Uhhh.......Got an Extra Couch I Can Sleep On ?

I kid you not - I'm getting evicted from my apartment in Charleston! Apparently, the complex I live in was sold, and the new owners are turning them into condo's, so I have to move. Not anytime soon - my lease is until November 1. Hopefully, I can just move to DC after the Election. I do have the option to buy the unit - for $147,000. Right, like I'm going to pay that kind of money for a 1000 sq. ft. place with Kool-Aid stains on the carpet! For another 20k, I can get an oceanfront place on Folly Beach. So sometime soon, I'll have to pack up the dog and cat again, and find another place. Think it's time to get a motorhome??

Bad News Always Happens in Threes: So long to Barney Fife, The Night Stalker, and McCloud.

A little bit of the childhood of people my age was lost this week, with the deaths of Don Knotts, Darren McGavin and Dennis Weaver. How many times have we used the expression "Nip it in the Bud...Nip it , nip it, NIP IT." at work? I didn't like A Christmas Story as a kid, mainly because I couldn't stand that Messy Marvin kid, but thanks to TBS, I have found the genius of it over the years. As far as McCloud, all I remember is that Dennis Weaver seemed really cool. How many detectives get to ride a horse?? The scary thought is that I'm getting older, and worse, that I'm beginning to sound like my Dad. The legends of our youth eventually die, and they are replaced with legends like Justin Timberlake and Hillary Duff . Don't laugh, 50 years from now, it will be that way.

The Cops in Reevesville are the Best !!!

I got pulled over tonight for the first time in 15 years. On the way back from Bamberg, I hit a speed trap in Reevesville. I was busy keeping an eye on the deer jumping all over the place, and I was clocked doing 45 in a 35 zone. My advice for you is to make sure you are well prepared in case you are stopped, or you will get asked a million questions like I did tonight. Here are a few: .1. What's the clear liquid in the cup on the rear floor? Water I had for my dog 2 days ago. 2. What's in this bag? Change of clothes. 3. What's in this Bag? Overdue library books I'm dropping off for a friend. 4. What's in this Bag? Trash that a co-worker threw back there Thursday. 5. What's with all the hangers? I dropped off dry cleaning today. 6. What's the piece of rubber that looks like a heroin tie? An exercise strap my chiropractor gave me for my knee. 7. Where is your insurance card? Uhhhh....... 8. Do they have Republicans around here? Not in Bamberg ! How I got away with just a verbal warning is beyond me. Luckily , my label sticker was still on my suit. Needless to say, I'll be cleaning out my car tomorrow.

The Axis of Evil.... Gary Flies, and Jim Buys.....

It's time to address something that I've been hearing for 2 years now. Rumor has it that Gary McLeod will find the $3300 at the last minute to enter the race, and it's likely that Jim Clyburn will flip the bill. Don't believe it? It's likely that it has already happened before. I've been told previously by some very astute political minds about the McLeod/Clyburn connection. One of them is regarded as a top analyst in the business. Over the weekend, it came up again. Back in 1998, Gary waited until literally the last minute to put his money up against Vince Ellison. I gues Vince had some friends in the Clyburn camp, and word got to him that the check was cut by Jim's people. Why would Clyburn do this? Simple. McLeod is tailor made for Jim. As long as an extremist runs against him, Jim looks like the voice of reason. Gary takes the primary on name recognition, then stays home though November, and Clyburn cruises to an easy win. Meanwhile, all the money that Clyburn raises goes straight to the DNCC, to fight other Republicans. It sounds almost too unbelieveable to be true, but it makes a lot of sense, and the rumor has never gone away. What's your opinion? I imagine there will be a lot of anonymous posts on this one.

Reino Sweeps Sumter Straw Poll 111-0 !!

Yes, on Saturday, we shut out the competition 111-0. There were some factors involved in the sweep. Technically no one else is in the race yet. Secondly, we are running against Gary McLeod. While this by no means locks up the primary, it hopefully will convince Gary to stay at home and sit this year out. Maybe if he announced, he'd get a few votes, but not too many. The difference this year is that the entire district is mobilized to put a new candidate up.

Toto, We Must be in Kansas, 'Cause it's a Tornado !!

This was sent to me by Carolyn Jebaily, part family matriarch, part WalMart's worst nightmare. Her son is a meteorolgy student at Oklahoma, and he made a video of his best of tornado chases. If you like AC/DC and natural disasters, you'll love this clip.

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Warning!!!! Frank Willis' Radio Ads Really Stink!!

