Ten Questions for Bill Connor, candidate for Lt. Gov.
April 15, 2010
By W. ThomasSmith Jr.
U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Bill Connor is running a mad dash –literally, if you follow him on Facebook and twitter and see where hetravels daily from the lowcountry to the upstate and back to theMidlands – to become S.C.’s next lieutenant governor.
A tough schedule to be sure, but for this Republican candidate andArmy Ranger officer – the first post-9/11 combat veteran to announce and file for statewide office, and the only combat veteran running for Lt.Gov. – it’s a race that has him leading in the polls, each of thosepolls taken in the last six weeks, says campaign manager Joshua Gross.And endorsements for the 42–year-old married father of three includemultiple general-officers – including Maj. Gen. Stanhope S. Spears,S.C.’s adjutant general, and Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, former FOX Newsmilitary analyst – as well as scores of other veterans, both in-and-outof SC.
Connor – a political unknown when he began running a year ago –recently returned from a stint in Afghanistan where he served as seniorU.S. advisor in the rugged Helmand Province. In that capacity, he wasresponsible for the full advisory effort of thousands of Afghan National Security forces. He commanded all American advisors in the province.And he was senior American liaison to British forces.
A graduate of The Citadel and the USC School of Law, Connor has beendescribed by his military superiors as a fearless, consummate combatleader and an American soldier who performed well under intense enemyfire and always led his men from the front.
Retired U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston – one of fourliving Medal of Honor recipients accredited to S.C. who have endorsedConnor, said Connor’s proven combat leadership, his legal education,and his experience helping his wife Susan start her small businessuniquely qualifies him [for the role of Lt. Gov].
We recently discussed with Connor why he wants to be Lt. Gov. andwhere he stands on the salient issues like healthcare, the economy, andhomeland defense.
MidlandsBiz:
How might your experience as a military leader shape yourleadership as Lt. Governor?
Bill Connor:
Gen. Eisenhower used to say that despite all the hardships of hispresidency, especially the tensions of the Cold War, the hardest moments of leadership for him came on the battlefield. Those decisions werelife and death and needed to be made in the blink of an eye.
I’ve been battle tested. I understand leadership in the mostdifficult crucible imaginable. And I’ve come through those testsunscathed. I’ve had to deal with competing interests, especially inAfghanistan, where in addition to being the senior U.S. advisor to aprovince, I was the senior liaison to the Brits. If you can reachconsensus in that sort of arena under that kind of pressure, thelegislature can only be easier.
MidlandsBiz:
You often say leaders eat last and mission first, men always. Howwould this military leadership approach be reflected in the lt.Governor’s office under Bill Connor, specifically?
Bill Connor:
Leaders Eat Last will be especially helpful when dealing with budgetsituations in a time of recession. This means that the Lt. Governor’soffice is the last thing that should get additional funding – thatfunding needs to go to the seniors programs at Aging first. MissionFirst, Men Always is how leaders treat the unit – it’s about the unit,not the leader. The same is true of our state – it’s about our people,not the politicians or elected leaders. I want to see us caring aboutthe liberty and freedom of our citizens first, not what governmentprogram can fritter away more of their money.
MidlandsBiz:
Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano has referred to returning warveterans as potential threats to national security. What is yourresponse to that?
Bill Connor:
Returning war veterans are the heart of our national security, not athreat to it. That comment was simply maddening, especially coming from a lifetime politician like Napolitano. She calls veterans a threat – Icall them my base of support, in addition to calling them friends andbrothers in arms.
MidlandsBiz:
You have been described by your superiors as a fearless, consummatecombat leader who, while serving in Afghanistan, performed well underintense enemy fire and always led his men from the front. Literallyfrom the front? Explain?
Bill Connor:
Literally from the front. I spent a year in Afghanistan, the second half as senior advisor in Helmand. During that time, I was involved intwenty combat actions, and had to fire my weapon more than once. Because of the surge in Iraq, the unit was at 50 percent strength, so we had to make do with what we had. We had to clear one town house-to-house, and I was in a convoy of vehicles that ran into a Taliban ambush – those were the two most intense fights. But, by the grace of God we came throughwithout losing a single U.S. soldier under my command for the entireyear.
