Election update: Ervin drops out, Haley defends confederate flag, the circus continues

Tom Ervin, Independent candidate for governor, has dropped out of the race and thrown his support to Democratic challenger Vincent Sheheen. I was genuinely surprised by this move, although some cynics believed this was the game plan from the beginning. Four million dollars of his own money, spent just to help Sheheen? I hardly think so, but then, stranger things have happened in South Carolina politics.

From Dennis at PoliticsUSA:

You all know the back story of the South Carolina governor’s race. The current governor, Nikki Haley, an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) puppet, wants to continue the states abysmally low rankings in almost every social and practical category of meaning. As I’ve written many times before, in a highly competitive field, Haley is, based on these rankings alone, the nation’s most inept governor. But, in the Palmetto state all that’s required of a governor is hate.

....

Then there’s Haley’s arrogant disdain of human life in refusing to expand Medicaid to a certain group of low-wage earners. A move that is not only heartless, but will kill people. A Harvard study estimates as many as 1,300 annually in South Carolina alone. What kind of governor doesn’t care about killing people? We should throw her ‘hatred’ of environmental regulations into the mix. Regulations that minimize and control chemical releases that kill who knows how many of her fellow citizens.

This is not only a worthless, unfeeling governor; this is a worthless, unfeeling human being. And yet she commands comfortable double-digit leads in virtually every legitimate poll over her holdover opponent from her last gubernatorial run, State Senator, Vincent Sheheen.

Back to Ervinized and why that recent phenomenon is suddenly creating a modest opening for Sheheen in the governor’s race. Those who have followed this race are aware that there are five candidates. The two major parties, Independent Republican petition candidate, Tom Ervin and two political ciphers. The latter two are meaningless in terms of the outcome. Ervin is definitely meaningful, especially in light of recent developments. Tom Ervin is a 62-year-old former two-term state house member as a Democrat and a 14-year circuit court judge who currently practices law with his wife. He is philosophically still a moderate Democrat, though a few years ago, he declared himself a Republican to run for a couple of offices he craved. He lost both elections, but remained a Republican. Given that Haley won the Republican primary, Ervin was, by law, forced to run as an Independent in the general election.

He was a very effective candidate, giving both the major party candidates a dressing down on assorted issues. He was especially hard on Haley. His presence created vote switching that one would think would benefit Sheheen, the Democrat. As indicated earlier, while Ervin gained supporters, Sheheen lost them and Haley made a big move.

Now, all that could change. The ball, as they say, is squarely in Sheheen’s court. Ervin, who funded his own campaign to the tune of $4 million, suddenly dropped out of the race freeing roughly 8-10% of the total vote. I guess he felt he had made enough of an impression on the electorate and fully realized that, while certainly influential, he stood no chance of winning. One of his first post-dropout steps was to email an expression of strong support to Sheheen contributors under the Sheheen letterhead. The obvious question is, what difference will it make? Won’t Republican Ervin votes simply find a home in the Haley camp?

Maybe, but, as in TV reality shows, there’s a twist. Ervin has officially endorsed Sheheen. Some voters are now going to take a close look at why. In a local phone interview with reporter Jason Spencer, Ervin made the following statement, “It was a difficult decision, but I felt like it was time to put aside my personal ambition and try to do what’s best for our state.” Gee, what a novel approach to public service.

And Ervin has spelled out three reasons that it makes more sense to vote for the Democratic State Senator. According to the local press, those reasons are, ethics reform, domestic violence and economic development. He actually used the word “dishonest” in condemning Haley’s leadership on the issues.

Ouch! He actually called her DISHONEST?

Will any of this work? Haley is estimated to have a 10-point lead in the polls, or at least those are the figures I hear dutifully repeated everywhere, in most South Carolina media outlets. I heard it down at the coast, in Columbia, and here in the upstate. This is the OFFICIAL figure that the ruling class of SC has agreed upon.

Despite Sheheen's attack ads (which came FAR TOO LATE in the campaign to suit me and others in the opposition), it is a forgone conclusion that Sheheen will still lose, but probably by a lower margin than expected.

Unless, unless...

It would be great if we could get out the African-American vote for this election. In addition to her ongoing attempts to deny thousands of the state's black residents the right to vote, Haley has just defended the confederate battle flag. Is it possible that African-Americans will finally reach a boiling point? Or has all that creative gerrymandering in SC finally done its job and that simply can't happen now? (Note: This is the real reason Mark Sanford was handily elected in SC's District 1.)