Driving through Flotown, I got to hear Gubernatorial candidate and overall Lightning in a Bottle Frank Willis' new radio ad on 970 JMX-AM today. To quote a line from the Blues Brothers, "They are bad, I mean they SMELL BAD!!!". Like the electric press releases he sends out, they criticize Mark Sanford ( TIME magazine, doesn't play well with the legislature, blah, blah.). However, he doesn't say what he would do, just that " alot of people are saying he'd be a great Gov." If any of them were outside of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, I'd be surprised. Half a million dollars should buy better ads than that. Franco, take it from someone else running against an incumbent - You don't win on, "Vote for me, I'm not the other guy." I also saw a billboard for House candidate Kris Crawford , who's slogan apparently is " He's For Us". Boy, I sure hope so! Among his rejects were, "He's a People Person" , "The Tests Came Back Negative", and " I'm a Doctor, So I'm Smarter than You." Granted, my slogans "Bringing Common Sense to Congress" and "Building Bridges that Matter" aren't gems, but take more than 30 seconds before putting it on a 38 foot billboard.

Here's Another Hillary Joke for Your Arsenal......

I got this via e-mail from my buddy's mom - a pretty staunch Democrat. One day, God decided to bring up some Democrats to sit beside him in the Kingdom of Heaven, to test their beliefs. First he asked AlGore, "What do you Believe?" AlGore said, " I believe I won the election, but that it was your will that I ended up losing, an I accept that". Next he asked Bill Clinton, " What do you believe?" Bill replied, " I believe that I sinned against you by cheating on my wife, and for that I am sorry." Lastly , God spoke to Hillary and said, "What do you believe?" Hillary's response? " I believe you are sitting in my chair." Enjoy!

Politics and the Pee Dee: Apathetic or Just Pathetic?

Tuesday night was probably one of the more exciting nights in my short political career. I spoke with Katon Dawson in Berkeley County, and our differences from earlier seem to be overwith, Then I went to Summerville, and gave one of the better speeches in front of about 200 voters and 20 candidates. Then we have nights like tonight. The Pee Dee has a reputation of not being important among the rest of the state. Although it is true that Williamsburg and Marion Counties have trouble mustering enough Republicans to field a good poker game, Florence is traditionally a Republican county. So why don't candidates come there? Tonight is likely a good example. Where do we start? First point: If two bordering counties are meeting the same night, you might want to stagger the start times and hour apart, so we can go to both meetings. In their wisdom ( or lack of communication), Williamsburg and Florence decided to have their meetings at the exact same time, 30 miles away from each other. Needless to say, I missed the meeting in Kingstree, as did many other candidates. In Florence, I showed up about 20 minutes late ( work ran late). Our county chair was speaking for a few minutes, then adjourned the meeting. So instead of each candidate speaking for the usual 3 minutes, we ended up chatting one on one, and no straw polls were taken. It's not a big deal to me: I already know everyone there, and my seat doesn't have a poll. However, 3 State Legislature candidates, and Lt. Gov. candidate Mike Campbell were there, in addition to about 10 candidate representatives. Is it any wonder Florence doesn't get any good candidates to show up? Who wants to drive 2 hours , then get blown off? Spartanburg gets Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, we get the local Probate Judge. Back in 2004 , guess how many of the 6 Senate candidates spoke at the county meetings? One - Mark McBride. It might be time for some new blood to improve our image in the Pee Dee, because it's obvious that we aren't using the same playbook the rest of the state uses - we're kinda doing what we feel like doing. Next month's featured guest: Our local Dog Catcher Candidate (probably a Democrat).

The Invisible Reino Connector Possibly in the Works....

Melkite Catholic, 80's Metal Afficinado and Political Shaman Earl Capps has proposed the "Construction" of an alternate bridge in the Lone Star - Rimini area. Basically, it is a sign at each end of Lake Marion, indicating where the Briggs DeLaine Pearson Bridge would have been. He's suggesting that it be named in my honor for the work I've done in fighting it. However, I'd include Murrell Smith, Mark Sanford, and about 50 different environmental groups in SC. Although it would be an honor, I don't think I could tolerate everyone butchering my last name. My suggested name : The Emperor's New Bridge. If the bridge ever is built, I make one promise - I will hop in my car and drive the entire stretch of the bridge in reverse, to show the ass backward approach taken in making this waste of money.

The Olympic Gold Medal for Bladder Control Goes to My Dog!!!

I was a bad pet owner today. I thought that I'd get a chance to stop by my apartment to let my dog, Snoop, take care of business. Unfortunately , things came up, and my Lab Mutt had to hold it for a stunning 14 hours!! But hold it he did until I made it back from the Berkeley and Dorchester County Conventions. Please don't call the ASPCA on me - I treat the dog like gold most of the time, and I'll make it up to him. His Intestinal Fortitude ( literally) deserves some type of honor - Lord knows I've never held it that long!

Hell Hath No Fury Like Retirees Scorned.........

