by Roddie Burris
The State
January 25, 2010
Robert Ford and Vincent Sheheen, two state senators, would seem to have little else in common.
Sheheen, a young white Democrat from rural Kershaw County, is quiet, cerebral, reserved and politically conservative.
Ford, a middle-aged black Democrat from urban Charleston County, is brash, unpredictable, extroverted and politically progressive.
Sheheen, 37, has only attended integrated public schools in South Carolina.
Ford, 61, went to jail more than 30 times fighting against segregation and for African-Americans to have equal rights.
This year, the two men have something new in common - both want to become South Carolina's next governor.
But for years they have shared something more than political ambition. They share a fifth-floor suite in the Gressette Building. As senators have come and gone over the years - and both have earned seniority - each has had the opportunity to move out.
So far, neither has.
"I've stayed here because we get along extremely well, and our relationship has grown over the last six years into one in which I think we can talk about issues, talk about the things that are going on in our lives, and I've really enjoyed it," Sheheen said.
SHEHEEN CAN WIN
Ford sees Sheheen as one of the Legislature's dynamic new leaders, bringing to the Senate floor each day a sharp legal mind able to navigate complicated issues from the Bill of Rights to tort reform.
A lifelong bachelor, Ford also greatly respects Sheheen for his family-centered personal life - he's married with three young sons - along with at least one other skill set important to Ford:
"He likes to bring people together. He likes to work with people, both Democrats and Republicans, and he has strong family beliefs."
At the end of a harried day at the General Assembly, Ford said, don't expect to find Sheheen "rubbing shoulders with the lobbyists" at any of the many evening receptions available to lawmakers. "Vince doesn't do that. I don't do it either, but Vince doesn't do it at all.
"He goes straight home to his family," Ford said.
Ford is convinced Sheheen, who was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2004, is an appealing candidate as a conservative Democrat. Sheheen has pushed limited spending and streamlining government.
"He believes we can do much, much more with what we've got."
One of Sheheen's finest moments in the Senate occurred just last year, Ford said, when Sheheen opposed Gov. Mark Sanford for wanting to reject $700 million in federal stimulus money.
"He introduced legislation (to force the governor to take the money)," Ford said.
Ultimately, the state Supreme Court forced Sanford to take the money.
"He's still a young senator, but he really showed great leadership on that."
Ford and Sheheen come from different ends of the Democratic political spectrum in South Carolina. "He's a rural, small-town senator," said Ford. "His issues would serve South Carolina well, just as I think my issues would serve South Carolina, the bottom line being jobs."
Ford said there are no "flaming liberals" in the South Carolina Senate, least of all Sheheen.
"He wouldn't go way to the extreme on issues like supporting gay rights and gay marriage, like I would," Ford said.
So how does Ford think Sheheen would fare against Republicans if he is the Democratic nominee? Better against some than others right now, Ford said.
"I think you got some bulldogs in the race, like (Republican U.S. Rep.) Gresham Barrett, or (state Attorney General) Henry McMaster, who are just totally mean. Vince would have to try to get a little tougher.
"If it's Barrett or McMaster, then I'm going to have to toughen my suite-mate up."
A LIVING HISTORY LESSON
When Sheheen won the 2004 special election to fill the vacant District 27 Senate seat representing Kershaw, Chesterfield and Lancaster counties, there was one vacant office in the Gressette Building at the State House.
It was in Ford's office.
"Senator Ford welcomed me, made my life very easy and accommodating, and certainly helped me feel more comfortable in the Senate building," Sheheen recalled.
Though both have moved up since in seniority, affording them the right to bigger offices with better views, they're both still in Suite 506.
Sheheen said they discuss, then jointly take in new legislative aides, share a secretary and probably have one of the most diverse office staffs in the State House complex.
Ford is known around the State House for being quick to crack a joke, and quick to engage in laughter. That's true in the office suite, too, Sheheen said.
Though Sheheen is from a different generation than Ford, he said it has been an education working with him. "He is passionate about his politics, as he is with most things," Sheheen said. "He has a great respect for government, and for politicians."
Sheheen said it's been fun learning about Ford's politics from the '60s and '70s, when Ford was very active in the civil rights movement.
Sheheen's father, who worked as a newspaper reporter, covered many of the activities that happened in the civil rights era, Sheheen said.
"It has certainly helped me better understand where we came from in this state and in this country," Sheheen said, noting that Ford has helped him understand "where we are at, and why we face the issues we face today."
One place Sheheen said he and Ford part ways in terms of Ford's current politics is on the issue of public tax credits for private schools.
Ford dismayed many of his Democratic General Assembly colleagues in 2008 when he supported publicly funded vouchers for private schools.
In his bid for governor, Ford also supports the reintroduction of video poker, thinking it could help drive the state's economic engine back to prosperity for more people.
"Those are two items I generally oppose him on, but respect him nonetheless for standing up for what he believes in," Sheheen said.
Ford and Sheheen both favored tougher sentences for violent crime and sided against the payday lending industry.
"If I could say something about the senator's politics, I'd say they are unpredictable," Sheheen said. "You can't pigeonhole him. You can't say he's just a huge liberal or a right-wing conservative.
"He's all over the board, depending on how he thinks the issue affects people," Sheheen said.
Sheheen said his and Ford's divergent backgrounds and Senate districts - Sheheen represents mostly white residents in three counties and Ford's district is majority black - are strengths, rather than weaknesses.
"I think that's what makes the Democratic Party great in South Carolina," Sheheen said.