And my God, Haley is utterly shameless in pandering to the white vote.

From Talking Points Memo:

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said that voters should not be concerned that the statehouse flies a Confederate flag because she has gotten no complaints from the CEOs.

During the Tuesday night gubernatorial debate, Democratic candidate state Sen. Vincent Sheheen called for the state government to no longer display the Confederate flag, noting that many young people leave South Carolina "all too often."

Haley retorted by claiming that the Confederate flag has not kept companies from coming to the state.

"What I can tell you is over the last three and a half years, I spent a lot of my days on the phones with CEOs and recruiting jobs to this state. I can honestly say I have not had one conversation with a single CEO about the Confederate flag," she said.

She also said that she herself has helped combat the state's image problem.

"But we really kind of fixed all that when you elected the first Indian-American female governor," Haley said. "When we appointed the first African-American U.S. senator, that sent a huge message."

Libertarian candidate Steve French said that while he doesn't mind if individuals display the Confederate flag, he doesn't think businesses should be able to.

"So, if you want to paint your house in the Confederate flag, I am completely fine with that," he said.

She has totally forgotten that in 2001, on her voter registration, she claimed she was white. Oh wait, she wasn't running for office back then. Never mind. She's back to being an Indian-American now.

Outside of making her a laughingstock (which she never seems to mind), will the confederate flag comment hurt her chances?

At least she is honest that the continuing racist insult to black people doesn't concern her, only what the rich say and do.

Sums her up perfectly, doesn't it?

~*~

Stay tuned, sports fans.

Primary elections depress me

I started to blog about the South Carolina primary of last Tuesday, but then I thought... WHAT FOR? Everybody was a shoo-in. I needn't have bothered to show up or vote. Senator Tim Scott won his primary bid, while Lindsey Graham was never in any real trouble at all, despite all his okey-doke on TV, designed to scare the hawks into giving him more money.

Depressing as hell.

As regular DEAD AIR readers know, I vote strategically, which means I vote in the Republican primary, since that's where the action is in my decidedly hyper-conservative state. Lindsey Graham fended off SIX (!) Tea Party challengers, with one hand tied behind his back. As Mr Daisy often says, only God knows how much money Lindsey Graham has. He could probably stand at the polling place (beyond the legal 200 yard-perimeter of course!) and hand out twenty-dollar-bills and not be any poorer for it. As it is, he and Tim Scott rate free commercials from Big Oil and Big Plastic, so he can hold onto his twenties. (and his fifties, and his hundreds...)

And yeah, that is WHAT I SAID: SIX TEA PARTY CHALLENGERS, including famously-wacky Lee Bright (I got a photo of him HERE, which got a new round of look-sees during the campaign) and a pro-lifer who drives an ice-cream truck and likes to call himself a "businessman". (He OWNS the ice cream truck, apparently.)

I voted for the ice cream truck driver, the only one I have met personally. I know ice cream truck drivers ("businessman" or not) will never make it to the Senate.

If these clowns could AGREE WITH EACH OTHER and band together as a unit, then ONE of them could have beaten Senator Graham in the primary. But they are SO specific about every jot and tittle of their conservative principles, it really is People's Front of Judea vs The Judean Peoples Front time. They can't even agree with each other. This is likely due to the fact that there are just SO MANY conservatives here, they can easily splinter over what the rest of us would consider small or inconsequential issues, just as the Left does in places like Berkeley or Boston.

The big news is that Brad Hutto, one of those conservative Democrats that are really Republicans, won the Democratic Senatorial Primary. He thinks he can take Graham, since Eric Cantor was ousted in Virginia. However, take note: Cantor was ousted by the aforementioned TEA PARTY, who managed NOT to have six candidates running at once, but only ONE, and then properly UNITED, they kicked ass. That's how its done; be advised!

Does Hutto think he can take advantage of Tea Party indignation over immigration and endless war? Well, maybe.

Democrat Vincent Sheheen, who already lost a gubernatorial election to (now Governor) Nikki Haley, is running against her AGAIN. As all of you know, I think this is a half-assed idea, and new blood would be far better.

Too bad they can't find any, since they are ineffectual as HELL.

Lindsey Graham has stood up against Tea Party outings, Tea Party attacks, David Brooks almost-naming him as a groper on TV, and countless other sticky situations. He seems bulletproof.

