Serving South Carolina

Quote of the Week

horatius — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:31:14 +0000

“I believe that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything.”

Harry Reid

Quote of the Week

horatius — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:48:53 +0000

” If I were two-faced , would I be wearing this one?”

Abraham Lincoln

This Month: March 4, 1861

horatius — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:34:39 +0000

Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the sixteenth president of the United States on March 4,1861. At the time seven states already had seceded from the Union. Lincoln’s goal in his inaugural address was to ease the fears of the South by stating that he had no intention of interfering with slavery where it already existed. To Lincoln, his top priority at this time was the conservation of the Union, not the abolishment of slavery, though ending slavery was a strong belief of his. If the South succeeded in leaving the Union then what effect could the leader of the Northern states have on the slavery issue in the South? His tone and language were both conciliatory but also firm as when he pledged to “hold, occupy, and possess” all Federal property including Fort Sumter. His pleas were unheeded and the nation would soon plunge into a nightmare that seemed to be without end.

Quote of the Week

horatius — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:45:48 +0000

If you must break the law, do it to seize power; in all other cases observe it.

Julius Caesar

Taxes

horatius — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:18:32 +0000

Raising the cigarette tax is a hot issue in the S.C. Legislature these days.Much of the debate has been over what to do with the revenue from the tax hike. Another stated goal has been to use the tax as a way to encourage people to stop smoking. I wonder if those two are compatible. If revenues from the taxes go to fund new government initiatives then what happens if people quit smoking?Do they really want people to stop smoking? Will these programs be terminated if the money for them dries up? I doubt it. More likely, that burden will be shifted over to non-smoking taxpayers. If the purpose is to deter smokers, then take the money and use it to cover programs already operating and maybe create a surplus or give a tax rebate. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if the real agenda is searching for more money to grow government then there should not be any statements proclaiming pretend feelings for people’s health and the plans should be to give back the money as people quit smoking.

Quote of the Week

horatius — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:17:03 +0000

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.

George Washington

Alive In Anderson

horatius — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:18:34 +0000

There’s been a lot of drama in Anderson County over the last few years. Most of it has been over alleged county expenditures that have been excessive or unaccounted for. My opinion has been that all expenditures should be disclosed. I feel this is not only good for citizens but also for county employees because it takes the doubt out of people’s minds. With everything out in the open it boils down to either you are doing a good job or a bad job. Giving more information to the people is always a step in the right direction. Evidently some of our S.C. senators agree. Last week the “Truth in Spending Act” (s.1144) was introduced in the Senate. The bill calls for reporting of all government expenditures over $100.00. It covers school districts and all local and state governments. The expenditures will be reported on each entities website monthly. Kevin Bryant is one of the sponsors of the bill has been outspoken on the issue . If you too are in favor , let your representatives know. Maybe that will put at least one county issue to rest.

Quote of the Week

horatius — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:40:16 +0000

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important”

C. S. Lewis

Quote of the Week

horatius — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:40:05 +0000

”I’ve waffled before. I’ll waffle again.”

Howard Dean

The Other Election

horatius — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:42:37 +0000

Doesn’t it feel like this presidential election has gone on forever . Candidates started earlier and have spent more money than ever before. It’s only February, and we’ve still got a long way to go. We as voters have been swamped with advertisements in all mediums for the respective presidential candidates. As a result, some of the other elections that are also going to happen this year are being overshadowed. One of the most important nationally, as well as in South Carolina, is the re-election bid of Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham has had an up and down run in his tenure. Initially very popular his appeal has cooled due to his tendency to go against the wishes of his constituency. Graham is closely tied to John McCain and his bid for the presidency. In fact the problems that McCain has with conservatives are the same that Lindsey Graham has. Being such close allies could lead to a position for Graham in a McCain administration, possibly attorney general. Graham earned his law degree in 1981 ,joined the Air Force as a lawyer in 1982, and is currently the only U.S. Senator in the Guard or Reserves. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 and gained national recognition when he was appointed to be one of the managers to conduct impeachment hearings against Bill Clinton in 1998. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 he replaced a legend by taking over Strom Thurmond’s vacated seat.

On paper Graham has had a productive first term. He’s been appointed to several important committees which puts him on the inside of many important issues. Graham has voted conservative about 90% of the time roughly the same as Strom Thurmond. The problem is that South Carolina is a more conservative state now, and Graham has been against popular opinion in the state multiple times including immigration reform and judicial nominees. Graham’s also been a vocal member of the Senate. Like McCain, journalists seek out Graham and are usually rewarded with a candid answer. But once again, what’s popular in Washington isn’t always popular back home. Here are some quotes from Senator Graham:

–”We cannot deny funding to our troops in the field and we cannot replace the judgement of our military commander with a disfunctional congress being led around by the nose by groups like Code Pink and Move On.org.” statement after voting against Democrats Iraq withdrawal plan.

–” I thank my good friend, John Kyl and Senator Kennedy for getting us this far.” After speech on immigration reform.

–”This is a very bad day for our health care system and the American taxpayer.” Statement after vote on SCHIP.

–”The ad is sick and disgusting” Comment on MoveOn.org’s ad calling General David Petraues, General BetrayUs.

–”The failure to confront evil has always cost more in the long run than can be gained in the short run” Quote after Harry Reid’s comment that the war was lost.

–” The democrats budget throws fiscal responsibility out the window and shows the country that Democrats live up to their tax and spend stereotype.” Quoted after voting against the Democratic budget.

–”We are going to solve this problem. We’re not going to run people down. We’re not going to scapegoat people. We’re going to tell the bigots to shut up, and we’re going to get this right” Statement to La Raza while accepting their 2007 Capital Award.

Some good, some bad but that last one really landed him in hot water, especially since an overwhelming majority of South Carolinians could take that as a personal insult. Let’s see how the rest of this year turns out for Senator Graham.