***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — Rep. Henry Brown is stepping away from representing the First District of SC as a Congressman. Brown has attracted primary challengers in 2010 after a tough general election race in 2008, but Politico reports that has nothing to do with his decision. “‘He’s simply ready to retire after 25 years of public service,’ said the source, noting that Brown’s approval ratings in his Low Country district remain high. ‘But he turned 74 last month, and wants to spend time with family.’”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Michael Stipe, Patty Loveless and Deana Carter
PIPERS — It’s the 11th Day of Christmas
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NATIONAL LENS — “President Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser on Sunday defended the administration’s decision to try in federal court the man charged with attempting to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day and indicated that he would be offered a plea agreement to persuade him to reveal what he knows about al-Qaeda operations in Yemen,” the Washington Post reports. “Much of the criticism Sunday, however, centered on the decision to try him in civilian court rather than hold him as a military prisoner. ‘If we had treated this Christmas Day bomber as a terrorist, he would have immediately been interrogated military-style, rather than given the rights of an American and lawyers,’ Sen. Jim DeMint. ‘We probably lost valuable information.’ Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said it was a ‘very serious mistake’ to send Abdulmutallab to federal court.:
SUNDAY SHOW RECAP — On CNN’s State of the Union, DeMint “went after President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush on homeland security Sunday, saving his most severe criticism for Obama, who DeMint said is so soft on terrorism he won’t even use the word terror. Bush made a ‘huge mistake’ by sending home Yemeni prisoners who had been held at Guantanamo Bay, and ‘we can’t make that mistake again,’ DeMint said.”
CLARIFICATION — DeMint says he is NOT “blocking the nomination of former FBI agent Erroll Southers.”
NUTS — Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) “blasted” DeMint saying that he IS “delaying the confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the TSA” and that he is NUTS for doing so.”
VIDEO — Watch the whole thing.
VIEWPOINT — Sen. DeMint writes an Op-Ed to explain his side of the story.
YOUR PERMANENT RECORD — The State’s John O’Connor reports that contrary to popular belief, “Some government documents gone forever. Records of S.C. officials and agencies are available to the public, right? Maybe. … The issue came to light during this summer’s scrutiny of Gov. Mark Sanford’s travel and campaign records. Questions about Sanford’s activities led to scrutiny of past administrations and lawmakers. Reporters and attorneys digging through state archives found that many records no longer existed. The S.C. Department of Archives and History recommends which records should be preserved. But director Eric Emerson said his agency does not have the staff to make sure state agencies are complying with the rules.”
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RUNNING AGAINST OBAMA — “In governor’s races across the country, top GOP candidates are concentrating their attacks on the White House,” Politico reports. “Attorney General Henry McMaster has gained national notice for assault on the president’s health care overhaul effort. … Phil Musser, a former executive director of the Republican Governors Association, said turning Obama into a target would be particularly helpful for Republicans in crowded primaries … ‘For candidates in multi-contestant primary fields, any opportunity to get noticed on national TV and bash Obama is golden. It provides free exposure when money is tight, helps them raise national money at the end of the quarter, and most importantly, forces their local press to cover them,’ said Musser. ‘For McMaster and Hoekstra, who are both in tight primary races, the recent national news provides a boost of free visibility on issues the GOP base feels strongly about.’”
WEATHER-WATCH-TWEET — @NathanBallentin ouch! Sarah (13) chooses to stand in cold at busstop instead of me taking her. Guess she’s cool & I’m not
VIEWPOINT II — CHANGES — House and Senate leaders jointly penned an Op-Ed calling for action on “changes we can make to strengthen our state’s financial system” after a “recent downturn in our nation’s economy … impacted the budgets of nearly every state.”
BY THE NUMBERS — The changes include: (1) Increasing the size of our General Reserve Fund from 3 percent to 5 percent. (2) Changing how we use our other reserve fund — the Capital Reserve Fund — so that it can act as an additional buffer. (3) Changing the process of revenue corrections so that our response is quicker and more decisive. (4) Setting up a system that prioritizes programs with the goal of smart downsizing.
THE WAY IT WAS — Barbara Williams writes about a gathering that prompted her to “reflect on how much has changed since those early days of the two-party resurgence and how and why things haven’t turned out quite as some realignment advocates had hoped.”
STATEWIDE — Demand for college loans grows
GREER — Child care center to create 50 jobs
POLL — More people have positive outlook heading into 2010
SPARTANBURG — Welding training center to strike while iron is hot
SUMTER — Woman to give kidney to her dad
NEPOTIZ-TWEET — @jmartpolitico H Brown’s retirment could mean a primary clash of SC political scions: son of C Campbell was already in race and Strom son now may get in.
CREDIT-TWEET — @RepAlanClemmons SC 1st Cong Dist will miss Henry Brown! He’s been a tireless advocate for Tourism Promotion and I-73!
RECRUITMENT EFFORT — “Up to half of South Carolina’s teachers will be eligible for retirement in the next decade. Hardest hit will be the state’s rural school districts, already struggling to attract teachers. In response, the state of South Carolina – which wants to become a national leader in teacher recruitment – has launched several initiatives to entice new workers to the teaching profession, particularly to rural schools.”
FINALLY THIS — EARP OR GRIFFITH — “The man who has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. marshal in South Carolina tries to portray himself as just an average small-town sheriff,” reports the Sun-News. “When pushed to reveal more, Williamsburg County Sheriff Kelvin Washington offered a hearty laugh and said, ‘Listen, I’m a plain ol’ country boy.’ But those who know the 40-year-old say there is more.”
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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