It also matters tremendously, as I have said before, that he is one of the most charming people in the world.

~*~

Stay tuned, sports fans.

Haley Watch: Watch out Canada, Queen Nikki is on the way

Photo of Governor Haley comes from her ex-boyfriend Will Folks' website, FITSnews.





I used to do most of my Haleyating on the radio.

During our broadcast-hiatus, I've greatly missed my regular chance to dump all over our hyper-conservative (but nonetheless pretty randy) governor. So, making up for that today.

~*~

Last month, Queen Nikki made a royal fool of herself by telling employers to stay out of South Carolina.

Wait, what?!? Stay OUT, you ask?

Yes, she told them to stay out... IF they bring those dreaded, scary unionized employees with them, that is:

GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina loves its manufacturing jobs from BMW, Michelin and Boeing and wants more.

But Gov. Nikki Haley says they're not welcome if they're bringing a unionized workforce.

"It's not something we want to see happen," she said after an appearance at an automotive conference in downtown. "We discourage any companies that have unions from wanting to come to South Carolina because we don't want to taint the water."

In a recent vote at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., the company remained neutral about bringing in the United Auto Workers. VW had said it favors the creation of a German-style "works council," which gives workers a voice on a variety of products and other decisions.

U.S. law requires a union to represent employees for a company to form a works council.

State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, Haley's Democratic opponent in this year's gubernatorial race, said he thinks South Carolina should remain a right-to-work state where workers are free to decide whether to join unions.

"But I also think that if Ford Motor Co. wanted to bring 10,000 jobs to South Carolina, we would welcome them with open arms," Sheheen said.

"We need good, high-paying jobs in South Carolina," he said. "Part of leadership is putting ideology and partisanship to the side when there's something that could be good for South Carolina."

Haley isn't the first South Carolina Republican to reflect the South's traditional anti-union bias, but she's been especially outspoken against unions inserting themselves as mediators between workers and their employers.

GOP animosity toward unions grew red-hot in South Carolina during Haley's first year as governor after the National Labor Relations Board went to court to block the Boeing Co. from making its Dreamliner jet at a new factory in North Charleston.

The NLRB argued that Boeing had built the plant in right-to-work South Carolina in retaliation for past union strikes at the company's Puget Sound operations but ultimately dropped the complaint.

Haley has continued to remind voters of what the agency tried to do and did it again Wednesday while appearing here at the South Carolina Automotive Summit, an annual conference for the state's auto industry.

The governor urged more than 200 people at the conference, many of them auto industry executives, to keep up their guard against unions.

"They're coming into South Carolina. They're trying," Haley warned. "We're hearing it. The good news is it's not working."

Haley promised to keep fighting against union penetration.

"You've heard me say many times I wear heels. It's not for a fashion statement," she said. "It's because we're kicking them every day, and we'll continue to kick them."

State Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said he couldn't recall the last time a company with a unionized workforce approached his agency about establishing a new plant in South Carolina.

"Companies that are traditional union companies don't seem to come looking for an operation in South Carolina," said Hitt, a former BMW executive whom Haley appointed. "I think our brand and our image precedes us in that regard."

Commerce officials inquire about an economic development prospect's labor traditions, he said.

"But we've never told someone outright no," Hitt said. "I think we've never gotten to that."

President Lewis Gossett of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, which has organized the automotive conference here the past three years, said he thinks Haley is "dead on" about unions.

"Organized labor has no place down here," Gossett said. "We don't need them. We don't need them to replicate what they've done in the Midwest and the Northeast. The governor gets that. And she's taken some very strong stands about it, and we love it."

However, Erin McKee, president of the South Carolina chapter of the AFL-CIO, said she doesn't think Haley is helping.

South Carolinians "have the right to have good jobs, and if those are union jobs, they're union jobs," McKee said. "And to keep jobs from coming here because they're union, I don't think she's representing the people."

Well, at least the unions can recognize a direct insult when they hear one. Any word from the Dems, besides that rather lackluster, lame-ass reply from Sheheen?

Hello, but are you kidding? (Welcome to South Carolina!) The Democrats here are busy pretending to be Republicans, so they do not criticize Governor Haley. The Democrats here, with extremely few exceptions, do not say BOO to Queen Nikki. They are terrified they might actually get elected and have to do something.

