Nikki Haley Calls Reporter 'Little Girl,' Draws Criticism

(AP/The Huffington Post) South Carolina's first female governor is being criticized for calling a woman reporter a "little girl" because the governor didn't like her coverage on taxpayer spending on a European trip.

In a radio interview Thursday, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley said "God bless that little girl at the Post and Courier," referring to a reporter at the Charleston newspaper.

Bill Rogers with the South Carolina Press Association said Friday the remark is a sexist, personal attack rather than a response to the story's facts.

Last Sunday's story described at least $127,000 in expenses that Haley and other state officials spent on a weeklong trip to attract European companies to South Carolina. Here are some of the details relayed by the Post and Courier on the trip:

Haley, who captured the governor's office preaching fiscal restraint, spent the cash so she, her husband and the rest of the state's contingent could stay in five-star hotels; sip cocktails at the Paris Ritz; dine on what an invitation touted as "delicious French cuisine" at a swanky rooftop restaurant; and rub elbows with the U.S. Ambassador to France at his official residence near the French presidential palace.

The State reports that South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian suggested Haley's remarks reflected “a lack of judgment and maturity." He said, "It’s a disgrace that she would diminish a woman trying to do her job."

Haley defended the spending in interviews and an article she wrote that the newspaper published Wednesday. The AP reports that on Friday the South Carolina governor said she regrets her choice of words.

Comments

[msblynne]

09:20 PM on 09/13/2011

But wait! I thought that it was "Not the Government's role to create jobs"????

[markie G]

02:55 AM on 09/13/2011

ahh, the zany antics of these wacky modern teapublicans---all mouthy and tough-guy, all the time....

[nighthawksc]

11:55 PM on 09/12/2011

I am a Native American from South Carolina and I would have to say that the Governor has not been a good role model for Native Americans.This is sad since she is the first Native American governor in the state.

[EStreetShuffler]

10:05 AM on 09/13/2011

Haley's parents are from Punjab, India.

She's not Native American, other than the fact that she was born in South Carolina, I suppose.

[nighthawksc]

10:43 PM on 09/13/2011

Ha, Ha, Shame on me. I had heard someone state that she was "Indian", guess I am kinda like Columbus when he seen us and thought he was in India and called us Indians. Oh well, guess I need to rephrase the comment to state that she is not a good role model for Indians (from India, that is.)

[iirm]

09:02 PM on 09/12/2011

Apparently Ms. Haley isn't contesting the information reported in the article which makes one wonder just how many jobs her June trip created. The people of her state should be demanding a full accounting. If they choose not, then that speaks volumes about the true "fiscal responsibility" of Ms. Haley and other republicans like her.

By the way, her state's unemployment is 10.6% - I guess the effects of that trip hasn't kicked in yet?

[CFL68]

01:35 PM on 09/13/2011

What is there to contest? Her trip cost 4x less per person than similar NC trip. The facts and numbers the reporter presented don't prove the narrative of lavish personal vacation.

SC leads the nation in jobs created from foreign manufacturers (double national avg), and over 100k total jobs with foreign employers. BMW alone has over $4 billion invested. The sales cycle on major deals takes years and you need to compete for every investment dollar.

If the reporter had some dirt, she should have itemized it and shown the personal expenses, lack of work, and over spending. She didn't even try. She just 'wowed' her readers by throwing apparently big numbers on the wall ($5100 per diem lol), and using fancy words like 'lavish' when describing room service meals.

I totally agree the gov shouldn't have responded publicly like that even if her characterization of the reporter was accurate.

[Anonani]

07:25 AM on 09/14/2011

Did the Governor accurately characterize the reporter? Do you have a history with the reporter ..... has she done something to you?

IMHO, the ball is in the Governor's court to debunk the "lies". That should be easy enough. The Court of Public Opinion suggests that the "accuser" is less accountable in this case. The Governor has all of the information anyone would need to disprove/prove the case.

Don't you agree?

[luebla]

07:36 PM on 09/12/2011

What do you expect? Women are by far the worst critic against other women. In other words-women are their own worst enemies! The repub women are the worst kind-they are in denial when it come to their male counterpart. The male-species repub-use the female species repub for any & everything they can-& then" tell them to get under the bus" Mind you-"tell them"-they do not have to throw them. The female-species repub is very compliant to their men. You see how romney & perry's wives just glare into their eyes like the "stepford wives".

