***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — “Elementary schools reported better results on federal Adequate Yearly Progress targets for 2009 while many high schools fell short of their goals, according to results released by the South Carolina Department of Education today.”
DEBBIE DOWNER — “But the improvement mostly can be attributed to a change in the calculation on how schools meet those goals,” according to the Post & Courier.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jazzy Jeff is a whopping 45 today.
***GOT AN EVENT, STORY, TIP OR ANYTHING ELSE ON YOUR MIND YOU WANT INCLUDED IN PALMETTO MORNING? CLICK HERE AND TELL US ABOUT IT***
NATIONAL LENS — CHRISTMAS IN JANUARY — “An ecstatic U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown eagerly strolled the halls of Capitol Hill yesterday chatting with the nation’s top senators about everything from health care to office space with a wide-eyed enthusiasm that prompted U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham to liken him to ‘a kid at Christmas.’ … ‘He’s a very humble guy, obviously excited about being here, and it’s good to see someone who’s excited about serving,’ said Graham.”
ANOTHER NOTCH? Shortly after Sen. DeMint forced the withdrawal of the first nomination and the “White House Restarts [its] Search for [a new] TSA Head,” South Carolina native and “Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke’s confirmation vote by the Senate for a second four-year term has been delayed. … Three Republican senators – all members of the Senate Banking Committee – are pushing for release of all documents concerning the Fed’s role in the bailouts, especially that of the crippled insurance giant AIG before the confirmation vote is taken. ‘This was the right decision to delay the vote on the Bernanke nomination, because the Fed continues to stonewall Congress and the public,’ said DeMint. ‘We cannot rush ahead with the Bernanke nomination while examinations by Congress and the GAO of the Fed’s AIG bailout are ongoing.’”
***SIGN UP NOW TO HAVE PALMETTO MORNING DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX EACH MORNING***
LESSON IN FORGIVENESS — “U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., is leading the House’s response to the Haitian earthquake and is part of the Democratic leadership team trying to plot Congress’ next steps with health care reform. He spoke Thursday with reporter Robert Behre of The Post and Courier. BITS: “We ought to forgive every dime of the debt that they owe. … I’m hopeful that going forward, people will take a hard look at the history of this effort and then really take a hard look at the interrelationships that exist between Haiti and the United States of America. … The first settler of Chicago was a Haitian. … Most people know that Haiti has been penalized over the years by other nations, by France, especially for the slave revolt that took place down there. They were punished very forcibly up until a few years ago.’”
STOMPING GROUNDS — “On the morning after delivering his final ‘State of the State’ address in Columbia, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford strolled through the Capitol rotunda Thursday afternoon along with South Carolina Rep. Bob Inglis. Asked why he was in Washington, Sanford, a former House Member, walked toward the House floor as the chamber was about to vote and told CNN: ‘I was going to catch up with some friends on the House floor.’”
DEVELOPMENT — “Ben Fox, Sanford’s communications director, said the governor and officials from the state Department of Commerce took the state plane up North to meet with an economic development prospect.”
SUPERVISED RELEASE — “Proposed changes that surfaced after Gov. Mark Sanford’s affair last year are winding through the Statehouse as legislation aimed at fixing problems lawmakers spotted in the wake of the scandal. One bill, amended Thursday, would require the governor to notify the lieutenant governor each time the governor leaves the state. Another would prevent governors or lieutenant governors from declining security protection around the clock.”
FUTURE — Greg Hambrick makes the case why “Sanford for Congress [is] slightly less crazy.”
DISAPPEARING ACT — Lieutenant Governor candidate Tim Scott was a no-show for the Republican debate yesterday as rumors abound that he’s prepared to drop out of the race in lieu of a congressional bid.
LABELS — “Democrats in the South Carolina House said Thursday they will push this year for tax credits for alternative energy, openness in fee hikes and a plan for socking away more money for tough times. House Republicans in a state controlled by the GOP countered that the Democrats’ agenda has a conservative ring to it, which they welcome. House Minority Leader Harry Ott, a farmer, said he’s OK with that label.”
HOLD-UP — Sen. Ford stalls a bill to restructure the S.C. Employment Security.
POS — “The Senate ended its week unable to iron out differences on a contentious point of sale bill affecting real estate values.”
AIKEN FOR HALEY — “In her first political push through Aiken, the Bamberg native and former accountant [Nikki Haley] laid out the broad strokes of a plan to reform the state’s current taxation model and demanded that any money spent be thoroughly audited.”
PARDON? Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee plans to hit the campaign trail in February for Rex Rice, who is running to succeed GOP Rep. Gresham Barrett in South Carolina’s third congressional district.
GREENWOOD — Traveling quintet works with local musicians
GREENVILLE — Powerful Women Summit brings teens, role models together
GREER — Former hospital may serve seniors
STATEWIDE — Economic recovery in SC remains at slow pace
GREENWOOD — 57 laid off at Goodrich plant
JAMES ISLAND — Two Suspects Arrested In Connection with Deputy Shooting
CHARLESTON — Former firefighters sue in fatal SC store blaze
GAFFNEY — Textile Company Announces 50 New Jobs
CHEROKEE — Suminoe plans $6.5M manufacturing plant
VIEWPOINT — COMMITTED LOVE — “Dr. Renee Love, director of operations for Lander University at The University Center of Greenville, believes a commitment to success is a commitment to college.”
DHEC REFORMS — “Influential business groups have joined with developers, electric utilities and others against a major revamp of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. In a letter this month to a Senate committee chairman, 15 business and industry representatives urged lawmakers not to put the governor in charge of DHEC, as is proposed in a bill. Among those signing the letter were top executives with Duke Energy, SCE&G, the S.C. Farm Bureau, the S.C. Hospital Association and the S.C. Homebuilders Association. Chief executives at the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance, who are leading the charge against the bill, also signed the letter.”
FINALLY THIS — 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!
You must log in to post a comment.