I mean, nothing they have done "works" (gets them elected)--so you figure they might try something different, right? Like actually going after Queen Nikki before she totally bankrupts the state? If Haley is re-elected, we can count on four more years of total neglect of this state's roads, agencies, fire departments and schools... which is apparently acceptable to the Democratic party, since none of the Democrats seem too awful worried about it.

Governor Haley was also recently bragging about another junket, another fun new vacation for the Queen, on our dime. But looking at her web page, I can't find it. Hm. Her last weekly schedule was posted on March 10th. I guess she finally remembered she was running for re-election, and decided to shut up about the junkets.

Oh wait, here it is (and why isn't this posted on the governor's official news site?):

COLUMBIA, SC — Gov. Nikki Haley is heading to Canada to recruit jobs [in March], her office said Tuesday.

She will join three S.C. Department of Commerce officials and former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins on the three-day trip that starts March 31 in Toronto before she heads to Ottawa and Montreal.

Wilkins, now an attorney in private practice in Greenville, is paying for his portion of the trip, the governor's office said.

Haley will meet with companies already in the state as well as new prospects. She also will speak to business groups.

She is going to Canada for "jobs"--uh huh. Just like she went to Germany and France (page down HERE for the gory details) to the tune of $127,000--also supposedly for "jobs"--and um, where ARE those jobs, Governor?

(((crickets)))

I'm sure this Canadian trip will be just as successful as that one was.

At least it's cheaper and she isn't taking a delegation of two dozen with her this time. At least she isn't just flushing a million dollars of our taxes down the toilet. Then again, if there are no immediate results for South Carolina, she HAS flushed more of our money down the drain, she just isn't telling us HOW MUCH this time.

Please, get rid of this woman. Please, please, please...

Haley Watch: Why won't Democrats attack the governor?

South Carolina's progressives continue to twist slowly, slowly, in the wind. The official state Democratic Party seems to be ... well, where are they?

There are plenty of actual rank-and-file Democratic voters, but the state party leadership seems to be too timid to actually present these voters with any real options. (It might, you know, appear RUDE or something.)

It is therefore up to conservative libertarians like Will Folks, to attack Governor Nikki Haley for being corrupt. The conservatives are left to do the work of criticizing Republicans?!?

Yesterday, FITSNews reported:

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley says she will openly defy a two-decade-old state law which prohibits elected officials from using taxpayer resources to conduct political campaigning.

Haley has been busted violating this law on numerous occasions in the past – most notably during the aftermath of a previously undisclosed car crash that followed a campaign event in North Carolina (news of this crash was reported exclusively by FITS).

Prior to that Haley has come under fire for racking up exorbitant security costs on political trips – including fundraising trips. The governor reimbursed some (but not all) of those costs.

Now she won’t have to pay any of them.

Check out the whole thing. Read it and weep.

And while you're at it, weep over the fact that Will is 100% correct. His CONSERVATIVE blog, FITSNews, exclusively reported Haley's North Carolina car crash that occurred on our dime. No Democrats have used this incident to go after Haley hammer and tongs, as they should. Instead, we get the usual tepid, perfunctory and meek "response" quotes; the sort of half-baked, apologetic political bullshit always offered for standard publication.

In the above post, for example, we read the following boring-ass quote from SC Democratic Party spokeswoman Kristin Sosanie:

Rather than following South Carolina’s laws and behaving ethically, Nikki Haley just writes herself a new set of rules so she can continue to campaign on the taxpayer dime.

Wow, ya think?!?

Will's post has more chutzpah in one sentence, than THE REAL DEMOCRATS can muster in all of their silly, inconsequential canned-media mewling.

How about something like this: "This irresponsible, lazy, narcissistic and inexperienced LIAR is thieving from the people of South Carolina to fund her pricey, designer-clothes wardrobe; her trips to France and Germany; crashes of unauthorized cars in North Carolina; and now... she is going to use our money to keep her job for another four years. Meanwhile, the Department of Revenue is hacked, while she takes another vacation. She needs to GO. She is destroying the state."

THAT is how it's done, people.

Hey Dems, if you need me to help you out, contact my radio show. I'll be glad to write you some applause lines. Or maybe you can call Will?

Apparently, the Republicans and Green Party people are more effective at being Democrats than the Democrats are.