As a followup to Clyburn's insult to the retirees living on Lake Marion, the Manning Times printed a couple Letters to the Editor on the online edition. Go to SC Hotline and check it out. There are a few really ticked off Seniors out there. It makes me wish that the press interviewed Jim more often - everytime he talks , I get a couple thousand more votes!!!

Lee Bandy is a Putz.....

Why do we bother having primaries or general elections? Just ask Lee Bandy for his Karnac the Magnificent-like predictions, and coronate his winner. His State article on the 5th District GOP Primary was 99% non-partisan , then he has to go dookie on it by giving his November prediction - Spratt in a trot. Sure Lee, maybe if you say it enough we'll all stay home. This is the same paper that in 2004, mentioned me as a candidate fighting "to get creamed by Jim Clyburn" ( Thanks Brad!). If all of life were measured in absolute wins and losses, no one would run for office. But guess what? We don't all measure life by that magic 50.1%. Some of us care more about how our party is viewed by African-Americans, or by running candidates who actually try. Lee and Brad Warthen have more in common with me than they would like to admit. They are a minority in their own backyard, where the best support they get is "Good Luck". The only difference is I let the battle go forth and let it take it's course, rather than try and use my position as a bully pulpit. Now why didn't the Mike Reino/Gary McLeod race get an article? 50.1%

I'm Not Dubai-ing This Port Security Deal......

I'm not having a very agreeable week with the Bush Adminstration. First they are trying to sell off about 1100 acres from Francis Marion National Forest, now this Port Security contract worth $6.8 Billion is going to a country where three of the 9/11 terrorists came from. Rarely do I agree with Chuck Schumer - I can't stand that BS Cheshire Cat grin of his when he spews some of his partisan junk, but him and the numerous Republicans against this are right. These are the last people we need to entrust out port safety to. I case you didn't know, the US doesn't even currently have the contract to our port security - the British do. How we can't find a US company willing to work a contract of this magnitude is beyond me. I imagine it has something to do with getting sued should an event occur, but that's an issue for another day. I know we send Tiger Woods over there every year to shoot a couple rounds , and take a couple million dollars of their money, but this isn't quite an even trade. The main problem is security. We have schools in Iran literally signing up classes of students to teach them to be suicide bombers - look on a map and see how close the United Arab Emirates is to Iran and Iraq. The downside of this move is just too great to take chances. Even Chucky is in favor of a company like Halliburton working this contract than a Middle Eastern country handling this. Let's start again, and get this right. America is pretty cool - I can disagree with my president and still support him. God Bless us!

Gentlemen , Start Your Engines !!!!!!

Time to take a few hours away from politics - it's Daytona Day! I've been a NASCAR fan since I was a kid - not common for a Yankee back then. I'm going to sit back, relax and enjoy the race. My pick? Not that I'm necessariy a fan, but I'm picking a young guy who is on a major team (lots of friends to help), doesn't drive a Ford ( too new a model), and takes a lot of chances - Kyle Busch. he's probably better than his brother, and is a classier act. Enjoy the race!

My Congressman Went to Africa, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, and a Bill.

After three weeks of doing nothing, Congress is taking a week off. Of course that means it's time for "fact finding trips". A bunch of them, including Our Ambassador of Badwill and Joe Wilson, are going to Africa. I never understand a lot of these international trips - maybe it's easier now to take a junket out of the US than in it. Sure , they'll see AIDS patients, visit a few sites, and see how poor the Dark Continent is doing overall, but do they really need to spend our money so they can see it 'firsthand". I doubt it. One question. No doubt after this trip, people are going to ask for money. Probably, these will be the same people who complained how could we keep spending money in Iraq, instead of on Katrina victims. I suppose it's just a matter of race.

Time for More "Fuzzy Thoughts"..........

I just watched 20/20's "Stupid in America" special for the first time. I've always been anti-union for the effect it has on taxes, but SIA makes a compelling case for what the lack of competition has done to our education........... Is it just me, or do Belgian kids speak English better than American kids?..........Straw polls seem to be all the rage right now, and froo what I've seen so far, I have advice for other candidates - if someone doesn't show from your camp, you will lose. They don't seem to poll for the Sixth District. Guess picking between me and Gary McLeod is like choosing me or having your testicles hammered flat ........Speaking of Gary, Old Moses didn't come down from the mountain in Manning last night. My request to the SCGOP: Since the money goes to the Election Board, tell Gary to keep his money - It's worth the lawsuit..............I got to meet Jenny Sanford last night. The last time I saw her, I hit her with my kayak at Sparkleberry Swamp. No problem, I took the collision waiver.......So it looks like Harry Whittington will live. The press must be bummed out. I can hear Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" playing as I speak......Word is that there is ANOTHER Paris Hilton video around, this one starring none other than Scott Stapp, formerly of Creed. See, they weren't Christian Rock after all...........I'll see you in West Ashley tomorrow, Moncks Corner and Summerville Tuesday, and Florence and Kingstree Thursday!....