MidlandsBiz:
In a single soundbite explanation each, tell me where you stand on:
Abortion –
I am pro-life, from natural conception to natural death.
State Income Tax –
We could end state income tax tomorrow if we ended sales tax exemptions. That would do more to fix unemployment in our state than any government program ever could.
Economy –
I will offer my services to the governor to be the economic ambassadorto S.C., and having lived and worked in other communities, states, andnations throughout the world, this is a role I feel I am uniquelyqualified for.
Health Care –
Every American should have good health care, but the governmentshouldn’t have anything to do with it. I completely oppose ObamaCare.
School Choice –
As the Board Chairman for a low-tuition Christian school in Orangeburg, I support tax credits for parents who want to send their kids to theschool of their choosing – public, private, parochial or charter.
Energy Independence –
Green technologies are great, but in the meantime, I’d like to see us do more in the way of exploration for oil and natural gas here at home,especially offshore and in Alaska. We also need to do more in the way of nuclear power.
Homeland Defense –
The next attack is coming. We haven’t secured our southern border, wehaven’t taken the enemy seriously (or even named it properly). Instead,we’ve clamped down on the rights of law abiding citizens – ineffectiveto say the least.
Political Partnership –
If I can work with the Afghans, the Dutch and the Brits (as I had to doin Afghanistan), I can handle discussing issues with folks from anotherpolitical party.
MidlandsBiz:
Why – on a personal level – do you want to be Lt. Governor?
Bill Connor:
After returning from Afghanistan, I felt the call to serve our state atthe state level of leadership. God has put a vision on my heart ofhelping to make South Carolina a Bright Shining City on a Hill. Ifeel passionate about helping ensure out state stands true to theJudeo-Christian values our founders intended. I have three children and I want to do all I can to leave them the state and nation I remembergrowing up. Most importantly, that freedom is the answer to moving ourstate forward.
MidlandsBiz:
What do you say to those who want to support you, but fear your pocketsmay not be as deep as your opponents?
Bill Connor:
I’d rather have the support of the people than deep pockets. Deep pockets are nice, but as it is I’ve got support from more donorsthan any other candidate running for this office. If I stand up forwhat’s right, and do it more effectively than any other candidate,victory will follow. With the support I have, I am able to get ourmessage out.
MidlandsBiz:
What would voters be surprised to learn about Bill Connor:?
Bill Connor:
Probably that I’m that rare person who came to a saving faith in JesusChrist as an adult – during my first year in law school at USC. I hadbeen a [U.S. Army] Ranger, in charge of Rangers or a light infantrycompany, and I had a real ego problem. God used that time to bring meto my knees and let me see my own need for a savior and I was brought to a saving faith in Christ.
MidlandsBiz:
You spend quite a bit of time on the campaign trail here in SCand you’ve spent much time overseas. But I understand you are also veryinvolved in the lives of your family. How do you budget your time suchthat you also spend time with your wife and three children?
Bill Connor:
I’ll be frank, this has been the hardest part of the campaign. After 15months of wartime separation, to jump in only six months later toanother 15 month campaign has been very difficult. My staff makes apoint of getting me home every night rather than spend time and money on hotels, but I’m still too late to tuck the kids in about four nights aweek. We try to be very intentional about scheduling time for familybecause otherwise the campaign will take every last second.
MidlandsBiz:
What is the media not asking or reporting that you believe must be addressed?
Bill Connor:
The culture war is in full force. Extreme liberal groups like PlannedParenthood and SIECUS are attempting to undermine American values in our schools. Using comprehensive sexual education and revisionist history as two examples, these groups are trying to turn our children away from traditional American values and towards more big government socialismat every level. This is something that must be addressed openly if weare going to end the cycle of government dependency in our state andnation.
