Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Weekly Washington Wrap

• Washington’s focus on the oil spill continued this week, but was briefly interrupted by the firing of General Stanley McChrystal and Team USA’s goal against Algeria that allowed USA to advance in World Cup play.
• President Obama summoned General Stanley McChrystal to the White House on Wednesday to address the Commander of the US forces in Afghanistan’s remarks in a Rolling Stone interview.   President Obama accepted General McChrystal’s resignation at their meeting and quickly tapped General David Petraeus (the 4-star general who leads Central Command) to head the US war effort in Afghanistan.  The move was generally applauded by Republicans and Democrats alike, but expect pundits on television news to over-analyze the issue and pile on political conjecture to make the episode more sensational than it actually is.
• President Obama cancelled a bipartisan meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday to push Senators into action on climate change legislation.  It was widely reported that disagreement within the Democratic caucus over whether to focus on a cap-and-trade measure resulted in the meeting’s demise.  There is greater certainty that the Senate cannot pass a bill that includes carbon pricing, so it is likely that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will have the Senate take up energy-only legislation with provisions to address the Gulf oil spill. The Majority Leader continues to insist that Senate Committees report out bills under their respective jurisdictions by next week. Senate leadership will then take those individual bills and combine them over the July 4^th break to ensure an energy bill can be taken up by the Senate in July.
• The Conference Committee that is working on reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the financial regulatory reform bills met all week for the final push to reach an agreement.  President Obama wants to have the agreement in-hand so he can push leaders at the G20 meeting in Toronto to make financial reform a priority in their countries.  

 

Sands Strategies

Another week found David Wilkins once again in Washington D.C., along with many familiar Canadian faces.

They were in town to attend a Canada 2010 event titled, "Greening" the Oil Sands?: Debunking the Myths and Confronting the Realities. 

Among the participants listening to the day of panel discussion examining everything from reducing the environmental impact of oil sands development to making the oil sands more accepted include: Canadian broadcast legend Don Newman (who served as panel moderator), former PM chief staffer Ian Brodie who is now with Inter American Development Bank, former PMO top policy and research director Mark Cameron who is now with Ontario Power Generation, MP James Rajotte, former US Ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin, Maclean's Washington-based reporter Luiza Ch. Savage,  the director of Canada's Woodrow Wilson Institute David Biette and Nexen's Brian Humphreys and Wishart Robson. 

The keynote remarks were offered by the CEO of the Center for American Progress John Podesta.

Later that evening, Wilkins and a few Canadian pals had dinner with Senator Lindsey Graham and his chief staffer Richard Perry. 

Prolific Profile

The life and times of Ambassador Wilkins is the subject of a lengthy profile piece in the summer edition of the Made in SC magazine produced by the South Carolina Manufacturers' Alliance (SCMA) due for release tomorrow. 

The multi-page spread focuses on Wilkins' days as a star tennis player at Clemson University and his long career in South Carolina politics, as well as his service as US Ambassador to Canada.  It  includes a number of photos spanning almost 40 years in and around public service.

Here are some excerpts from the article entitled: David Wilkins: Turning Crisis into Consensus, written by James A. Richter. 

“Consensus …”

It’s a word we hear often in politics, but a reality we seldom see achieved… 

At every step of his storied political career, former U.S. Ambassador and S.C. Speaker of the House David H. Wilkins has crafted precisely these kinds of solutions – and he’s crafted them in some of the most difficult, emotionally charged political environments imaginable.  As an attorney, statesman, campaigner, diplomat, and, most recently, business leader and University trustee, Wilkins has forged for himself a legacy unrivaled among the current generation of Palmetto political leaders – setting a tremendously high bar in the process for those who would seek to follow in his footsteps...

“He brought people around to his way of thinking through his intellect and the sheer force of his personality…"

That, in a nutshell, is Wilkins’ secret – a candid, unflinching honesty coupled with a genuine desire to put the best interests of his state and country first. Needless to say, the “unflinching” side of his personality has won him his fair share of political enemies (and a few unfavorable press clippings) over the years, but Wilkins has navigated those land mines by sticking to his principles, earning the respect of friends and foes alike… 

The first Republican House Speaker elected in South Carolina since Reconstruction, Wilkins’ unlikely rise to power hastened a broader GOP revival in the Palmetto State.  Under his leadership, a new era of pro-business policymaking and bipartisan cooperation emerged – not to mention real consensus on some of the Palmetto State’s most contentious unresolved issues.  Next, as U.S. Ambassador to Canada during President George W. Bush’s second term, Wilkins had a similarly transformative effect – restoring a rocky diplomatic relationship and resolving one of the thorniest trade issues between the two nations.

Click here to read entire SCMA profile

Best in Baseball

Wilkins' Clemson University baseball team is exceeding all expectations at the College World Series being played right now in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Last night Clemson bested Oklahoma 6-4 and is now one of five teams vying for the national championship. 

On Monday, Clemson upset first seed Arizona State 6-3.  (Wilkins probably doesn't want us to mention this, but our "other" state school – that being the University of South Carolina – also beat Arizona, which spelled the end of the road for the powerhouse Arizona squad).

Yay for Canada Day!

Since next Thursday is Canada Day, we will be honoring this most special of Canadian holidays by taking a week off from our newsletter. 

We wish all of our Canadian friends a sunshiny and safe Canada Day wherever you happen to be celebrating this year. 

And David and Susan Wilkins (armed with boiled peanuts!) are looking forward to celebrating with you a few days later at what is Ottawa's single best party of the year – the US Embassy's July 4^th blast at the ambassador's residence.

We hear Ambassador and Julie Jacobson have tapped a band from their hometown of Chicago to provide this year's entertainment.  So no "beach music" like was had during the Wilkins' years.   Maybe this time around Ottawa can dance the "Bus Stop"?

Saluting Speaker

Anyone who knows David and Susan Wilkins also is well-acquainted with their beloved dog Speaker. 

Both Speaker and the Wilkins' other pooch, the tiny, fair-haired Lily, were fixtures at the ambassador's residence in Ottawa and greeted everyone from the Prime Minister to embassy staff with equal amounts excitement and affection.  In fact, both dogs were subject to some very positive Canadian media coverage and left their paw prints on Ottawa.

This morning, after a valiant fight against old age and illness, Speaker passed away. 

Rest in peace, Speaker. You will be missed.