Get Off My Dick........Cheney.

Ok, Dick Cheney has spoken to the press - can we leave him alone a bit now? I'll be honest, Cheney has always been a bit cocky , but it was obvious that this man was truly shaken by the incident. He took responsibility, and he was very contrite. It's seems to me that anyone who expects a person to jump in front of a pack or rabid reporters after accidentally shooting their buddy needs their head examined. Luckily, his friend will be OK, so lets get back to business. That reminds me, it's been three weeks since Congress came back into session, and nothing has been done thus far - Ladies and Gentlemen, get back to work!!

Jim Must Hate Himself , Along With His Neighbors on Lake Marion....

My good buddy Moye Graham sent me the two latest copies of the Manning Times, which had a large focus on Old Jim. Clyburn took about 30 mostly white students from Wofford College on a class trip ( or was it a guilt trip ) to Summerton. He showed them various sites in the area related to the struggle of Brown vs. Board of Education, and then took part in a forum on the subject. Clyburn decided to detour the forum to attack all opponents of his projects, most notably the Briggs -DeLaine-Pearson Connector and the Lake Marion Regional Water Authority. Then inexplicably, he decided to attack the retirees living on Lake Marion. " I want create an area that is attractive for business, not for retired people. These are people who have lived their productive lives somewhere else. They no longer have children. They no longer care about education, so they are not going to vote for funding these referenda." Where do we start here? First, a note to retirees - go kill yourselves immediately, because you are no longer considered productive by Jim's standards. Those property taxes that you pay right now give you no rights as citizens in his eyes. That should be Jim's first business directive, to employ a " Soilent Green" Machine to eliminate all citizens older than Jim. Get a job or die. Secondly, Clyburn has been pushing tourism in our state for years now, but not around the only recreational lake in the District? What exactly is the casino he's been pushing considered? Definitely not manufacturing. Thirdly, and the most ironic, Clyburn IS a retiree, who has no kids, and lives on Lake Marion!! If Old Jim resents those on the other side of the lake, perhaps he should appropriate a mirror be installed in the center. Most bloggers are pretty young, so I'll ask you to tell your grandparents..... If seniors vote for Clyburn, they deserve what they will get - lower Social Security payments and no repsect from a man who uses them for votes.

New Duets Album....... Clyburn and Bono ??

Some things just have to be seen to be believed......... And I thought the pics of Jim in his golf shorts were disturbing!! I doubt meeting Jim was up there for Bono with jamming with B.B. King for the first time, but the man's got a job to do. You think Jim knows any of the words to "Vertigo"? If I was Jim, I'd have asked to swap specs for a minute - the look might be good for him!! Am I jealous? Absolutely! Jim barely knows Bono from Sonny Bono from the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, but I guess it helps his Q rating..... With that in mind, here is my guess at Jim's favorite U2 songs: I Will Follow ( Nancy Pelosi).. All I Want is You(r Taxes). With or Without You ( I'll Build that Bridge). Angel of Harlem ( Ode to Bill Clinton). Lemon ( His View of the Bush Administration). Silver and Gold ( The PAC and Lobbyist Song). Bad ( Self Explanatory). Vertigo ( His apparent fear of high returns on the Social Security Fund). Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For........... A Democrat Majority, President and a Cabinet Position for Myself, so I can give my job to my Daughter.

John Graham Altman Supports Reino Campaign...... So Where's My Boob Inspector Hat??

I got to chat with JGA tonight, and he told me he was glad that I was still running. I'll take that as an endorsement. I know, John Graham is considered a political stick of dynamite..... It must be something about Columbia, because I've seen him 10 times in Charleston, and he's never said anything offensive there. I figure if I can make the peace between him and Kara Gormley, I can write my own ticket. First, JGA and Kara - Then the Middle East!

Inez Inserts Foot Into Mouth With Critical Analysis Comment......

There seems to be a definite path of the Darwin / ID debate. Let me shed what little light that I have on it. I just got out of the Chas. GOP meeting, accoerding to sources very close to the issue, ID is not being discussed as a curriculum issue, but rather that critical analysis of Darwin be added to the curriculum. The argument is that there are aspects of Darwin that are scientifically incorrect, and that needs to be included. It makes sense, because our kids are taught one thing from Darwin, then taught to forget aspects of it afterwards. It reminds me of phonetics and spelling, where you are taught to spell it like you think it sounds, the retaught correctly ( something I was NEVER a fan of). Where does Inez come in? Well, she is not a fan of questioning Darwin. Apparently she said that some courses need critical analysis, but that science is not one of them...... Holy Cannoli !! The whole field of science is to question , test and verify or dispute.... Imagine if we didn't question if the world was flat. This is why politicians should never be involved in Education, and probably why the position should be appointed. While I'm at it, go to the debates for this seat, and see how weak the field is for this job. A few of them are way over their heads. When Inez says things like this, it shows that her impartiality is out the window, and she's more interested in

pushing an agenda. Luckily , the EOC saw this and voted 10-2 to accept Critical Analysis of Darwin. It goes to the State Board of Ed. next.