~*~

The Democrats have launched no genuine, full-throttle, hard-hitting ATTACKS on this ethically-challenged, opportunistic political-nightmare, who is spending our money like it is going out of style, all while advertising herself as a fiscal conservative. Voters on both sides of the political spectrum are thoroughly FED UP with her.

Where are the Democrats and why are they not taking full advantage of this sordid situation? Same place they've always been: asleep at the switch. As always. As usual.

In this state, Democrats are too defeatist to even BEGIN. They are too cowed to realize when they actually have the upper hand, as they do with corrupt Governor Haley. They are so accustomed to losing, they practically announce their losses before election season. They expect the worst, and therefore try to behave and blend in, basically apologizing for existing.

Democratic slogan in South Carolina: "We're sorry for being the opposition! It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!"

But see, they DON'T do it, is the problem. They are a collection of empty suits.

This is the party that nominated an unelectable man with a prison record to run for the 3rd District congressional seat, rather than dynamic Jeanne van den Hurk, who would have run a vital, energetic and very capable campaign against awful Tea Partier Jeff Duncan. This is the party repeatedly presenting us with the well-behaved snoozefest known as Vincent Sheheen (no offense, Vince, but facts are facts) to run against Governor Haley, an up-and-coming, razzle-dazzle neocon star (and Vogue model) with oodles of Tea Party money at her disposal. This is the party that gave us the disaster known as Alvin Greene to run against the formidable Jim DeMint. This is the party that did VERY LITTLE to help my friend Deb Morrow, in her congressional run against the 4th District's terrible Trey Gowdy.

Why are they so incompetent? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

Why are they so comatose and complacent in the face of total disaster?

(((Daisy goes off to gnash teeth, pull out hair, and howl at the moon.)))

Nikki Haley is South Carolina's first woman governor

Nikki Haley makes history as the state's first non-white, female governor. (photo from Greenville News)

In national news: Tea Party rides to victory, nation on verge of anarchy. Infrastructure in dire peril. Cops and firemen deemed unnecessary as private security company business goes through the roof! Oh, sorry, getting ahead of myself...

But my predictions were correct, Haley took Sheheen by 65,000 votes in the largest SC turnout for a gubernatorial election ever.

Haley leads GOP Surge
By Ben Szobody • Staff writer • Published: November 03. 2010 2:19AM
Greenville News

South Carolina voters picked Nikki Haley to be the state's top executive Tuesday, boosting an Indian-American child of immigrants and political ally of Gov. Mark Sanford from a desk in the Legislature to the Governor's Mansion amid a conservative wave.

It caps a remarkable, 18-month rise in which Haley defeated a primary slate of establishment Republican figures, then an evenly funded opponent from one of the state’s prominent Democratic families.

More than 1.2 million people voted — the most ever for governor — and nearly 52 percent broke for Haley, giving her a 5-point, 65,000-vote margin over Democratic Sen. Vincent Sheheen.

It was the smallest margin of victory for a South Carolina governor since 1994 but also part of a broader Republican surge that girded GOP control in the state's General Assembly and recast Congress as a more conservative body.

Greenville, as it had for Sanford, delivered a major rush of votes to Haley late in the night after what had been a seesaw ballot count for much of the evening. She ended up easily carrying the Upstate while Sheheen picked up many of the rural Midlands and Pee Dee counties.

Translation: the rich white people I wrote about in my last post, carried her through. The poor black counties voted Democratic.

In a year of political meteors, Haley has already become an icon, smiling from the covers of magazines and highlighting European coverage of U.S. elections that swung in part on the tea party phenomenon, frustration with Washington and a female constellation of so-called “mama grizzlies” — all of which Haley harnessed on her way from fourth place in a crowded Republican primary to the state's top elected office.

It was a rise sparked by the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and capped with her historic victory as both the first woman and first minority governor in the state’s history.

She told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters after midnight that the message of her campaign — a better economy, better schools and a more accountable government — was “simple.”

“To every citizen of South Carolina, regardless of how you voted, I'm going to get to work for you,” she said. “You've taken a chance on me. I will never stop trying to make you proud.”

Let's hope she remembers to pay her taxes, now that she has been elected. (/snark)

Worried.

And I will stay that way until the Tea Party era is over; by my humble estimation, between 3-6 years (depending on leadership capabilities and other related factors).

Mourning in America.

Please do not vote for this woman

As DEAD AIR readers can see, I am running out of anti-Nikki Haley blog-post titles in this harried week before the election, and today's title reflects my desperation. In ohhh so many ways!

