First, happy John Lennon’s birthday and Ecuadorean Independence Day!
Now here are some topics, in case you have trouble coming up with one:
- Policy Council chief says we should scrap SC ethics law — Ashley Landess’ main point seems to be that the whole Legislature-based system is rotten, so just let offenses be tried in criminal courts. There’s a related story in The State about Bobby Harrell’s PAC.
- SC Supremes say hold off on same-sex licenses — All is on hold until a decision in a U.S. District Court case. I think. It’s complicated.
- Where is Kim Jong-un? I wonder — if we find him, will we also find Waldo?
- Ebola — Pick a story — any story — I’m just thinking we haven’t had a conversation about this yet.
Or, whatever y’all want to talk about…
Related Posts
2. I have not read the SC Supreme’s order, but why? The 4th Circuit has ruled and SCOTUS declined to review. Boom. Done. What possible legal theory is left?
Why are we committing resources to fight a losing battle, aside from historical precedent, instead of, say, funding Medicaid or better DSS or even better schools?
The 4th Circuit’s decision did not address SC’s law. The Bradacs</ case is pending, and that’s the one challenging SC’s law. Once that decision is handed down, the law will be formally ruled invalid. at the district court level. Obviously, an appeal to Richmond would be fruitless.
However, until there’s a formal ruling, we can’t have probate courts unilaterally making decisions like this. Charleston was going ahead and accepting applications, but Lexington wasn’t. You have to have uniformity, and it’s not going to hurt anyone to wait until the legal process works this all out.
Unless a would-be spouse dies in the interim…
A Will and and Health Care POA solves about 99% of the issues arising out of that. Pensions and benefits probably can’t be resolved without a marriage. But life ain’t perfect.
Seems like the Bradacs Plaintiffs just need to file a motion for SJ. No real questions of fact, right?
or law…
And I don’t think anyone is “committing resources” to “fight a battle”. The AG filed a short document that basically said “Let’s get some uniformity on this issue” and the SC Supreme Court issued a short order that basically said “OK, let’s wait until the pending case in federal court resolves itself.”
I don’t think anyone is churning out the billable hours on this issue.
4. The doofus Spaniards killed the nurse’s dog, without any scientific justification, but failed to treat the nurse any of the three times she presented earlier.
They’ll kill her, too. Sadly.
Ebola is the most interesting story in the news right now. This is by far the worst outbreak that’s occurred in terms of cases, deaths, and length of outbreak. We may not be able to cure it in most cases, but we certainly know how to stop it.
I’m curious as to why this one seems to be harder to beat back. I know it’s gotten into dense population centers where it’s harder to control, but I’d expect officials would be able to educate the public quickly about precautions to take.
I wonder what the tipping point is? At what infection rate does the virus become unavoidable for those in the vicinity of the ill?
My understanding is that it is not very contagious in the normal course. You have to come into contact with bodily fluids (cue stupid Strangelove reference), which is easy for anyone caring for an Ebola patient.
I have heard that if Liberia had our hygiene systems, it would not be in this mess.
Right. But even with the knowledge we have about how it is transmitted, it’s still spreading at a rate that it never has before. And there must be a tipping point–a point at which the virus is so prevalent in a population that normal safeguards don’t suffice. Not a concern here, but in west Africa normal protocols don’t seem sufficient. I have the feeling that this is going to get worse before it gets better.
On the domestic front, rides at the State Fair are probably a greater threat than ebola. And probably the food is as well.
The Ethics Act penalties should be modified as recommended by the McMaster-Medlock Commission, and investigation should be consistent with the professional practices of the Ethics Commission and Attorney General/SLED. However, throwing the Act out would eliminate many essential elements of ethics enforcement, such as campaign finance disclosures. It would also eliminate the possibility of a fix for SC’s ability to require disclosure of donors to “independent” PACs, which has not been enforceable since a court found it too vague. That has suited some shadowy advocacy groups very well. We need the Ethics Act. It needs improvement, but throwing it out would serve no one well, other than those who want to short-circuit the citizens’ right to know what officials and partisan advocacy groups are up to.
I like the “Ebola Death: Did Race Play a role” theme that’s running on cable news right now.
have to throw out the racism charge to get everyone mad.
Well, I daresay we have been less concerned since it was contained to Africa. I believe we would have been all over it if it had happened in Europe, North America or the Antipodes
I doubt that’s the reason President Obama wouldn’t want to help. Doesn’t make a lot of sense.