Cheney Shoots Someone??????

Vice Pres. Dick Cheney has apparently shot a friend while quail hunting on a private ranch in Texas. If memory serves me correctly, this would be the first time a sitting Vice-President has shot someone since Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton. The friend is recovering from pellet wounds to the face, neck and chest. Word is that Cheney shot his friend because he stole his father's watch when the friend framed him for murder over 40 years ago - wait , that was Eddie Murphy in "Life"! Well, at least the excuse was the same - the friend walked in front of Cheney as he was firing. Perhaps , the most ironic ( and comedic) part is that the friend was immediately tended to because Cheney always has a medical staff on call nearby. That makes me worry a little about just how healthy is Dick Cheney? This could have turned out a lot more tragic, but luckily it didn't. A quick addition to this. After 36 hours of this mess, I have judged that the funniest thing I heave heard about this was Sean Hannity's playing of Aerosmith's " Janie's Got a Gun", but changing it to "Cheney's Got a Gun". Priceless!!

Apparently, I Work Off a Different Schedule Than You Guys....

I'm beginning to notice a trend here. Like you guys, I don't just write blogs, I like to read everyone else's - of both viewpoints. However, I'm starting to notice that most others blogs take the weekends off, and I seem to only be able to do them on the weekends. My guess is some of you are sleeping off a Grey Goose buzz as I write this, and the others are playing peekaboo with the kids - I envy both of you!! Like the campaign, my blogging is exactly the opposite of everyone else!! Just a side note.....I miss football already!

SCANA's Profits Jump 76% This Quarter.....Maybe the PSC can Give Some of that Rate Hike Back......

South Carolina Utility Giant SCANA reports that their profits rose a whopping 76% this past quarter. So much for utilities being regulated to minimize profits... For those of you who didn't get to read my LTE posted on SC Hotline a couple months ago, let me expose the scam going on between SCANA and the Clyburn Clan. Late last year, before it even got cold, SCANA asked for a 50% rate hike on Natural Gas, based on a forecasted cold winter. Traditionally, the utilility takes the hit, then has rates adjusted to makw up for the cost - fair enough. The costs are spread over the more moderate Spring months, and everything works out in the end. That didn't happen. Instead , the PSC , being the political hacks they are, ok'd the rate hike before it even got cold. I don't need to tell you that it's been a pretty warm winter, until this week. Since Natural gas hasn't been used as much as they thought, cost remained low, and revenue increased - not a bad deal, eh? Here's where the scam is... Who is the PSC Chair? Mignon Clyburn, Jim's daughter. It also may be worth noting that Jim owns stock in SCANA too, and has received contributions from SCANA since day 1 in office. So SCANA pays Jim, they then go to his daughter to ask for a rate hike, and Jim ends up making dividends and profits from the higher stock price. Genius!! The losers in this of course are the consumers, many of who are retired, collecting Social Security checks that still don't benefit from the marketplace. I guess Jim just has that stock because he likes to gamble with his money!! Kudos to Jim , his buddies at SCANA, and my best wishes to his daughter, who will soon take over the family business when daddy retires.

More Poop From the Campaign Trail............

Today was the Lowcountry Republican Breakfast Club ( no Molly Ringwald ) meeting at Kelly's BBQ on Hwy 78. Before I start, the spread at Kelly's is outstanding!! There was everything under the sun on that buffet line. Anyway, the highlight of the meeting was the debate between the three GOP Treasurer candidates: Rick Quinn, Greg Ryberg and Jeff Willis. Some of the people running for these statewide posts are in way over their head , but the three in this race are pretty sharp. Willis will have a hard time being an outsider ( he doesn't come from the Midlands, and doesn't hold a post), but it's never stopped me. All these men have some definite ideas of what the Treasurer's Office needs to do, although I might not agree with all of them. I'm glad that it's not just three guys whose slogans are, " I'm Not Grady". Perhaps the brightest spot was that they were very cordial and respectful of each other. Thank God there were no character assassinations today - hopefully, it will stay that way. I fully expect the winner to have the support of the other two. Sorry, Dems - no fracturing here!

