SCNewDems Blog

No more 2nd chances for Andre Bauer

The hits just keep on coming for Andre Bauer.  We just sent out this email to our grassroots supporters on learning the news that GOP Gov candidate Andre Bauer has hired GOP political operative Chip Saltsman to work with his campaign.  Not familiar with Chip?  Keep reading...

Friends,

We just got word that, in an attempt to give his campaign for governor a boost, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer has hired GOP political operative Chip Saltsman. That's right, the same Chip Saltsman who was forced to drop his bid to become chair of the GOP after it was discovered that he sent out CDs to Republican friends featuring a song entitled, "Barack the Magic Negro" as Christmas presents shortly after President Obama's election--a stunt that even Newt Gingrich called "inappropriate."¹

Like most people, we thought we had heard the last of Chip back then. After all, who would want to work with someone who thought such racist 'humor' was anything but revolting?

But then again, this is Andre Bauer we're talking about.

Join us today to demand Andre Bauer reject the politics of the past and fire Chip Saltsman.

This is the same Andre Bauer who repeatedly referred to South Carolinians receiving government assistance as "stray animals," saying the state should reduce aid programs so that the South Carolina's poorest won't "breed."

But, unlike Chip, Andre wasn't joking.

And just like Chip, Andre never apologized.

So why do we keep giving Andre Bauer a pass? How many second chances will Andre Bauer get?

There's no place for Andre Bauer's brand of cheap politics in South Carolina. Join us today to demand Andre Bauer fire Chip Saltsman and focus on the issues that really matter, like education, the economy, and bringing some common sense to Columbia, not stoking the age-old fires of prejudice and inequality.

This is the stuff we've come to expect from Rush Limbaugh and the TV talking heads.  Shouldn't we expect more from our elected leaders?

South Carolinians are ready for new type of politics in Columbia that focuses on substance, not soundbites. Our leaders should inspire, not degrade. And it's more than past time to move on from old racist tactics dredged from the gutter of the past.

We deserve better. And now, more than ever, we need better.

Please, join us today and demand Andre fire Chip Saltsman.

Thank you,
South Carolina New Democrats

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References

1. "GOP Receives Obama Parody to Mixed Reviews" - New York Times, 12/27/08

A Modest Proposal for Balancing the State Budget

SC New Democrats are all about Big Ideas, and we think some of the recent proposals to come through the Statehouse are on the right track, but they don't go far enough.  In SCND President Phil Noble's op-ed in today's The State, we lay out a few big ideas of our own to start with that we think we can really get SC back on track.

From The State (3/4/10):

We all know South Carolina is going through tough times. Moreover, we all know how hard the Republican Legislature and governor are struggling to deal with falling tax revenues and forced budget cuts.

Some of these Republicans have come up with some innovative ideas - but they don't go far enough. The Republicans are just too timid.

For instance, a Republican-controlled committee recently passed a measure to let schools cut five teacher work days off the school year to help make up for a $563 million shortfall. This is a small step in the right direction, of course, but we say go all the way. Let's just eliminate all funding for schools in South Carolina.

Yes, I know that this sounds like a drastic idea. But let's look at the bigger picture.

It's not as if our children can't get an education elsewhere. There are lots of first-rate programs on TV. The History Channel is good. The Weather Channel is sort of like science. There are plenty of Bible-thumping TV preachers to tell them all they need to know about family values and how the world was created. And it's all included in the price of $29-a-month basic cable package. That's a lot less than the $12,000 a year per kid we now spend.

If that is too radical for you, we could adopt a more gradual approach. Instead of eliminating all funding at once, we could just continue to cut the number of teachers. Then, when the number of students crammed into every classroom jumps to 50 or 60, the remaining teachers will be so overwhelmed they will go crazy and quit. And when they quit, we don't have to pay their unemployment benefits. Talk about a win-win.

The possibilities don't stop there. Think, for example, of all the school buses that will no longer be needed. We could just park them along the side of the road and let homeless families move in. If they took the seats out and put up some pretty little curtains, it could be cozy.

Eliminating education would also take a lot of stress off legislators. They would not have to make any more hard policy choices or ever say no to their special-interest friends. No one would care when they gave away $2.7 billion in sales tax exemptions in exchange for campaign contributions. No longer would they even have to think of eliminating the sales tax cap on yachts and luxury cars. All would be good.

Plus, with no schools, there are no school lunches, so Andre Bauer would not have to spend time worrying about feeding all the strays.

More importantly, the Legislature would be able to spend its time on the really big issues facing our state.

In the past few weeks alone, Republican legislators have demonstrated their willingness to tackle these big problems by introducing bills to ban the sale of liquor on Thanksgiving and Christmas, expand the range of golf carts on public roads and lower the legal age for getting a tattoo.

These courageous efforts pale, however, in comparison to the work being done by Republican Rep. Mike Pitts of Laurens, whose latest bill surely will solve all of our state's financial problems - forever.

