***Palmetto Morning Presented by Jim Dyke & Associates***
THIS FIRST — “The federal government has designated South Carolina as a likely staging area for victims of the earthquake and consequent humanitarian disaster in Haiti. Specifically, our state will fill two roles,” according to a statement from the Governor’s office. “One, the federal government has chosen Charleston as a ‘repatriation site’ for American citizens who were living in Haiti during the earthquake. Two, the federal government has activated the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to deal with Haitian patients needing advanced medical care in the United States.” WCIV reports flights will begin landing as early as this morning.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Clint Black, Alice Cooper and Dan Quayle. Facebook turns six.
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NATIONAL LENS — “Toyota said Thursday that its hybrid Prius had problems with its anti-lock braking system and left open the possibility of a recall, the latest blow to the beleaguered company and one that affects the symbol of the automaker’s engineering prowess. The Prius has been drawn into the mounting crisis for Toyota as Japanese officials have ordered the company to investigate complaints that the brakes on its 2010 Prius model sometimes failed to work immediately on bumpy or slippery roads. U.S. safety officials also said they had received dozens of similar reports.”
UNWANTED KINDNESS — “Just what a Republican senator doesn’t need these days: Kind words from President Obama. The president knew he would be causing trouble but he just couldn’t resist praising Sen. Lindsey Graham’s tripartisan initiative on climate change legislation … ‘It probably doesn’t help him for me to compliment him,’ the president joked, to appreciative laughter, as he went ahead and complimented Graham, a South Carolina Republican, before a meeting of Democratic senators.”
HALF-ASSED SWINGING — Senator Graham “came out swinging today against the idea of passing just an energy bill and ignoring President Obama’s call to also cap greenhouse gas emissions. ‘If the approach is to try to pass some half-assed energy bill and say that’s moving the ball down the road, forget it with me.”
ON GITMO — Graham takes to NPR
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BALANCE — Sens. DeMint and Graham “will introduce a constitutional amendment tomorrow requiring the federal government to keep a balanced budget. The senators will also propose a one year moratorium on earmarks, which critics say unnecessarily inflate appropriations bills.”
TACTICS — DeMint figures out another way to fight health care legislation. He says he is “prepared to test the Senate’s stamina.”
VIEWPOINT — S.C. Hospital Association President Thorton Kirby writes, “Not so long ago, experts of all political persuasions agreed that something has to be done. If Congress fails to come to some agreement on meaningful reform, our nation’s health care problems will continue to grow until our fragile system topples from its own weight.”
DUNGEONS AND SENTENCES — The Darlington man acquitted of holding two teenagers in a sex dungeon, but was sent to prison on federal gun charges has won a new sentencing hearing – could go from 25-years down to 10.
JOBS — “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dwight Drake will hold a news conference today to ask lawmakers to adopt a plan he says will ‘spur hiring and bring down unemployment in South Carolina.’ Drake, according to his campaign, will be joined by Democratic Reps. Boyd Brown of Fairfield and Bakari Sellers of Bamberg, who will offer Drake’s jobs plan as a bill.”
BOCA GRANDE — The Free Times asks and answers — “Bauer’s Big Mouth: Good or Bad for His Candidacy?”
4th DISTRICT CASH — Inglis leads followed by Gowdy then Thomas.
PHOTO-OP — “As Congress begins picking through President Obama’s vast election year budget, many Democratic incumbents and candidates seem to be finding something they love — to campaign against. … Probably no vulnerable Democrat has more of a burden in defending Obama’s budget than Rep. John Spratt, the House Budget Committee Chairman who is facing a strong opponent in his Republican-leaning district. … But Spratt has not shied from his association with the volatile issue. When Obama’s budget was delivered to Capitol Hill Monday, Spratt joined in a ‘photo op’ for its reception.”
JOBS II — “Gov. Mark Sanford will join state and local officials for a significant economic development announcement affecting the Upstate at 2 p.m. today on the campus of Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville. Upstate officials have been courting several electric vehicle manufacturers over the past few months, hoping a commitment by any one of them could open numerous doors to technological advances, supplier growth and hundreds, possibly thousands, of jobs.”
NO RUSH — “A state ethics panel investigating Gov. Mark Sanford is not likely to resolve soon whether the two-term Republican broke state law with his travel and campaign expenses. Herbert Hayden, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, said the nine-member panel has not yet asked to schedule a hearing on 37 charges that Sanford’s use of state aircraft, business-class tickets and campaign money violated state ethics laws.”
WTF — Bill aimed at drivers’ calls, texts
ORANGEBURG — Play based on Orangeburg Massacre opens tonight
ANDREWS — Andrews 7th grader rescues toddler from pond
VIEWPOINT II — Dr. Don Schunk, a research economist with Coastal Carolina University, weighs in saying, “Act 388, passed by the General Assembly in 2006, was an ill-conceived piecemeal change to our tax system. That it has turned out poorly is widely accepted. It is unfortunate to hear so many critics of Act 388 deride the legislation’s “unforeseen consequences,” especially when many of those consequences were in fact completely foreseen. The problem is not that Act 388 has had ‘unintended’ or ‘unexpected’ consequences; the problem is that the warnings were not heeded. Act 388 has tied more of our education funding to an inherently volatile revenue stream in the sales tax. Act 388 shifted the tax burden toward business and rental property. And now, as the effects of Act 388 play out in ways that were predictable and foreseen, the negative effects are conveniently labeled as ‘unforeseen.’”
FINALLY THIS — Don’t let anyone tell you that your age is an issue — Family of bank robbery suspect, 71, stunned.
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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