SCHotline

When I get bored I attend some GOP executive committee meetings across the state. Since it was close and I had nothing better to do I thought I would hear Sen. Graham speak at the Richland County GOP meeting.

I always try to observe everything that is going on. Sometimes you can miss things that are taking place because you are talking with a friend about something that happened in the news that day. That was not going to happen tonight I was prepared and so was Senator Graham. He brought his own cheering section to the meeting. I would say about 10 staffers attended the meeting along with other supporters who came just to support Senator Graham. Unlike other meetings I have attended there were no people holding up signs “Go home Lindsey” or “No support for Grahamstey.”

What I did observe was a Senator who framed almost every issue perfectly and enjoys the verbal joust with people who disagree with him. Sen. Graham spoke for about 20 minutes on the need to continue our fight in Iraq then he concluded his comments with immigration reform. This is where several people in the audience started questioning him and he became very passionate.

“Anyone can talk about the issue but I want to solve the issue.” he said when someone shouted, “Just deport them!”

The shocker of the night was a brochure I received from someone in the audience. I believe this is one of the most hateful and angry brochures I have ever seen. I am all for negative campaigning but I will not cross the line and compare a Senator with the “The Devil you know.”

Do I disagree with Senator Graham on some issues? Yes, but does he deserve to be treated like this in a brochure. I don’t think so. Here is the brochure so you can decide for yourself if this is over the line. The front and the back

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by Jeffrey Sewell

Okay yes it is true, we wake up geeks and go to bed geeks, butt we are whom we are so deal with it. A friend recently commented, ‘welcome to the real world’ when I boasted the trade of my TREO Windows to the new BlackBerry 8830…In short it ROCKS! Okay so it’s fast, easy to use, works without locking up, what more can I say?

by Martin Sims

Here we are once again considering the terrorist nation of Iran. A nation that controls Palestine through Hamas, Lebanon and Syria though Hezbollah, and Iraq through the Mahdi army, untold numbers of insurgency and militant organizations and even Al Qaeda. Iran is closing in quickly on the ability to mass produce nuclear weapons while our politicians are arguing over whether or not they are even a threat to the region, and our own nation.

Israel, as I have said before, does not have the luxury of debating this issue until the day it is confirmed that the Iranian nuclear program has in fact produced it’s first reliable weapon. Israel has nuclear weapons but will they use them? It is a strongly held belief that only the United States can deliver a conventional strike devastating enough to impact the Iranian nuclear program, however, if the United States does not do that and soon, Israel will be forced consider the nuclear option as it’s only reliable means of ensuring it’s continued existence.

When considering the possible destruction of your entire population by nuclear assault, the nuclear option does not seem so terrible in light of the consequence of waiting too long, or conducting an inadequate conventional strike. European nations, Russia and China have prevented measures that could have reigned in Iran many times before. Creating a situation whereby the one entity that could have made a difference (United Nations), is instead provoking the inevitable destruction of either Israel or Iran or possibly even the destruction of both nations.

Iran has created a reality on the ground throughout the Middle East that provides the ultimate fallback. Iran’s arming, training and positioning of Hezbollah, Hamas, the Mahdi Army, and literally hundreds of other militant assets means that at a moments notice Iran could create complete chaos throughout the entire region. Imagine all of these groups being coordinated by Iran’s military machine causing the cessation of trade throughout the region, the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in countries throughout the Middle East, and the successful overthrow of governments unable to respond quickly enough to such an unconventional enemy.

If the United States is unable or unwilling to confront Iran militarily within the next 12 months, world war three is almost a certainty. Because if Iran is able to get all their pieces in place before they are directly attacked, this chess game is over and no country in the world will be safe from the terrorist army they have been building up arming and training for over 30 years. China, Russia, Venezuela and many other countries have already chosen their allies in this struggle by supporting, supplying and defending Iran in it’s quest for nuclear weapons and undying support of terrorism in all it’s horrific forms and manifestations.