Just, please, DON'T VOTE for her.

Last night, the party continued over in Florence:

FLORENCE — Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Vincent Sheheen are painting differing portraits of the state's most pressing problems and how to solve them with a week to go before voters choose one as their next governor.

At their final debate, held Tuesday before a crowd of more than 400 at Francis Marion University near Florence, Haley talked of the state's “cultural problems” that she said are handicapping the state's work force, such as a lack of education skills and drug addiction that causes failed drug tests.

She said she would address the problems if elected governor by using a faith-based coalition that would tutor school children, counsel victims of domestic violence and help those in poverty.

Sheheen said the biggest problem facing the state is its 11 percent unemployment rate and said he would spend his time recruiting jobs and industry to the state.

FAITH BASED COALITION? (((gnashes teeth, slits wrist)))

I don't want to talk to any so-called "faith-based coalitions" that likely include the kind of people (considering that this is South Carolina) who don't believe certain populations even deserve charity, okay?

During their hour answering questions from a panel of reporters, the debate's moderator and two student body presidents, Haley and Sheheen disagreed on how to pay for the $2.5 billion Interstate 73 project, healthcare, education funding and each other's jobs.

Each found opportunities to attack the other, with Sheheen drawing both applause and gasps as he told Haley at one point: “I'd rather be a successful lawyer, I'd rather have a successful lawyer as my next governor than an accountant who didn't pay her taxes,” a reference to Haley's late payments in recent years.

(((giggle))) Too bad he couldn't sneak in some Will Folks references; if a totally-accurate tax-evader jab brought gasps, imagine what a little joke about climbing into some blogger's SUV for a late-night party might do.

I say, go for broke, Vince! It can't hurt, at this point.

Sheheen said he has supported I-73and would support tolls on the road as well as the creation of a national infrastructure bank modeled after South Carolina's infrastructure bank to pay for it. I-73 would connect Myrtle Beach to Michigan and run through the Pee Dee and coastal regions of South Carolina.

Haley said she opposes tolls and the creation of the federal infrastructure bank, arguing that as governor she would ask the state's congressional delegation to find the money.

Asked about how they would handle the state's financial troubles, Sheheen said more taxes weren’t the answer and agencies might have to consolidate services. He said he would prioritize economic development and job-related services.

Haley said there was still waste to be cut out of state government, arguing that in most states, an estimated 10 percent of Medicaid funds are lost to abuse and fraud.

She once again pointed at amounts spent on education “overhead” at the Department of Education, insisting the agency has more than 1,100 positions, a figure Sheheen said isn’t true. He said the agency told him the number of actual workers is 883, half of which are bus drivers.

“It's important that we talk truth in these debates,” he said. Haley said her numbers come from the state's budget.

Sheheen then asked Haley what positions she thought should be cut from the agency. Haley said she wants bus services privatized, which she said would save the state money in maintenance services. She said more funding needs to go to the classroom, but Sheheen said Haley doesn’t count principals or cooks as core classroom costs.

“You want the teachers to cook,” he said to laughter.

More jokes like that, Vince!

On the subject of the federal government's healthcare plan, Sheheen said he likes parts of the plan, such as allowing children to be covered for pre-existing conditions or preventing women with breast cancer from having their insurance canceled.

But Haley said Sheheen “can't split the cow,” arguing the plan will cost the state $1 billion, a cost she said the state cannot afford.

One of the evening's most heated exchanges came after Sheheen was asked about his work as a lawyer representing clients before state agencies.

Sheheen said while Haley has accused him of suing the state, his firm has only defended clients whose property the government wanted to take, identifying a couple in the audience whom he represented.

Haley said Sheheen represents workers before the worker's compensation commission, in effect suing businesses, a practice she said has brought him and his law firm a lot of business and fees.

She said lawyer-legislators shouldn’t be on committees appointing members of the worker's comp board.

“We need to make sure they can't have both their hands in both their pockets,” she said. “He has made hundreds of thousands of dollars being a lawyer-legislator. That's one great part-time job."

Ummm, at least he showed up for work!

Do you believe Haley's chutzpah? (She's something else, no?)

Sheheen talked of Haley's jobs after becoming a legislator working as a consultant for an engineering firm that does government work and as a fundraiser for a hospital foundation.