The Gutsy American: The African-American Republican

A lot people tell me that I'm a pretty gutsy guy for running in such a tough area. Some people's guts are other people's stupidity. However, events take place on the road that show us candidates that there are stronger people far tougher than us out there everyday. I got an example of that in Walterboro last night. I spoke at the Colleton County GOP convention to about 30 people, and six or seven of them were African-American. I didn't know if they were there out of curiousity or genuine caring - I was just glad they were there. I'll let you in on a little secret. If there are 100 white people and 3 blacks, I watch the reaction of the black voters. I preach to the choir everytime, but my job is to reach, not to preach. Nothing makes me more excited than to express my platform, look up, and see African-Americans smile and shake their heads in agreement - like , " This guy gets it". I talked briefly about the universal issues among us: Taxes, Social Security, Eminent Domain , Honesty in Politics and Racial Unity. I also personally thanked the African-Americans who came, because we sometimes take for granted the pressure on them to vote Democrat. While Democrats bring up Jim Crow, and their struggle to vote at all, today there is a different polling tactic - the view that blacks who vote Republican are betraying their own people. Blacks who don't vote Democrat aren't viewed as openminded and impartial - they're viewed as sellouts, jackasses and "tokens". After I spoke, a young lady named Kathy, who drove about 15 miles to come to the convention, shyly told me I had her and her friends votes, and asked what she could do to help. I asked if she had $2100 - just kidding!! I got her info, and I thanked her again, and told her that I understood how much she was sticking her neck out for me. Over 90% of African-Americans still vote Democrat, but thanks to people like Kathy and her friends, it is improving, one person at a time. That's why I am running. One more note: Someone there took my Reino for Congress sign home with them - guess they couldn't wait til June.

Convention Season Is Testing My Ability to be in Two Places at the Same Time.....

The SCGOP will be having their convention in early April. In preparation, all of the 46 counties are having their local conventions. This creates a problem for all candidates, because two and sometimes three of these counties are meeting at the same time. Thus the problem: how do we candidates cover all of these meetings? Each county wants to have the candidate, and not a staffer attend their meeting, but it's hard to be in Aiken and Colleton at the same time, so for every Sanford or Lovelace or Floyd, you get his unpaid staffer. The problem is worse for zero staff candidates like myself, We don't have staffers to show up for us. last night in Colleton both Ag Candidates had their family members show up. I personally leave my uncle Gino and Cousin Anne-Marie at home - politics isn't thier thing. For candidates like Elizabeth Moffly and Kerry Wood, some counties will be flat out skipped. After doing this juggling act for 3 years now, I've begun to master the Samson Method ( Splitting the Candidate in Two). 1. New County? Anyone Will Do. Being an unknown, most people don't know what I look like. So I might just send someone else out instead. 2. The Unabomber Method I learned this from Gary McLeod. Lock yourself in your outhouse in Montana until primary season rolls around, then send random e-mails from the " Nationwide Organization" that you started. Mystery sometimes does make you more interesting.....On the Lifetime Channel. 3. The Scorched Earth Policy Too many counties to cover? No problem! Just take a random county here and there, and just go on a verbal tirade until they ban you from that county permanently. Problem solved. Yes, I got that from Gary too. One tip: It's hard to win in the 6th District when you can't go to Florence County. Good Luck, Buddy! 4. Your Twin Steps In. Have two real important places to be at the same time? I've got a tip for that too. Everyone has someone who looks just like them. Maybe it's a brother, sister or fellow Aryan Brotherhood member. Personally, I use Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, or Vinnie Delpino from Doogie Howser when I'm in a pinch.

$2.77 Trillion - Still Not Enough for Some People .....

Over $9200 for every man , woman and child in America, and the Democrats still complain about " cuts". Everytime the budget comes out, I feel like we lose more ground every year, and the Democrats win the sympathy battle. Overall, the budget is 2.3% higher than last year, and entitlements are 7.5% higher, yet there were Kent Conrad and our own John " Harrrumph!!" Spratt, attacking the budget like we are taking food out of babies mouths. I call Spratt "Harrumph" , not just because he's a Dem flunkie , but also because that's the sound a bulldog makes when he barks - and if Spratt isn't the second coming of Droopy Dog...... There is one difference - bulldogs have teeth! Seriously, the Dems need a better spokesman than Spratt. He make know the budget X and O's, but he makes no sense when speaking. " In 1997, ahrrle frabble, gebba wabble!!", and that's about it. Maybe incoherence is a good asset in Washington, but the GOP has lined up a couple candidates ready to take him on this year, and he better be clearer on the message, or his days are numbered...

Idiots of the Week: The Summerville Journal Scene

Rodney Dangerfield has nothing on me..... I spoke today at the Summerville Republican Women's Group today, which was publicized by the SJS earlier in the week. The problem? I was called Mike Rivera, and that I was running for the SC Senate , District 6. I have my name mispronounced a lot, but for Pete's sake, the wrong name and office??? Adding insult to stupidity, I found out later that the info wasn't lost in translation - it was e-Mailed!!! The lesson for today - just because something is in the paper doesn't mean it's true.

