Nothing could be finer - Inside Politics - South Carolina gubernatorial contest - Brief Article

The South Carolina gubernatorial contest between Gov. Jim Hodges (D) and former U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R) was expected to focus on education, tax cuts and other meaty public policy issues. But much of the back-and-forth between the candidates recently has stemmed from affiliations with political consultants and hiring of state party officials.

At issue in Hodges criticism is Sanford's hiring a political consulting firm under investigation for sending what turned out to be a false e-mail in another client's race for state attorney general. Sanford's campaign in late June paid $12,000 to Richard Quinn & Associates, a Columbia, SC-based Republican consulting firm, to produce and mail an endorsement letter from Attorney General Charlie Condon (R). Sanford defeated Condon and several other candidates in the Republican gubernatorial primary, but later earned his endorsement. Hodges has made an issue about the hiring of the firm because one of its consultants, Trey Walker, is under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division stemming from actions on behalf of the firm's client in the race for state attorney general, completely unrelated to the gubernatorial contest. Walker was accused of sending an e-mail purporting to be from a rival's campaign in the attorney general's race. Walker has said the e-mail was a joke and has apologized for it.

Sanford's campaign said they should not be blamed for the Walker controversy because Walker did not work on the gubernatorial campaign. But Hodges suggests the matter raises doubts about Sanford's judgment.

The governor has made similar arguments in criticizing Sanford for his reaction to the state Republican Party's hiring of Edmund A. Matricardi III as executive director. Matricardi was forced to resign in April as executive director of the Virginia Republican Party after he came under investigation for allegedly eaves-dropping on conference calls between Virginia Democratic state legislators and Gov. Mark Warner (D).

Sanford has said he disapproves of the hiring but has not gone further, such as calling for Matricardi's resignation or firing, as Hodges and allies contend he should do.

"What will be a major issue is whether Mark Sanford has the leadership skills he claims to have," said Joanie Lawson, spokeswoman for the South Carolina Republican Party.

The Sanford campaign argues that Hodges is focusing on process questions that are irrelevant to the lives of voters.

"He's trying to focus on everything but policy," said William R. Folks III, spokesman for the Sanford campaign. "The governor, for whatever reason, is focusing on inside political baseball. Nobody cares."

Sanford is ratcheting up the electoral stakes by issuing a "Clean Campaign Challenge" to Hodges which would include weekly televised debates on specific policy topics from Labor Day through Election Day.

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