“It gets a little bit old listening to her preach to me,” he said, “when I follow ethics laws, when I recuse myself from voting on commissioners.”

Haley said Sheheen has spent the majority of his ad campaign attacking her and “every director of the Department of Revenue, every ethics commissioner has said I've done nothing wrong...I've never made money off the state.”

She told the audience in her closing statement that she wants voters to “join the movement,” arguing they have a clear choice and should say no to the “status quo political insider hierarchy” and yes to “real people.”

Sheheen closed by saying the race is about having “government you can trust again.”“I'm not looking for a movement,” he said. “I'm looking for a governor.”Asked at the end by the debate's moderator whether they personally like each other, Haley said, “I used to."

Not bad, Vince, but I still think you need to bring the machete next time and talk about the fact that she has never needed to actually APPLY for a job like ordinary folks, and has NEVER found one the old fashioned way (despite her claims to the contrary).

LACERATIONS, please, not little love-nips.

And let me hasten to add that this was not a real "debate" with all sides fairly represented, since Dr Morgan Bruce Reeves, our Green Party candidate for governor, was not included.

(sigh)

As stated above and many times before, please do not vote for this woman.

Stay tuned, sports fans.

Odds and Sods - adorable grandson edition

Daisy's beautiful grandbaby has just discovered his thumb, and is very happy with it!

Ah, to be so easily satisfied with life...




~*~

In politics, as Whoopi Goldberg recently remarked: All you have to say is the word POLITICS and it's a joke, with the punchline already there.

But in case you missed some of the recent funnier punchlines, here is Delaware Senatorial candidate (and Tea Party pin-up) Christine O'Donnell, admitting she never heard of the First Amendment. (Good God, where do they FIND these people?!?) Her now-famous Halloween ad, in which she claims she is not a witch (horror-movie aficionados will easily-spot this goody-goody sounding denial for what it is; oh sure she isn't!)... is some priceless stuff.

Here in the beleaguered Palmetto state, the 2010 election-frolic continues. The talented Mr Greene's interview last week on MSNBC, was utterly painful to watch. (I must hurriedly add, I also find Jim DeMint painful to watch, but for entirely different reasons.) Meanwhile, DeMint has been backing O'Donnell to a fare-thee-well, and it is sorely tempting to tell them to get a room.

Remember, sports fans: VOTE FOR TOM CLEMENTS FOR SENATE!!!!

The predetermined election of Nikki Haley may not be quite as predetermined as I believed it was. The persistent rumors have chipped away at her support, but I'm still fairly certain she will win. Her Democratic opponent, Vincent Sheheen, is a nice guy with little charisma, whilst Nikki (whom my commentariat reminded me looks exactly like Angie Harmon--and it certainly never hurts to look like a TV star!) has oodles to spare. And even more than that, South Carolina Republicans are eager to prove they are NOT racist and sexist, as the rest of the country has portrayed them. Nikki appears a sure thing to me, at this point.

Republican Mama Grizzlies are the (temporary, one hopes) wave of the future.

Our schools are already in the toilet here in SC, and Haley has been bragging about how she is going to further impoverish them too.

Help us Obi Wan Kenobe, you're our only hope.

~*~

Speaking of crumbling infrastructures, Lisa at That's Why scared me to death with her post about emergency services being denied to people who didn't pay their fees. And as a result, one guy's house burned down.

FEES?!!? Wait, what?

Lisa's post bears the frightening title Please Put Your Fire On Hold While We Check Your Account:

The internets are full of righteous indignation about Cranick's story. For good reason, I might add. Some of us are pointing out that what happened to the Cranicks is just the beginning. It is the thing that Ayn Rand wrought. Others are saying that society's sponges like Mr. Cranick get what they deserve. In this case, you don't pay for the service, then you have no right to expect the services. And you're an asshole if you think your neighbors should pay for you. It's every person for themselves, personal responsibility reigns! Their thinking can be boiled down to this - if the firefighters make one exception for a deadbeat, then everyone will become deadbeats.

These are the same "thinkers" who believe it's fine to charge fees to individuals for a possibly needed service, but we should cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations who use our common good resources every day. I tell you, I do not get it.

As they say, read it and weep.

This incident reminds me of the Ballardian fiction I've read over the years, and the increasing importance of living in what they call a "compound"... in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, the overpopulated, teeming territories between the "compounds" (run by corporations for their workers to live in, not real estate companies) are known as the Pleeblands.