In Africa (as opposed to some of those other areas) – it’s often harder for resources to help control things because of many factors not related to race at all:
Rival tribes controlling local areas, national troops controlling other areas – some areas not controlled by anyone
Low education levels about even the most basic hygenic practices
Lack of medical facilities in many areas.
Lack of clean water.
Superstition and mistrust of everyone and anyone from the outside (some of that is for good reason)
All factors that could play a huge role – none necessarily having much to do with race at all.
Edit – hygienic
Good to see that someone who is actually interested in peace won the Nobel Peace Prize. Obama’s Peace Prize is like O.J. Simpson’s Heisman trophy. If you authorize military action that kills innocent people, you aren’t really interested in peace.
Doug, it is very easy to follow your thought process because you express yourself so well but I am having a little difficulty understanding using Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and O.J. Simpson’s Heisman Trophy as a comparison. O.J. earned his Heisman by his performance on the football field playing for the University of Southern California, well before his professional career and the murder trial. Obama did nothing to earn his other than win an election. O.J.’s off the field problems does not diminish what he did during his collegiate football career.
Not criticizing, just curious.
When O.J. got his trophy, he was supposed to represent the characteristics of what makes a great sportsman. He didn’t live up to the standards.
True- but when he was awarded the prize- he earned it on and off the field.
Much different than President Obama.
Yeah, I think OJ did more to win the trophy than Obama did to win the prize…
Referencing Arial’s cartoon Sheheen had very little chance of winning but if he was to have any chance he needed to go big and bold early on. The 3 possible issues that could have made him a contender rather than GOP lite:
1. Strenuously support gay marriage
2. Push for accepting the ACA Medicaid money
3. Actively champion medicinal marijuana
The Confederate flag is an issue that no one cares about except for the editorial board of The State and Brad. Vincent should just go ahead and quit the race now and save what’s left of his ebbing dignity. My prediction is Haley by 15 percent.
Sometimes Robert gets it wrong. This was one of those times.
If you don’t get why the flag’s important, you don’t get SC…
Bud,
A clear majority of South Carolinians want the Confederate flag removed from the statehouse grounds.
I applaud Sheheen for speaking up on this issue. Whether he wins or looses, this is a moral stand which will continue and which will prevail.
Brad,
All I am trying to say is I think it was a wrong move politically for Vincent to take that route. I don’t think it will help him win the election- in fact, I think it will hurt him. Win the election first, then use political capital to achieve that goal.
Yes, I doubt he’ll win votes with this stance, but probably lost a few. Going really bold, as bud suggested, might shake some nonvoters out of their lethargy, but not sure which way that shakes out vote wise. Plenty of people dislike those positions.
Fake Kathryn post, I think. The writing style is different.
No, that’s her.
Yes, it is, indeed
Yes, as for Bud’s three proposals:
1. He disagrees with that position.
2. He’s BEEN running on that.
3. That’s just plain wrong.
Medical marijuana is wrong? Why?
Sorry. By the time I had scrolled down to where I could respond, I had misremembered the third item. I thought it was Bud campaigning again for total legalization…
Robert, it depends on what you focus on.
If he wants to take down the flag, the way to do it is run on that, and get elected. That would give him the political capital to get it done after being elected. If he waited until after the election to mention the flag, he’d never have the juice with the GOP Legislature to get it done.
As to whether it helps him get elected to begin with, I think that’s a wash. It will motivate some in his base to vote, and motivate some others to turn out against him.
Your cartoon says “JOBS ROADS EDUCATION” as the better way to get elected. Well, he was running on those things, and getting nowhere…
Yeah, you’re right about the political capital- but he should’ve been running on the flag removal all along. I still think that, while a bold move, it could prove fatal politically.
On the flag, I think Vincent’s missing an opportunity.
You don’t just make an announcement that you want the flag to come down, and leave it at that. He needs to be seen assembling a coalition, mobilizing forces to WORK to get the flag down. Show himself as a leader on the issue, rather than just a guy who makes a statement.
I realize that’s tough with limited time and resources in the last days of the campaign, but he can delegate it — say, to the mayors who stood up and backed his statement.
People need to see something happening to know he means business…
And that’s always what’s been missing from his campaign – leadership of action, not simply of thought.
FITSnews reports that Sheheen may already be throwing in the towel… his ad buys for October are less than those for September. Maybe he’s hoping Ervin will blow another couple of million dollars on his vanity campaign? Ervin could spend $10 million and not break 10%…