***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — “In a stunning upset that reshaped the U.S. political landscape, Republican Scott Brown won Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy. With 99 percent of the results counted, Brown had 52 percent of the vote to 47 percent for Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate.”
SEN. DeMINT — “One of Brown’s earliest backers, said the victory ‘proves that mainstream, conservative candidates can win anywhere in the country. … It proves that conservative candidates can win in states like Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Illinois and Delaware where the Republican establishment has said only moderates can win.’”
SEN GRAHAM — “If this isn’t a rejection of backroom, sleazy political deals which amount to bribery what is?”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Slim Whitman (“Oh Rose Marie I love you”), Greg K. (“Hey – man you disrespecting me?”) and John Michael Montgomery are all singing happy birthday today.
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NATIONAL LENS — “Six Republican senators took aim at the Obama administration’s Christmas eve decision to give mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unlimited access to a Treasury credit line,” Reuters is reporting. “The senators called on Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd to hold public hearings and scrutinize the decision to turn the government-sponsored enterprises into ‘public utilities.’” Senator DeMint wrote in the letter, “The current status of the GSEs is untenable … and we feel that it would be irresponsible for the committee to fail to investigate Treasury’s drastic action with regard to what could be the next chapter in our financial crisis.”
MCMASTER CAMP FIST-PUMP — Goodbye Cornhusker Kickback
PAY-GO — Discussions between Democratic leaders including Vice President Joe Biden and Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt led to “a deal Tuesday evening to create a fiscal commission and a pay-as-you-go budget enforcement bill.”
SHOULD BE INTERESTING — Governor Sanford gives the State of the State Address to a joint session of the General Assembly in the Chamber of the South Carolina House of Representatives at 7:00 p.m. tonight. South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) will distribute the Governor’s State of the State speech. “According to spokesman Ben Fox, Sanford’s main topics will be spending caps, restructuring state government and reforming the Employment Security Commission.” NOTE: Also tomorrow night, the Governor – on behalf of the people of South Carolina – will be presented an American Flag that recently flew over Camp Adder in Southeastern Iraq. This brief ceremony will take place at 6:15 p.m. in the Governor’s Office on the first floor of the South Carolina Statehouse. Senior Master Sergeant Dean Johnson, deployed to Iraq in January of 2009, will present the flag and a certificate to recognize South Carolinians’ support of our nation’s Armed Forces overseas.
T&D — “South Carolinians may listen with a different kind of interest.”
FIRST EDITION — Jenny Sanford is doing a book signing
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BACK TO BROWN — With Democrats losing their Senate super-majority, does Senator Graham become the Democrats only hope on climate change and immigration?
BAD NEWS — “Graham, speaking at Cancer Centers of the Carolinas in Greenville, [earlier yesterday] said … the Massachusetts Senate race for Ted Kennedy’s old seat was a sign that the current health care reform bill should be scrapped. And the win by Republican Scott Brown could be bad news for Democrats come November.”
GOOD NEWS — Berkeley County Republicans aren’t censuring Graham.
TOUGH SPOT — “Two Republicans running for governor – Congressman Gresham Barrett and Attorney General Henry McMaster – said they don’t support the recent censure of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham by the Lexington County Republican Party. Two others hoping to win the party’s nod for South Carolina’s highest office – state Rep. Nikki Haley and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer – wouldn’t answer the question.”
LORD HAVE MERCY — “Columbia lawyer and Santee Cooper board member Leighton Lord III leads the four announced candidates in fundraising for the state attorney general’s race in the June 8 primaries. Lord, 45, raised $250,475 as of Dec. 31, according to campaign disclosure statements filed with the State Ethics Commission. Lord is followed by Robert Bolchoz, 45, also a Columbia lawyer, who has raised $168,291 so far. Alan Wilson, 35, a lawyer and the son of Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, has raised $95,056, including a $500 contribution from his father. The lone Democrat to announce formally, David Pascoe, the state’s 1st Circuit solicitor, has raised only $2,600.”
BLUE IN RED — Greg Hambrick looks for Democratic candidates in S.C. but finds an “empty dance card.”
VIEWPOINT — Dr. Reginald Bess, chairman of the Division of General Studies at Morris College in Sumter, follows up on the recent MLK celebrations writing, “In the years since King’s speech, some of his dream for America has come true. (‘Yes, we can.’) Much still needs to be done. We who protested and marched in the ’60s with King refuse to let his dream die. When the struggle seems to get too arduous, we turn to the words of King and to those of Langston Hughes in the poem ‘Epilogue.’”
POS CHANGES — “The state Senate is poised to approve legislation today that would benefit the commercial real estate and second-home market, while creating fresh disparities in the way South Carolina properties are taxed. The plan, still being drafted Tuesday night, would temporarily eliminate point-of-sale reassessments of commercial property. The legislation is focused on commercial real estate and would not change the rules for owner-occupied homes.”
APPOINTED OFFICERS — Bill would make some political officers appointed by the Governor
GET THE MEMO — “Memo to Congress: South Carolina affirms its sovereignty under the 9th and 10th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Ditto for the 2nd and 14th amendments. And when it comes to the proposed federal health care reform, thanks, but no thanks.
STUDENTS REJOICE — “Budget cuts could mean major changes in schools … [such as] shortening the school year by five days, reducing the number of credits needed for graduation and cutting the amount of money the state gives teachers for classroom supplies.”
CHARLESTON — Boeing exec’s words energize King event
GREENWOOD — Piedmont Tech associates to be honored at state conference
CHARLESTON — Cost for planning cruise terminal redevelopment nearly doubles
MARION — Superintendent released from jail, resigns
COLUMBIA — USDA sponsoring forum on job growth in SC
IRMO — Woman upset after septic tank work left incomplete
VIEWPOINT II — “South Carolina’s technical colleges and research universities have important roles to play in the Transformation Decade, just as they have in every era when our state has made progress,” writes Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio, president of Winthrop University. “Still, as the national center found, boosting the number of four-year degree-holders here will attract the largest number of better-paying jobs to South Carolina in the new age and raise per capita income.”
DAYBOOK — Miss New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham, will perform her own arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and play the piano for the talent portion of competition at the 2010 Miss America Pageant – live on TLC from 8-10 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30.
FINALLY THIS — KIDS SET $60 GOAL FOR HAITI; RAISE $1K — “First-graders Scotty Fripp and Sunni Greene wanted to help people on ‘that island; they learned about at Ebinport Elementary, the one whose ground shook and devastated the lives of thousands of Haitians last week. So like many business-minded children, the 7-year-olds put their heads together and started a lemonade stand. By Friday night, the children were making posters to wave down drivers on India Hook Road. On Saturday, they stood outside until it rained. And Monday, on the last day of their four-day weekend from school, they headed out again to sell more lemonade. With help from family and friends, the children raised $950 by 2 p.m. Monday, and sales were still going strong. Their goal was $60, Scotty said, which they raised in less than an hour Saturday.”
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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