I read that excerpt, and I see "Pleeblands" written all over it.

~*~

In foodie news, I managed to wheedle three free slices of pizza out of these fellows, while they were busy giving a demo in the store in which I toil. They were very friendly and sweet and I promised them a PLACE OF HONOR on my blog, just for giving me pizza. And then I promptly forgot.

They probably think I am an AWFUL PERSON.

Luckily, I am sorting through the mounds of detritus that comprise my Odds and Sods notes, and found their yummy-looking business card: GALLO LEA ORGANICS -- made with love in Asheville.

These are fabulous, flavorful, whole-wheat, organic, 30-minute pizza kits, and I can attest that they are good enough to bribe someone with!

For those of us who never learned to make homemade pizza from scratch, this is MOST ASSUREDLY the next best thing.

Munch munch!

~*~

Another new line in the store where I work: Sunbeam Candles, a green candle company from upstate New York. The candles smelled just like honeycombs, they were so amazingly fresh when they arrived. One of their candle-styles looks just like a honeycomb (page down here), and I knew I had to have that one. The bright red beeswax candles would be fabulous for holidays. (They also have heart-shapes and Buddha-shapes.)

Let your light shine!

~*~

The Liberace museum in Las Vegas closed on Oct 17th.

It's the end of an era. :(

I guess young folks don't know who Liberace was? That makes me sad. They missed a really great guy, as well as a true original... and the first raving queen allowed into Middle American homes. (My grandmother ADORED Liberace.) Keith Moon was also known for launching into impromptu Liberace impersonations during interviews and could sing entire songs.

I always wondered how all the white-bread, Christian housewives could somehow dislike gay people, yet love Liberace. I am still not sure I understand it, but I know how much I loved him. (How could you not?!?)

Palm Springs Savant hopes his home in Palm Springs will turn into a shrine, now that the museum is gone.

~*~

GT Dave's trademark Synergy KOMBUCHA IS BACK! But it's different.

Synergy-fans agree, it just doesn't have the kick it once had. Everyone is joking that it's due to less fermentation (and resultant alcohol), but I noticed immediately that the L-Theanine level is no longer listed on the outside of the label, and it used to be there (100 mg a serving, which worked out to a heaping 200 mg a bottle, significantly stronger than most L-Theanine supplements currently on the market). I would hazard a guess that it was the unique combination of small amounts of alcohol and big doses of L-Theanine, that gave us all that pleasant brain-buzz we enjoyed so much.

At any rate, I discovered some other kombucha-makers in the interim. (NOTE: YES, I am fully aware I could make my own kombucha at home, which is a long, drawn-out process and not my idea of fun. I suppose I could cook more often, too, but have no inclination to do so.) None of these have the kick that Synergy had, but some are very good and nicely-flavored:

Buchi, local from Asheville, tastes magnificent... it's also the wonderful story of two hippie moms who decided to cash in on GT Dave's misfortune in recalling Synergy. YOU GO GIRLS!!!!

Kombucha Wonder Drink is also good, but has an almost sodapop-level of fizz... you may like that or not. The Asian Pear/Ginger is excellent, my favorite of their eight flavors.

I just tried Vibranz for the first time yesterday... not sweet enough for me, but pretty good fermentation and has the tart kombucha-taste I want.



And what's new with you?

It just gets worse around here!

Our (always spectacularly-attired) Governor-in-Waiting is intending to give the state away to the corporations.

Of course, most of us already knew that, but she's just made it more or less official:

Republican Haley Unveils Jobs Plan
Gubernatorial Candidate Wants To Eliminate Corporate Income Tax
UPDATED: 1:47 pm EDT August 11, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley said she wants to eliminate corporate income taxes to boost jobs.

The GOP candidate began a tour of businesses Wednesday with a visit to a marketing and printing firm in Columbia.

Haley insists the way to help businesses hire employees and bring down the jobless rate is to cut red tape and business taxes.

In June, the state's unemployment rate was 10.7 percent.

Earlier this year, the state House passed a bill to eliminate corporate income taxes over 10 years. But the Senate removed that provision, saying the economy was too uncertain to further reduce state tax collections.

The state's 5 percent corporate tax rate is the third largest source of state revenue behind sales and individual income taxes.

Haley faces Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen in the November election.

(((sigh)))

I guess our streetlights and public schools will soon be history, too.