As folks know, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will be resigning in January, in order to head up The Heritage Foundation. Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), whom Sen. DeMint favors to replace him, is considered the top contender to be appointed. He'd be the 7th black U.S. Senator ever, and the first black U.S. Senator from the South since Reconstruction. From Rock Hill Herald Online: "Tara Wall, an African-American who was a senior media adviser to 2012
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said Scott’s promotion
would be a boon to both their conservative cause and their party. 'It
would be a significant nod to conservatism and inclusion,' Wall said. 'Scott is a very personable, well-respected, highly committed
congressman who has been tireless in his advocacy of faith, economic
freedom and entrepreneurship. He’d make a fantastic senator.'"
The article continues about Rep. Scott's possible ascension to the U.S. Senate: "Former Republican national chairman Michael Steele, an
African-American who met some resistance when he tried to expand the
party’s outreach, said the elevation of Scott would be important – but
only as a starting point. 'We have a tendency to put every egg in
one basket,' Steele said. 'It would not be a panacea to what the party
has to face in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.'"
And Rep. Scott himself?: "Asked whether he would accept an offer from [South Carolina Governor Nikki] Haley, Scott didn’t deny interest but was noncommittal. 'That’s
really premature,' he said. 'Nikki has a difficult decision to make;
she doesn’t really need me weighing in on it through the media. She’ll
make it in the interests of South Carolinians and America. I am not going to make any prognosis without having anything to go on besides the prospect of something.'"
In related news.....PJ Media claims that Gov. Haley will appoint former South Carolina Republican Party Chair and former state Attorney General Henry McMaster (a key backer in her contentious GOP primary) to fill the slot and that she has already informed key politicians of her decision. I've not seen this reported elsewhere, so let's hope that it's just a bad rumor.
Prominent Bookeristas Discuss Tim Scott As A U.S. Senator