[Watching rock grow]

05:26 PM on 09/12/2011

Gawd help the person that calls Nikki a little girl.

[Oneandoneandone]

04:56 PM on 09/12/2011

Why are politicians so childish? They are supposed to be our leaders, yet here I am, thinking that they all need a time-out.

[Noahfingwhey]

04:25 PM on 09/12/2011

I suppose now we can't say the LG word anymore. Anyone know how she was built?

[StanleyBing]

03:35 PM on 09/12/2011

The AP is using "news" from the HuffPuff in their reports?

[EvasDaddy]

03:59 PM on 09/12/2011

No genius. HP gets news from all over. It's an aggregate site.

Stick around awhile ... you'll learn something.

(You don't fit in)

[Mama Bee]

03:17 PM on 09/12/2011

In what way was her husband essential to the trip? Did he reimburse the state for his expenses? Or did he pay his own way up front?

[EvasDaddy]

04:01 PM on 09/12/2011

In all fairness to Mr. Nikki Haley, no reasonable person could possibly expect him to stay in SC while his (not too) faithful wife hit The City of Light!

As far as I'm concerned his expenses were crucial. Hell we can't have anymore SC governors getting lost on the Appalachian Trail!

[CFL68]

12:15 AM on 09/13/2011

The original article says the husband paid his own way.

[ray77]

02:07 PM on 09/12/2011

She's a true republican, That good old republican justice, JUST-US!

[robertaruth]

01:49 PM on 09/12/2011

Another "fiscal restraint" hypocrite -- just happens to be a republican. What?

[CFL68]

12:22 AM on 09/13/2011

What in particular do you find unrestrained in the expenditures?

Be specific and provide us with price alternatives. Was it the warm meals delivered to rooms? The $27 per diem per person? Should the chief executive of a $165 billion dollar organization stay in a youth hostel? You pick a Paris hotel during the Paris Air Show so we can see how much you would save.

Or are you proposing all public officials stop foreign trade missions? That might not be a bad idea, but again it might. Foreign investors provide over 100k jobs in SC.

[robertaruth]

08:17 PM on 09/13/2011

The key word that is so frequently overlooked when a republican is criticized is "hypocrisy." To be a "fiscal restraint" advocate and then spend taxpayer money without restraint is the issue.

You know -- like the "family values" guys who cheat on their wives and look for sex in airport mens' rooms.

[Schooner131]

01:30 PM on 09/12/2011

Why don't these lame reporters focus on the US boots on the ground in Libya. Yeah, the war Congress never approved. No, let's yak about Nikki Haley's trip.

[EvasDaddy]

04:03 PM on 09/12/2011

Oh Schooner ... you hitting the sauce again? Stop making stuff up!

Besides, we're talking about Sticky Nikki because that's what the article is about!

Go sober up.

[robertaruth]

05:18 PM on 09/12/2011

Are you suggesting that all news reporting should only be about Libya?

I'm sure if you make the effort, you should be able to find something about Libya. Here's one for ya
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/11/al-saadi-gaddafi-flees-to-niger_n_957652.html

[maryosullivanpaa]

01:00 PM on 09/12/2011

I want to see Haley's birth-certificate
She sure looks like a '' furiner'' to me, not the kind
we want in these here parts

[auzzz10]

01:37 PM on 09/12/2011

While trying to call conservatives racist you proved your on biggotry.

[champions1]

03:10 PM on 09/12/2011

not a bigot dude....just the birth certificate...

[EvasDaddy]

04:05 PM on 09/12/2011

I like the way you spell bigotry. Gives it a little more OOMPH.

(I know sticky Nikki is a U.S. citizen though, so I'm no biggot, right?)

[ywcachieve]

12:51 PM on 09/12/2011

Remember when she said she would start grading the So Carolina legislature, and giving out report cards? This woman is a piece of work. ....lol

[Schooner131]

01:31 PM on 09/12/2011

Not as much of a piece of work at the teleprompter in chief.

[fanofariana]

02:04 PM on 09/12/2011

ALL Presidents use it. Since it's invention. The President has more important things to do than write speeches.....Hence your post here is not only futile but shows a lot of ignora.nce.

[EvasDaddy]

04:07 PM on 09/12/2011

Schooner!!!!! Try to pay attention!

We're talking about Nikky Haley and her Travelin' Pals!