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Posted By Martin Sims to An American Political Journal <http://americanpoliticaljournal.blogspot.com/2007/08/all-roads-lead-to-tehr

an.html> at 8/23/2007 01:25:00 PM

Sources tell SCHotline that Myrtle Beach will be the site of the 2nd GOP Presidential debate in South Carolina. Fox News will once again be televising it (Jan. 11-13) and it will be a full weekend event with a golf tournament with Brit Hume and a “Freedom Rally” with Sean Hanity.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson will make an important announcement regarding presidential primary politics TODAY at 11:00 AM at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

WHO: Katon Dawson, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party

State Rep. Liston Barfield

John Rhodes, Mayor of the City of Myrtle Beach

Brad Dean, President and CEO Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Tom Leath, Manager of the City of Myrtle Beach

Robert Rabon, Chairman of the Horry County Republican Party

Members of the South Carolina General Assembly from Horry County

Members of the South Carolina General Assembly from Georgetown County

WHAT: Announcement regarding presidential primary politics

WHEN: 11:00 AM

Thursday, August 23, 2007

WHERE: Myrtle Beach Convention Center

2101 North Oak Street

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29578

For more information, contact Rob Godfrey at (803) 988-8440.

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Reading the morning papers I came across this interesting article in the Herald Journal.

In the article our State Superintendent of Education, Jim Rex, talks about how he is going to curb discipline problems in the classroom. What is his solution? Hire more guidance counselors and other team member. In his own words he says discpline problems are “… a lack of connectedness in many cases.”

Bull! It is because of liberals who want to coddle children and not kick them out of school when they bring a bomb into the school. Or when teachers try to discipline the students they are not backed up by the administration. Discipline is the number 1 issue facing our schools today and we need to do more about it then just hire guidance counselors to talk to the students.

Rex also has concerns about increased gang activity and suggests the team concept can help curb discipline problems in schools. For example, where many middle schools offer “team teaching” - in which a certain group of students rotates between a few teachers for their core subject areas - Rex suggests guidance counselors, social workers and other mentors be added to the team, so at-risk students can get as much positive attention as possible.

“It’s a lack of connectedness in many cases,” he said.

“A lot of students feel they don’t have a sense of family, a sense of security or protection. I’d like to come up with a team approach to create a positive gang, a constructive gang.”

by Andrew Citizen

A friend and I decided to attend the BBQ & Beer social held by Rep. Nathan Ballentine last night and I gotta tell ya the motto holds true.  It was an impressive crowd, there were the notables in attendance but for the most part it was just a bunch of folks that like Nathan.  All totaled I would not be surprised if the crowd topped 300 which is more than the presidential candidates that visited Columbia yesterday can brag about…

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This is the place where we are going to post cool things that really will not fit anywhere else.

We went over to the Mike Huckabe tent and we meet Paul Shanklin who sang for us in his Al Gore voice the Earth is one big ball of fire to the tune of I fell into a burning ring of fire. It was great to meet in person that has made me laugh over the years.

I also met several South Carolina Romney staffers here. I have seen over 5 of them here now. I am wondering how many Romney staffers are left in South Carolina.

Talking with a high ranking official in the John Cox campaign they stated John would receive 55 votes. John Kasich received only 9 votes here in 1999.

Iowa can be summed up in one word and that word is HOT! The temperature is about 97 degrees here. There are semi-trucks making deliveries of ice and water.

As we walking around looking for some food to eat. (You would think that wouldn’t be hard but of course there are long lines everywhere). We heard something we thought was odd. The Battle Hymn of the Republic being played from the Mitt Romney stage. Oh yes, we are sure that every true South Carolinian would take great offense at that just as much as every northerner would take offense at Dixie being played.

The candidates are finally speaking and Romney is the first speaker.

He just got off a good one liner about John Edwards. Romney stated Edwards wanted middle class income people to save $250 tax free. Romney stated that was not much to save and in the case of Edwards it wouldn’t even pay for one haircut.

……He wants a new law for people who prey sexually on children and that is one strike and your ours.

Tom Tancredo is speaking and I all hear is blah, blah, Blahhh

The only rule I am going to have in a Tancredo administration is “We win, you loose.”

This is our flag, take it up. This is our nation take it back.

John Cox is now speaking and all I can say is great he is finally done. He came out to the tune of Rocky.

Now we have Congressman Ron Paul.

The first thing I saw on my way to Aimes was about 500 yard signs that were being picked up by a Iowa state trooper.

SCHotline.com is proud to announce we will be live at the Iowa straw poll. We will be bringing you video updates from the straw poll throughout the day coursty of YouTube videos and our own blog. Other SC websites can only talk about the straw poll we will show you what it is like to be there.

