.”

The SCWF’s Six-Point 2006 Issues Platform:

Our party was organized to hold elected officials accountable on issues that matter most to South Carolina’s working families. Our priority issues for accountability in 2006 are:

• Health care. Support for small businesses that want to provide health care to their employees. Expansion of the successful State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Accountability to ensure that large employers like Wal-Mart pay their fair share.
• Education. Quality schools and education for all South Carolina children.
• Jobs. Investing in ports, roads and other industrial infrastructure to create jobs and attract industry. Support for best value contracting to ensure that tax money is being spent wisely.
• Making work pay. Raising the federal minimum wage and introducing a state Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Environment. Investing in renewable energy to create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
• Public transportation. Ensuring that working families have access to affordable transportation.

Next week begins Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a great time to fight the disease by buying the Breast Cancer Research stamp at any post office. This semipostal stamp has raised $44 million since ‘97 nationwide. In Charleston, someone who believes in the power of the Breast Cancer Research stamp is customer Eugene Platt. This marks the 4th year that Platt will kick off the observance by purchasing over $1000 worth of Breast Cancer Research stamps on October 2nd at the James Island Post Office. He started in ‘03, buying $1000 worth and has bought $100 worth of additional stamps each year since. Including this year, his total purchases will amount to $4600.

Platt’s effort has become the first media event of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the Low country and it serves to honor the memory of his beloved wife, Mary, who died of the disease in 2003. “I do this to raise awareness in the fight against this disease,” said Platt, “and to honor Mary, whom we miss each day.”

Reprinted from The Metro Leader

By Robert Behre

The race for the state House District 115 seat is getting personal, with Democratic challenger Eugene Platt saying it’s one thing if his opponent is going through a difficult divorce but quite another if he lied about the circumstances behind it.

State Rep. Wallace Scarborough, who is seeking a fourth term, said Platt is slinging mud because he is afraid to talk about the real issues, such as completing the Mark Clark Expressway, reforming the tax structure or providing more truth in sentencing.

Until recently, Platt had been largely silent about Scarborough’s ongoing divorce proceedings, although Platt’s Web site has links to detailed news stories about the divorce, including evidence that

Scarborough had an extramarital affair with his colleague, Rep. Catherine Ceips, R-Beaufort.

After The State newspaper recently reported that both Scarborough and Ceips denied they are or were having an affair, Platt broke his silence and said Tuesday that Scarborough should admit he lied about the affair or “offer the public credible evidence showing those allegations are untrue.”

“Scarborough himself has made his veracity a central issue,” Platt said. “If we cannot believe him on one thing, how can voters feel he’s telling them the truth on the issues, whether it’s taxation or public education?”

Platt likened Scarborough to former President Clinton, whose political problems stemming from his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky were compounded by his public denial of that affair, a denial that ultimately led to an impeachment proceeding that Clinton survived.

“I’m a card-carrying Democrat and was an admirer of President Clinton, but he went way down in my esteem once he lied about that,” Platt said.

Scarborough declined to talk about his personal life Tuesday, beyond acknowledging that he is going through a divorce. Asked about his denial of the affair with Ceips, Scarborough said the earlier newspaper story did not quote him on that subject.

“It’s none of your business. My case is in litigation, and I can’t go talking about something that’s in the middle of a court case,” he said. Ceips, who is running for re-election unopposed, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Scarborough said James Islanders deserve a campaign where the candidates talk about the issues, “but Mr. Platt is indeed wanting to throw mud and run a smear campaign. I think Mr. Platt is afraid of coming out on the issues.”

He said he would like voters to judge him on his record, including his work to get James Island’s roads fixed, to get money for the Morris Island lighthouse restoration and to get limits on bridges to undeveloped marsh islands. “Am I having a lot of problems? Yeah. Am I still an effective leader? Yeah,” he said.

Scarborough noted Platt has gone through two divorces, which Platt acknowledged but said extramarital affairs didn’t play a role.

“I haven’t had one voter tell me other than they’re sorry I’m going through a divorce,” Scarborough added. “Most people are very understanding and understanding that that’s my private life and understand that has nothing to do with my service in the House.”

Reprinted from The Post and Courier.