***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — 18-6 — That’s the vote “against the impeachment resolution, [that] determined Sanford had not met the ‘serious crimes’ or ‘serious misconduct’ standard required by the state Constitution to remove him from office. Though the bill could be revived by the full House, lawmakers said it was unlikely and the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, said he would not try. … The censure still must be approved by the full House and the Senate. … Sanford still faces a January State Ethics Commission hearing on the 37 possible violations of ethics law and up to $74,000 in fines. In addition, Attorney General Henry McMaster is reviewing Ethics Commission evidence and deciding whether to charge Sanford with criminal violations or hand the case off to a local or federal prosecutor.” (The State)
QUOTABLE — “You idiots can’t do any better than to meet four times to talk about something as serious as impeachment.” – Rep. Todd Rutherford after spending 17 minutes arguing Sanford should be punished, calling the process a “kangaroo court” and saying the House would spend more time debating striped bass than impeachment.
RIGHT CALL on the governor — Post & Courier editorial board.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers; Also, Happy Wright Brothers Day
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NATIONAL LENS — CONGRESS AT WORK — “On the 17th day of Senate debate on health legislation, it came down to this: A rock-ribbed conservative physician from Oklahoma squared off against a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont who was hoping for a full-throated debate on his proposal to establish a system of ‘Medicare for all.’” The New York Times writes about “The Oklahoman, Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican” who “propounded a unanimous-consent request, stipulating that no amendment could be offered unless it had been publicly available for 72 hours, with an estimate of its costs. Minutes later, Senator Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, called up his amendment. ‘For the first time in American history,’ Mr. Sanders said, ‘the Senate will debate a proposal to create a single-payer, Medicare-for-all health care system.’ Not so fast. Mr. Coburn objected to Mr. Sanders’s request to dispense with the reading of the 767-page amendment. So a relay team of Senate clerks began reading the proposal. After nearly three hours, Mr. Sanders threw in the towel and withdrew his amendment.”
‘CLEARLY BIAS’ — “Senator DeMint told the Washington Times about the GOP’s motivation to start using this type of parliamentary strategy has more to do with no longer being able to work with the Democrats in good faith. The Senator from South Carolina also points out that the parliamentarian was ‘clearly bias.’ if not in the Democrats’ ‘back pocket’ in allowing the interruption of the amendment’s reading.”
SLOW-TWEET — @jimdemint If Reid won’t slow down this debate, we will do it for him.
YOU TAKE THEM BOTH AND THERE YOU HAVE — Federal Reserve Chairman and South Carolina native, Ben Bernanke, was “Time‘s Person of the Year one moment; object of Senate scorn the other.”
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BY THE NUMBERS — “U.S. Rep Gresham Barrett, a Republican candidate for governor of South Carolina, has Congress’ worst voting attendance record this year, something Barrett’s staff attributes to his divided attention,” reports the Post & Courier. “Barrett … missed 337 votes in the last year, or about 34.7 percent of those held. He cast 634 votes of record. Based on percentages, Barrett’s numbers fall second only to former Rep. Hilda Solis, a California Democrat. But she left Congress early to become President Barack Obama’s secretary of labor in February. … South Carolina Democrats accused Barrett of shoddy representation. ‘You have to be there,’ said state party Executive Director Jay Parmley. ‘You just can’t drop in and vote on the final passage.’ He accused Barrett of being available to ‘warm a seat and get paid by the taxpayers to run for governor.’ Barrett’s office said some of the missed votes were of minimal consequence, including resolutions congratulating an airline on its 75th anniversary and supporting a national safety day.”
ENDORSEMENT WATCH — “Greenville Mayor Knox White said Wednesday he thinks U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett would do a better job at economic development than the other Republican candidates for governor,” according to the Greenville News. “‘We need a partner in economic development for the Upstate and for South Carolina, and I know Gresham Barrett will play that role,’ White said. … White likened Barrett to former Gov. Carroll Campbell, the late Greenville businessman and congressman who recruited BMW Manufacturing Co. to Greer. … White’s predecessor at City Hall, former Mayor Bill Workman, said he favors Attorney General Henry McMaster to win the Republican nomination in June. ‘I would give Henry the nod for executive experience instead of legislative experience,’ said Workman, who was Greenville mayor for 12 years and now is retired in Walterboro. Bob Taylor, vice chairman of Greenville County Council, said he hadn’t made up his mind in the governor’s race, but ‘Gresham’s one of my favorites, I will say that.’”