The State
January 25, 2010
Robert Ford and Vincent Sheheen, two state senators, would seem to have little else in common.
Sheheen, a young white Democrat from rural Kershaw County, is quiet, cerebral, reserved and politically conservative.
Ford, a middle-aged black Democrat from urban Charleston County, is brash, unpredictable, extroverted and politically progressive.
Sheheen, 37, has only attended integrated public schools in South Carolina.
Ford, 61, went to jail more than 30 times fighting against segregation and for African-Americans to have equal rights.
This year, the two men have something new in common - both want to become South Carolina's next governor.
But for years they have shared something more than political ambition. They share a fifth-floor suite in the Gressette Building. As senators have come and gone over the years - and both have earned seniority - each has had the opportunity to move out.
So far, neither has.
"I've stayed here because we get along extremely well, and our relationship has grown over the last six years into one in which I think we can talk about issues, talk about the things that are going on in our lives, and I've really enjoyed it," Sheheen said.
SHEHEEN CAN WIN
Ford sees Sheheen as one of the Legislature's dynamic new leaders, bringing to the Senate floor each day a sharp legal mind able to navigate complicated issues from the Bill of Rights to tort reform.
A lifelong bachelor, Ford also greatly respects Sheheen for his family-centered personal life - he's married with three young sons - along with at least one other skill set important to Ford:
"He likes to bring people together. He likes to work with people, both Democrats and Republicans, and he has strong family beliefs."
At the end of a harried day at the General Assembly, Ford said, don't expect to find Sheheen "rubbing shoulders with the lobbyists" at any of the many evening receptions available to lawmakers. "Vince doesn't do that. I don't do it either, but Vince doesn't do it at all.
"He goes straight home to his family," Ford said.
Ford is convinced Sheheen, who was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2004, is an appealing candidate as a conservative Democrat. Sheheen has pushed limited spending and streamlining government.
"He believes we can do much, much more with what we've got."
One of Sheheen's finest moments in the Senate occurred just last year, Ford said, when Sheheen opposed Gov. Mark Sanford for wanting to reject $700 million in federal stimulus money.
"He introduced legislation (to force the governor to take the money)," Ford said.
Ultimately, the state Supreme Court forced Sanford to take the money.
"He's still a young senator, but he really showed great leadership on that."
Ford and Sheheen come from different ends of the Democratic political spectrum in South Carolina. "He's a rural, small-town senator," said Ford. "His issues would serve South Carolina well, just as I think my issues would serve South Carolina, the bottom line being jobs."
Ford said there are no "flaming liberals" in the South Carolina Senate, least of all Sheheen.
"He wouldn't go way to the extreme on issues like supporting gay rights and gay marriage, like I would," Ford said.
So how does Ford think Sheheen would fare against Republicans if he is the Democratic nominee? Better against some than others right now, Ford said.
"I think you got some bulldogs in the race, like (Republican U.S. Rep.) Gresham Barrett, or (state Attorney General) Henry McMaster, who are just totally mean. Vince would have to try to get a little tougher.
"If it's Barrett or McMaster, then I'm going to have to toughen my suite-mate up."
A LIVING HISTORY LESSON
When Sheheen won the 2004 special election to fill the vacant District 27 Senate seat representing Kershaw, Chesterfield and Lancaster counties, there was one vacant office in the Gressette Building at the State House.
It was in Ford's office.
"Senator Ford welcomed me, made my life very easy and accommodating, and certainly helped me feel more comfortable in the Senate building," Sheheen recalled.
Though both have moved up since in seniority, affording them the right to bigger offices with better views, they're both still in Suite 506.
Sheheen said they discuss, then jointly take in new legislative aides, share a secretary and probably have one of the most diverse office staffs in the State House complex.
Ford is known around the State House for being quick to crack a joke, and quick to engage in laughter. That's true in the office suite, too, Sheheen said.
Though Sheheen is from a different generation than Ford, he said it has been an education working with him. "He is passionate about his politics, as he is with most things," Sheheen said. "He has a great respect for government, and for politicians."
Sheheen said it's been fun learning about Ford's politics from the '60s and '70s, when Ford was very active in the civil rights movement.
Sheheen's father, who worked as a newspaper reporter, covered many of the activities that happened in the civil rights era, Sheheen said.
"It has certainly helped me better understand where we came from in this state and in this country," Sheheen said, noting that Ford has helped him understand "where we are at, and why we face the issues we face today."
One place Sheheen said he and Ford part ways in terms of Ford's current politics is on the issue of public tax credits for private schools.
Ford dismayed many of his Democratic General Assembly colleagues in 2008 when he supported publicly funded vouchers for private schools.
In his bid for governor, Ford also supports the reintroduction of video poker, thinking it could help drive the state's economic engine back to prosperity for more people.
"Those are two items I generally oppose him on, but respect him nonetheless for standing up for what he believes in," Sheheen said.
Ford and Sheheen both favored tougher sentences for violent crime and sided against the payday lending industry.
"If I could say something about the senator's politics, I'd say they are unpredictable," Sheheen said. "You can't pigeonhole him. You can't say he's just a huge liberal or a right-wing conservative.
"He's all over the board, depending on how he thinks the issue affects people," Sheheen said.
Sheheen said his and Ford's divergent backgrounds and Senate districts - Sheheen represents mostly white residents in three counties and Ford's district is majority black - are strengths, rather than weaknesses.
"I think that's what makes the Democratic Party great in South Carolina," Sheheen said.
