Gore in Columbia (not Al)

Consultant/blogger Wesley Donehue, whose fingerprints have turned up on the periphery of the Folks/Haley mess, has a couple of laconic Facebook posts tonight.

First:

Wesley Donehue Got pushed out of my own show. =)

Second:

Wesley Donehue None of the opinions on Pub Politics are reflective of other guests or hosts on Pub Politics.

So what, gentle reader, you may ask, was all that about?

Well, Donehue hosts a weekly webshow in a bar in Columbia. He and another hack and a candidate or office holder bloviate about politics. Tonight, blogger From Key to Quire was there, and reports this vignette:

I was there, he then reiterated directly to me, and Corey Hutchins of the Free Times among other folks. Sen. Jake Knotts said (paraphrasing) we've already got a rag head in the white house we don't need one in the Governor's mansion. Because in my mind rag head is an unpleasant, derogatory stereotype that - post 9/11 - was used in reference to Arabs and Muslims - I asked him to clarify, did he mean Sen. Sheheen, Vincent is of Lebanese Catholic heritage and is the democratic front runner or Nikki Haley - the Republican front runner who was born and reared a Sikh of Indian origin who is his natural antagonist.

Without reservation he said he was not referencing his colleague Mr. Sheheen, but was in fact talking about Nikki Haley. To paraphrase and not use Sen. Knotts colourfullanguage he went on to say that her father owned the local Sikh temple and imply that she was possibly receiving funds from extra-national sources, and on and on and so forth. At this point most of my companions at the table were light headed with disbelief at what we were hearing but came to reality when we realized it was Jake Knotts, and when he himself reminded us that he didn't give a damn he tells the truth and what he believes, which is pure Jakie -- he does speak his mind.

I ordered another beer and watched as Corey cornered Jake furiously typing on the qwerty keypad on his phone, while Wes Donehue was trying - unsuccessfully - to dissuade the Senator from speaking with the local reporter. I imagine the Free Times will have something up soon with the treasure trove of quotes that Hutchins received from the free wheeling Senator.

What followed was a flurry of phone calls by operatives on both sides of the aisle and the reactions, and denouncements that the national media have already picked up. Ah South Carolina Politics -- what a swamp.