Word = Bond, Bond's Word = Hateful Slander, Therefore Bond = Hateful Slanderizer....

One of my purposes of making this blog was to leave Editors alone from my constant LTE's ( Letters to the Editor). My apologies to Joshua Gross, but I had to respond to the comments made by NAACP chair Julian Bond. Below is a Worldnet Daily article: NAACP chairman compares GOP to Nazis Bond delivers blistering partisan speech in North Carolina Posted: February 2, 20061:00 p.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond delivered a blistering partisan speech at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina last night, equating the Republican Party with the Nazi Party and characterizing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, as "tokens." "The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side," he charged. Calling President Bush a liar, Bond told the audience at the historically black institution that this White House's lies are more serious than the lies of his predecessor's because Clinton's lies didn't kill people. "We now find ourselves refighting old battles we thought we had already won," he said. "We have to fight discrimination whenever it raises its ugly head." He referred to former Attorney General John Ashcroft as J. Edgar Ashcroft. He compared Bush's judicial nominees to the Taliban. The talk so infuriated at least one black family in attendance among the 900 in the auditorium that they got up and walked out in protest. "He went on and on name calling," said Lee Wilson. "I walked out in the middle of his speech with my wife and three kids" The harsh partisan rhetoric from Bond should not have surprised anyone who has followed him in recent years. In July 2001, Bond said, "[Bush] has selected nominees from the Taliban wing of American politics, appeased the wretched appetites of the extreme right wing, and chosen Cabinet officials whose devotion to the Confederacy is nearly canine in its uncritical affection." Now, I have never seen a Nazi or Rebel flag at a GOP event, and Sam Alito and John Roberts didn't appear to be Islamic militants , unless being Catholic is the same thing now. As far as the "tokens" comment , Bond should have just gone all the way and used the N-bomb. Is it any surprise why the IRS is considering revoking the NAACP's tax-exempt status? Like most National Organizations, the higher up you get, the more schewed the group becomes. I've spoken at local NAACP events, and they mostly are just local church groups coming together to help each other. At the top level, all the NAACP is out to do is discredit the GOP, elect Democrats, and fund their organization. This mess that Bond has spewed needs to be called what it is - slander. I'd like to see him apologize, or if he doesn't, other A-A leaders to ask him to apologize. Don't count on it.

They Don't Hold Back in Berkeley County !!!!!

This morning, I attended the Berkeley County Breakfast in Goose Creek. I got to speak for about 5 minutes, and I gotta say, I probably gave my best speech yet - no giant feat!! All the local canddiates attended, and the highligh was a Q&A type debate between County Chairman candidates Jim Rozier and Ed Fennell. Now, I've tried to follow the rule, " Always speak well of fellow Republicans". It's not always easy when Gary McLeod is slanderizing you constantly, but I try. I'm not sure if Mr. Rozier and Mr. Fennell ever heard this, because these two went after each other like the other guy stole his watch. Kickbacks, legislation to inflate their personal property values - you name it... This was a no holds barred smackdown like I'd never seen in a primary before. It had to be broken up twice with other speakers to cool these guys down. I always thought Charleston County was the biggest arguers, but that torch has been passed, and I hope nobody tries to take it away any time soon. All that , and breakfast for $5, I'd say I got my moneysworth!!

Heather Locklear Back on the Market!! Which Rocker Will She Marry Next?

I see that Heather Locklear ( TJ Hooker, Melrose Place, Spin City ), has officially filed for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Ritchie Sambora. Her reason for splitting? " I'm an advertising Executive!! I have a lot of important work to do! Important things, Damnit!! Ritchie's had a bad month. First the plane scare, now his wife files for the Big D. Too bad..... Anyway, now that Heather back in the bullpen, who might take Ritchie's place? Let's take a few guesses. Vince Neil? Naw, he's had more plastic surgery than Heather, and he worked with Tommy Lee. Bret Michaels? Maybe, but he'd keep stealing her Aqua Net. Eric Clapton? Not enough of a rocker.... Oh, and older than Methusela. Sebastian Bach? Picture that..... Rob Halford? Uh, never mind. I guess we weren't really paying attention back in the 80's. Steven Tyler? He's available again, but her head might caught in that garage door of a mouth of his. Also, refer to Clapton re: age. Scott Baio? Don't laugh! He's had her and Pam Anderson before!! Although Joanie Loves Chachi doesn't qualify you as a rocker. If Michael Bolton can get Nicolette Sheridan twice, anything is possible..... It looks like the pickings are slim - she might need to date an actor or the guy from Counting Crows. Maybe she'd be interested in a politician... So Heather, do you like chubby guys with no money??

