***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — BREAKING GROUND — Boeing is getting those gold shovels ready for later this morning.
VIEWPOINT — “MUCH CREDIT IS DESERVED by a wide swath of people across the state and Lowcountry, but in these economic times it was also a reminder of things we can all do to make our state more competitive. Most jobs created in this state will never come with the fanfare of a Boeing; they will come as a result of small businesses adding one or two employees.” – Governor Mark Sanford in the Post & Courier.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Senator Robert Byrd is 92; VP Biden celebrates today and so does Mike D of the Beastie Boys (Wiffle ball bat is only 23 or so)
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NATIONAL LENS — SATURDAY HEALTHCARE VOTE — “Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid worked Thursday to nail down the votes needed to move to a final debate on health-care legislation, but a tepid assessment of the public insurance plan he crafted emerged as the latest potential obstacle to the passage of the far-reaching changes.” The Washington Post reports, “the first test for the bill, which would extend coverage to 31 million more Americans while reducing federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade, will come Saturday evening. That is when Democratic leaders hope to keep together all 60 of their caucus members to turn back Republican procedural objections. Reid’s efforts are focused on three moderate Democrats who oppose various provisions in the measure and have not declared whether they will support efforts to advance it.”
TOSSING THE FLAG — “South Carolina should remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds if it wants to grow its economy, [Mullins McLeod] a Charleston Democrat running for governor said Thursday. ‘The Confederate Flag debate continues to hold our state back. We are not going to compete in a 21st century economy by prolonging 19th century arguments. By agreeing to move past this old argument once and for all, we will be telling the world that South Carolina is ready to lead again.”
CHANGING COURSE — “House leaders may be able to determine next week whether to pursue impeachment action against Sanford after a lawyer for Sanford said he will share his copy of the Ethics Commission investigative report with House Speaker Bobby Harrell,” reports the Greenville News. “Butch Bowers, a lawyer for Sanford, promised Thursday afternoon to provide a copy of the investigative report next week to Harrell after the commission releases its findings behind the probable cause. Bowers also released some detail behind the charges, which are tied to Sanford’s travel and political campaign account. He said in a statement that the commission raised questions in 3 percent of 772 flights involving the governor and that 98 percent of the governor’s campaign expenses were in compliance with the law. He didn’t elaborate.”
AT THE RGA — Sanford “made a low-profile showing on the second day of the three-day meeting of the Republican Governors Association, Washington Times political correspondent Ralph Z. Hallow reports from Austin, Texas. … When the governor attended a Southern regional luncheon for governors later in the day, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the event host, recognized Mr. Sanford, who won a round of applause from his fellow Southern governors.”
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PLAY-BY-TWEET — “Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner would not say when the government will terminate Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will end, according to Sen. Jim DeMint.” The Hill reports “DeMint tweeted from a Joint Economic Committee hearing at which Geithner is testifying. DeMint is one of four Senate Republicans who sit on the panel. The senator tweeted: Asked Treasury Sec Geithner for real deadline when TARP bailout will finally end, he refused to give an end date … Geithner has said the federal government will begin to wind down the core bailout program but said the administration will likely created more targeted programs based on aiding sectors of the economy where access to credit is still tight, such as the housing and market and small business.”
HUCKARICE — “Former Arkansas governor and conservative champion Mike Huckabee is trying to stir up some fundraising enthusiasm for a candidate in a crowded open-seat race in South Carolina. Huckabee is sending a letter to supporters of Rex Rice, asking for donations “large and small,” and perhaps even a match for the $1,000 that Huckabee’s political committee gave earlier this year to Rice, one of seven Republican candidates vying for the nomination to replace Republican Rep. Gresham Barrett.” (CQ)
ADS TARGET SPRATT — “House Republicans are criticizing three Democrats for voting in favor of their party’s health care reform bill in a new weeklong TV ad buy,” according to CNN’s Mark Preston. “The 30-second spots are airing on cable television and target Reps. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota and John Spratt of South Carolina. Ken Spain, communications director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said this early ad buy is an indication of what Democrats should expect to see in the lead up to the 2010 elections. ‘Democrats are getting a taste of what next fall is going to feel like when they are going down to defeat thanks in part to the statements made by their liberal colleagues,’ Spain said.”
HALEY IN HARTSVILLE — “State Rep. Nikki Haley brought her campaign for the Republican nomination for governor to Hartsville Tuesday. Haley, who represents District 87 in Lexington County, met and talked with voters at Centennial Park in downtown Hartsville before attending a fundraiser Tuesday night at the Hartsville Country Club.”
FINALLY THIS — LATTA PROBLEMS — “Lawyers in the federal case against a former Latta mayor and his wife have asked the case be continued until the next court term. Lenneau Berry has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he collected disability benefits while he was being paid by the town. Agents charge that Lenneau Berry directed that his city and tax service paychecks be issued in his wife’s name so that he could continue to collect about $129,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.”
THAT’S IT FOR THIS MORNING – STAY TUNED ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES THAT JUST CAN’T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. HAVE A GOOD ONE!
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