Our first report is of the setup up of the straw poll itself. It seemed to be going rather well for all of the candidates. I would encourage you to check out iowagop.net for a map of the grounds. From what I could tell already Mitt Romney’s area is the biggest and the most centrally located. He is in front of all of the other candidates area and Sen. Brownback is next to him. Mitt Romney’s area has a rock concert stage setup with a big sign of Mitt ‘08 for a backdrop. They have a rock climbing wall and also some type of Bungee jumping ride along with the best BBQ in Iowa.

Sam Brownback is the only candidate to have an air conditioned tent. The rumor is he had to be $20,000 for this feature. This will be a BIG plus for him as the weather forcast is scheduled to reach 97 degrees today. Although it will be cooler than South Carolina this is hot for Iowa. All of the events except for the program is outside. All of the other candidates are in the back of the parking lot.

Mike Huckabee’s tent is complete with a dunking tank. Duncan Hunter’s area only has a lone RV camper in it. John Cox’s area has the smallest area of any of the candidates I have seen so far. These areas on the grounds go for $17,000 and update with some costing as much as $100,000. I don’t know how much John Cox paid for his area but it has probably got to me on the low side. Then there is Tommy Thompson’s tent which is bordered with campaign signs. Last but not least is Ron Paul’s area. He has a large area and had a big tent up already.

One side note is the amount of golf carts at each tent as well. Romney’s tent has about 50 golf carts to transport people around. I have been told campaigns are hyper organized they have lists of people who are going to vote for them, buses who will take people to Aimes and then war rooms to track people who have and have not voted for them.

We will be leaving for the straw poll it about 30 minutes now. We will have more updates once we get there.

Live from Des Moines, Iowa Mike Green reporting for SCHotline.com.
There is no tent for John McCain or Rudy Giuliana they are not playing here at the straw poll.

UPDATE

Continuing on observations we have heard. We are now prediciting from the crowd and the size of the tents. We are predicting that Brownback will come in second place. He seems to have the best organized of all the other second tier candidates.

By BUTCH BOWERS AND KEVIN HALL - Guest columnists

For years, the editorial board of The State newspaper has heaped insult and contempt upon those who dare to differ with their opinion as to the most effective way to deliver a quality education to all of South Carolina’s children. Not satisfied simply to disagree with reform-minded parents and groups like South Carolinians for Responsible Government, The State’s editors have demonized school choice proponents, at one point calling them a “cancer” and accusing them of violating state law by running radio ads in favor of school choice legislation in the weeks prior to an election without disclosing the expense.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently considered the First Amendment rights of Americans to express their views on pending legislation in the weeks prior to an election. The court upheld the free speech rights of everyday citizens and corporate citizens alike in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life. In a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court concluded that suppression of issue ads and other political speech in the days leading up to an election amounts to an unconstitutional infringement of First Amendment rights. According to the court’s ruling, newspapers and their editorial boards do not have a monopoly on free speech in the days before an election. While this decision obviously undermines the position taken time and again by this newspaper’s editorial board, it is nonetheless good news for America.

No constitutional right is more fundamental to the preservation of our American way of life than the right to free speech. Absent the protections afforded by the Bill of Rights — especially with respect to political speech — the rest of our constitutionally guaranteed liberties might as well have been written in disappearing ink.

As Chief Justice Roberts said in issuing the court’s opinion: “(d)iscussion of issues cannot be suppressed simply because the issues may also be pertinent in an election. Where the First Amendment is implicated, the tie goes to the speaker, not the censor.”

We respect the right of The State’s editorial board to vent its spleen against those ideas and individuals it opposes. In fact, as much as we find it distasteful that the editorial board of the largest newspaper in South Carolina would refer to a group of concerned parents and citizens as a “cancer,” we nonetheless defend its right to say it. That’s what the First Amendment is all about.

As the school choice debate continues in South Carolina, we hope The State will study the Wisconsin Right to Life decision and will afford school choice proponents the respect owed any citizen who chooses to express a dissenting view. Surely, The State has every right to criticize school choice proponents as the debate rages on in what is truly a marketplace of ideas. We hope, however, that The State will refrain from engaging in accusatory and inflammatory rhetoric that, as Wisconsin Right to Life should demonstrate to any reasonable observer, is simply unsupported by the Constitution. We also hope that The State will not forget that it is the First Amendment that protects its right of expression — as well as the right of every citizen who dares to disagree.

Mr. Bowers and Mr. Hall are Columbia attorneys. They represent South Carolinians for Responsible Government.

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