Rep. Pitts' bill would require South Carolina to abandon U.S. currency as legal tender. What a great idea! We could simply hire a smart kid to fire up the Photoshop program on his computer and whip us up some nifty new money designs. There might even be some good ones still left lying around from the last time we tried this in 1860. We could call them Palmetto Bucks.

Then we could pay off all those pesky state debts, and any time we ran low, we could just tell Republican state Treasurer Converse Chellis to run down to the local Kinko's speedy quick and run off a few hundred million more.

So, to all you soft-headed cry babies who think we actually have any real problems in our state, we say think big. And special thanks to S.C. Republicans for reminding us that fortune never favors the faint-hearted, and that extremism in the defense of ignorance is no vice.

Have a Big Idea of your own? Leave a comment below and let us know YOUR take!

DeMint is vulnerable. Who will step up?

Good news / bad news out of Public Policy Polling today.

First, the good news. PPP ranked Jim DeMint as one of the most vulnerable incumbent GOP senators up for reelection in November:

4) Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Although there aren't very many voters who dislike DeMint, there are also a surprisingly large number with no opinion of him, putting his approval well under 50%. We found him at 44/29 in December and a Winthrop poll last week put his numbers at 43/28. When you are undefined to 30% of the electorate after five years in the Senate that gives someone else a chance to define you and DeMint's gallivanting around the country could prove to be a liability if voters don't think he's been attentive enough to South Carolina. 

Now, that bad news:

But like in Georgia, Democrats will need a candidate if they're going to take advantage of these numbers.

Democrats had a challenger in Rock Hill attorney Chad McGowan until Chad decided to drop out of the race last month.  Now, unless someone steps up to take on DeMint, South Carolina will be faced with more of the tea bagging, Waterloo wishing, stonewalling Sen. Jim DeMint they've seen for for the past year.

Who will Democrats get to step up to challenge DeMint and be the voice for South Carolina families and workers?

South Carolinians agree that DeMint is't working for them in Washington, but without another strong name on the ballot, Democrats won't give themselves a chance to win in November.

Ft. Moultrie project workers furloughed because of Bunning hold

Interesting find today:  Looks like the workers on a project to revamp the entrance and parking lot of the Fort Mountrie visitors center on Sullivan's Island are among those that have been furloughed because of a block on key legislation by Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning.

The Bunning furloughs have shut down work on projects worth tens of millions of dollars which affect 2,000 employees in 20 states and Washington, DC.

On Monday, DOT Sec. Ray LaHood issued this press release:

“As American families are struggling in tough economic times, I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This means that construction workers will be sent home from job sites because federal inspectors must be furloughed.”

The project underway at the Fort Moultrie visitors center is a $262,000 project for "entrance road and parking area rehabilitation."  Park officials confirmed Monday that the project is on hold.

Jim Clyburn on The Daily Show

US Majority Whip, South Carolina's own, US Rep James Clyburn spent some time with Jon Stewart last night following the White House health care summit.

One pull quote from Stewart: "You're from South Carolina... But you don't seem insane."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
James Clyburn
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Vancouverage 2010

Obama honors Charleston's Joe Riley

AP image

Yesterday's health care summit wasn't the only thing scheduled along Pennsylvania Avenue.  In a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, President Obama presented longtime Charleston Mayor Joe Riley with the National Medal of Arts for his service to cultivate the creative community in Charleston.

The Post and Courier has more:

In casual remarks as the president closed the ceremony, Obama singled out and cited the mayor, among a handful of the other recipients, as "my great friend Joe Riley and the extraordinary work he's done in Charleston."

Riley was recognized for cultivating historic and cultural resources to reinvigorate the city, and for his role creating the national Mayors' Institute on City Design to enhance the use of urban spaces. He was one of 12 people or organizations to receive the medal for 2009, alongside eight people who received the National Humanities Medal.

The lifetime honor is given for contributions to the creation, growth and support of arts or humanities in the United States; recipients are selected from hundreds of nominees each year.

Past recipients of the award include American icons like Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan, and Rita Moreno, just to name a few.

Congratulations, Mayor Riley!  It's a recognition truly deserved.

70% don't think South Carolina is DeMint's top priority

In December, Public Policy Polling asked South Carolina voters what they thought of Sen. Jim DeMint's priorities in South Carolina.  The results?  70% of those polled said they did not think that Jim DeMint was focused on advocating for the people of South Carolina.

From Public Policy Polling poll taken 12/8/09:

Do you think that Jim DeMint is more focused on advocating for South Carolina in the US Senate or being a national leader in the conservative movement? If you think he is more focused on advocating for South Carolina, press 1. If you think he’s more focused on being a national leader in the conservative movement, press 2. If you’re not sure, press 3.

Advocating for South Carolina ........................ 29%
National Leader in Conservative Movement ... 41%
Not Sure.......................................................... 29%

Keep in mind, this poll was taken in early December, before DeMint made news for blocking President Obama's nominee for TSA secretary, tweeting that snowstorms in DC were evidence against climate change, and before DeMint ponied up $100,000 for a former state legislator running for the US Senate... in Florida.