PESKY TARK — “After a series of difficult votes this session, an oldie-but-goodie from the 110th Congress is looming over 2010: The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). And it’s the quintessential anti-incumbent issue in what’s shaping up to be an anti-incumbent year,” reports The Hill. “The issue is more likely to affect Republican incumbents seeking other jobs, including governor and the Senate.” The article cites Barrett as one of those incumbents after hearing from Tumpy Campbell “the son of a former South Carolina governor who is challenging [Rep. Henry] Brown in a primary. He said Barrett was getting bludgeoned with the issue over summer recess and that it poses big problems for both him and Brown. ‘I just think he’s going to have a tough time overcoming that with his gubernatorial bid,’ Campbell said of Barrett.”
FUHGEDDABOUDIT — Senator Lindsey Graham “has a message for international leaders who want the United States to give developing nations tens of billions of dollars to help with global warming. Forget about it. … ‘If you want to pass a bill, I would focus on how it creates jobs in America. If you’re worried about developing nations and how much money you’re going to send them, you’re off track already.’” (Politico)
DAYBOOK — Senator Graham will participate in a press conference at 11:30 to highlight the EPA’s attempt to impose backdoor regulations on carbon that endanger job creation, economic recovery and American competitiveness. Graham has termed EPA regulation of carbon, “the worst possible outcome.” It’s in the Senate Radio-TV Gallery
WORST IDEA EVER? So, beginning January 4th DOT is going to replace the asphalt with concrete all the way from the 385 split to Gray Court detouring ALL northbound traffic for at least eight months. Are they kidding? The Greenville News says the decision “underscores Greenville’s waning clout in Columbia and the influence of Charleston officials on an unprecedented project with Upstate economic implications. … Rex Carter, a Greenville attorney and former speaker of the House of Representatives, said the impact of the 15-mile Laurens County project on neighboring Greenville County was never adequately considered, and that powerful lawmakers in other parts of the state would have never stood for such a closure near their home turf. ‘It wouldn’t have happened outside of Charleston — I’ll guarantee it,’ Carter said. ‘I would guarantee you (state Sen. Glenn) McConnell would have been in there fighting with both feet.’”
GREENVILLE — Glitch fixed allowing jobless to get benefits early next week
CHERAW — Post Office consolidation still under review
STATEWIDE — Sixty-five local teachers were among 799 to earn National Board certification this year.
ANDERSON — University grad never set foot on campus
CHARLESTON — City Council delays action on city’s ‘Green Plan’ after residents speak
CHARLESTON — Manager of surf shop seeks to catch wave of customers
LEXINGTON — Four-Legged Deputies Need Your Help
GEORGETOWN — Soldiers Prepare to Deploy
ANDERSON — Electrolux shedding jobs design center
SUMMERTON — Scott’s Branch High principal allowed back on the job
VIEWPOINT — RATINGS — “The state of South Carolina, like all states, has to borrow money from time to time in order to pay for certain projects. And like individuals, the state’s credit worthiness is ranked by three national rating agencies. … South Carolina [is] one of the nine best rated states in the nation. It has taken a lot of hard work for South Carolina to remain highly rated. With the dramatic downturn in the national and state economies, it is becoming harder to keep this coveted rating,” writes state Treasurer Converse Chellis in The State. “There is no question that South Carolina is and will be facing tough economic times for a number of years to come. If we are to remain a highly rated state and weather any future economic downturn, we must move to implement a number of fiscally conservative initiatives that will keep our state on a steadier financial path. As the state’s chief financial officer, it is incumbent upon me to offer a financial legislative agenda that not only will help our state through the next several years but will serve as a conservative fiscal plan under which we can operate for decades to come.”
FINALLY THIS — STEELY LOOK — “Democrats in the House Wednesday muscled through a year-end plan to create jobs, mixing about $50 billion for public works projects with another almost $50 billion for cash-strapped state and local governments. The unemployed would get continued benefits. … Heading into the roll call, Pelosi was about two dozen votes short, spokesman Brendan Daly confirmed. But she lobbied indefatigably to almost single-handedly turn the tide. ‘I looked at her with doubt on my face and in my eyes and she gave me that steely look and said, “Let’s call the vote,”’ said party whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.”
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