You get smaller while the world gets big

No one was surprised that South Carolina Speaker of the House David Wilkins was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be President Bush's new ambassador to Canada. After all, Wilkins had been instrumental in Bush's 2000 primary victory against fellow Republican John McCain that swung the momentum to a then-flagging campaign in a contentious nomination race. Wilkins served as statewide chairman of Bush's electoral efforts in 2000 and 2004, and the close ties between South Carolina and the Bush presidency through USC graduate and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card meant Wilkins was due his political reward.

Until recently, the Speaker of the House was the most powerful man in South Carolina politics, because of the way that our constitution reserved few powers for the governor. The university's old athletic center is named after 1970s speaker Solomon Blatt, an indication of his lasting influence.

South Carolina was fortunate that he made the decision not to step down after Bush's first victory in 2000, as Wilkins was able to oversee the transition between Democratic governor Jim "Powerball" Hodges and Republican Mark "Slash-and-burn" Sanford. During the former's tenure in the State House, Wilkins was able to guide potentially explosive and contentious issues like the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House dome and the implementation of a statewide lottery through a House chamber that finds it hard to agree on anything. After the change of administrations and the shift back to Republican dominance in Columbia, Wilkins managed to rein in maverick Sanford and his well-intentioned but misguided efforts to reintroduce the fiscal discipline lost in previous years. Take for example the efforts of the House to override vetoes that Sanford had made of essential public services solely because they weren't in line with his spending philosophy.

Following the news last Thursday that he had been confirmed, Bush advisor Karl Rove called into Wilkins' weekly radio show to congratulate him on the new post. Rove, and indeed the whole West Wing, has reason to celebrate their new loyal hire who will move to Canada following the end of South Carolina's legislative year in a few days. South Carolina, though, should lower its flags in mourning for the loss of an eminent political talent who will surely be missed next year.