So it came as no surprise yesterday when DeMint announced a tour of South Carolina with that candidate for senate, Marco Rubio, to raise money for his campaign.

What interest does Jim DeMint think South Carolina voters have in a candidate running for the senate to represent Florida voters? We're still scratching our heads too, but when 70% of the South Carolina voters don't think DeMint is working for them in Washington, that's not so much of a surprise either.

Holleman running strong against vouchers, tax credits for private schools

In an email yesterday, Democratic candidate for state superintendent Frank Holleman pointed supporters to an AP article highlighting Frank's recent appearance at a teachers' forum where he debated a field of 6 GOP candidates vying for the state's top spot in education:

Last week, I joined other candidates for Superintendent of Education for two joint appearances, one before the Teachers of the Year from all over South Carolina and a second before School Board members from across the state.

I was the only candidate to oppose tax credits and vouchers that take funds from our public schools and undercut public education.  The two leading candidates for the Republican nomination openly support tax credits, and the rest either support tax credits and vouchers or will not oppose them.  These schemes once again divert South Carolina's attention from the hard work of improving student achievement, are bad fiscal policy for the state budget, and are harmful for both public and private schools.

As The State and The Charlotte Observer reported about our debate before South Carolina's Teachers of the Year: "Frank Holleman, who is running for the Democratic nomination, drew the most applause when he said anyone running for the post should support public education and not programs that give parents vouchers or tax credits to send their children to private schools."

My opponents' support for tax credits or vouchers guarantees them significant financial contributions from out-of-state voucher backers who have sent large sums of money to pro-voucher candidates in past elections.

We agree. Ongoing efforts to strip public education of public money and divert those funds into private institutions threatens to gut an already-hobbled system of public education on which students across the state rely for a chance at a successful professional career after graduation.

For more on the New Democrats' ideas for education, check out our Reforms page.

One year later: SCGOP lawmakers welcome stimulus funds

Yesterday marked one year since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was passed, a tough move by the Obama administration to try to get the economy he encountered when he came into office.back on track and get people back to work.  I think it's safe to say now that the decision to pass the Recovery Act was not an easy one, and has done little to help President Obama in daily approval tracking polls, and his political opponents have let him know it every chance they got.  But some members have been railing against the stimulus in the press, calling it wasteful spending, then turning around and secretly lobbying for stimulus money for projects in their districts.

Who would commit such a blatant campaign of dishonesty?  Well, as you may have guessed, Reps. Joe Wilson and Henry Brown, as well as Sen. Jim DeMint all voted against the stimulus, but reaped the benefits of funding for projects that they sought funding for!

Chair of the national Democratic Party, Tim Kaine, said the doubletalk was, "about politics, pure and simple."

SC Democratic Party Chair, Carol Fowler, said DeMint and Wilson "misled their constituents about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by railing against it while they knew it would create or save jobs in our state."

But DeMint and Wilson are not alone. From the Washington Times,

More than a dozen Republican lawmakers, while denouncing the stimulus to the media and their constituents, privately sent letters to just one of the federal government's many agencies seeking stimulus money for home-state pork projects. [...]

Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican who became famous after yelling, "You lie," during Mr. Obama's addresses to Congress in September, voted against the stimulus. Nonetheless, Mr. Wilson elbowed his way into the rush for federal stimulus cash in a letter he sent to Mr. Vilsack on behalf of a foundation seeking funding.

"We know their endeavor will provide jobs and investment in one of the poorer sections of the Congressional District," he wrote to Mr. Vilsack in the Aug. 26, 2009, letter.

"Congressman Wilson's position on the stimulus bill is consistent," said spokeswoman Pepper Pennington. She said Mr. Wilson opposed the stimulus as a "misguided spending bill," but once it passed, he wanted to make sure South Carolina residents "receive their share of the pie."

And the hits just keep on coming... here's a video from the Democratic Party taking a look at some of the GOP's worst offenders:

Riley inducted into SC Hall of Fame

Congrats to former Governor, Secy. of Education, and SC New Democrats Founder Richard Riley on his induction into the SC Hall of Fame today.  More so in today's political climate than ever, Gov. Riley's leadership in Columbia and at the Department of Education serve as a blueprint for bringing all parties to the table to get real results.  Congratulations to Gov. Riley as well as Civil War hero, SC Rep and Senator, and US Congressman Robert Smalls who will also be commemorated today.

In 2008, Time Magazine called Gov. Riley one of the Top 10 Best Cabinet Members of the 20th century:

Formerly a popular South Carolina governor — in fact, he was so popular that the state's citizens amended the constitution to allow him to run for a second term — Riley was tapped by President Bill Clinton in December 1992. Among his accomplishments, Riley spearheaded initiatives to improve academic standards, made education more accessible for lower-income families and expanded college grants and loan programs.

President Bill Clinton called Gov. Riley, "the best Secretary of Education in American history" at a reception honoring Riley in 2008.

For more, check out the Myrtle Beach Sun News.