Want to Get Kicked Out of the Capitol? Wear a T-Shirt !!

Time for a rare non-partisan moment. I've been watching Rep. Bill Young's wife whine about being kicked out of the State of the Union speech on Tuesday. I'm not going to get into the Cindy Sheehan debate - she is what she is. But let me briefly put this BS to rest with both of them. The rules of the House do not allow members of Congress or guests to post any type of expressive message on their person. This includes posters, buttons and T-shirts. It is viewed as trying to influence Congress and speaking to the American public. Congressmen can't even talk into the camera on C-SPAN, though many do. Last month, the Democratic caucus came into the Capitol wearing " Debate Iraq" buttons , and they were quickly advised of the rule. Lynn Woolsey and Bill Young both know this, and they should be ashamed for thumbing their noses at the rule of the House. We expect things like this from Cindy Sheehan and Mrs. Young - they both show a lack of decorum, but Congressmen should know better. The problem is one only cares about embarassing the President, and the other apparently can't tell his wife no.

Does This Mean I Have to Boycott Danishes?

A political cartoon in a Danish newspaper has Muslims worldwide up in arms - literally. The cartoon was of the prophet Mohammed, showing him with a bomb stuffed in his turban. Violence has erupted in the West Bank over the item, where scores of Muslims rioted and looked for Westerners to kidnap. While the rioting is unfortunate, the secondary issue arising from the incident is more concerning. Many Muslims living in Europe were upset over the cartoon, and lit the fires of the furor. This lends the question: Should Europe adjust to the increasing Muslim population, or do the Muslims need to accept criticism from non-muslims? We all know that fundamentalist Muslims have no sense of humor and can be very defensive. However, satire and lampooning are staples of Western culture, and perhaps some of these people need to remember where they live. I wasn't thrilled when I saw the picture of the Virgin Mary spattered with fecal matter, and Jews don't inflict their views on other groups, so why can't Muslims do the same? Western society accepts all cultures, and upon that acceptance, it leaves those open to criticism - justified or not. If people want to take advantage of our freedoms, they will be exposed to our shortcomings as well. Maybe they just can't take a joke either......

The Car Has Got a Certain Wessonality....

If you don't like to pay $2.25 gallon for gas, try this. A man in Colorado has been fueling his car with cooking oil. It's possible to make biodiesel for the oil, and it only costs 80 cents a gallon. Of course there are other problems, like the shame of asking restaurants for their used fatback, and having your car smell like french fries!! I personally wouldn't go this far to fuel my car inexpensively, but it is another testament to American ingenuity. Florence Henderson would be proud!

GOP Pulls a Boehner.........

The Congressional Republican caucus selected John Boehner as House Majority Leader today. He was selected after two votes, the first of which eliminated John Shadegg and Jim Ryun. In the final vote, Boehner claimed nearly all of Shadegg and Ryun's votes for a comeback win over Roy Blunt of Missouri. The votes show a small rift in the GOP. About half want change, and the other half are still happy telling the Democrats to kiss their asses. Keeping Blunt would have signified keeping status quo - a poor choice for the GOP at this time. Their approval numbers are well below Democrats ( although both stink), and a face of change was needed. While Blunt may not be the actual problem, he does represent the old guard. My best wishes to Boehner!

Think Lobbyists are Only a Republican Problem? Check This List Out...

As we wade through the wake of the Abramoff scandal, the powers that be in Washington are beginning to realize that lobbyists are a big problem. Now, some people in DC are trying to give the impression that on Republicans are at fault, because they are the majority party. However, if you take a look, there are tons of Democrats who rely on lobbyists for funds, and then pass legislation that they otherwise wouldn't care about. Guess who we will be using as an example today?? Now before I list all the lobbyists that have donated to Clyburn, let me clarify a point. Yes, I could probably pull almost any member of Congress and find a bunch of lobbyists. It is a bipartisan problem, but there are two reasons I leave out the others. First, Joe Wilson and Henry Brown aren't saying that only Democrats are under the lobbying spell. Secondly, I am not running against those men. Besides , two wrongs don't make a right, so please refrain from listing other members in response. So here is the lobby list for old JC: Herschel Abbott DC Steven Beckham McLean, VA David Condon Alexandria, VA Michael Daniel Gaffney, SC Victor Edozian Natick. MA Anita Estell McLean, VA Victor Fazio DC Donald Fowler Jr San Francisco, CA Janice Griffin Silver Spring , MD John Hilbert III DC Alvin Jackson Kensington, MD Robert Kiggans Charleston, SC Linda Lingle DC Stephanie Lynch Burke, VA Butch Maki Santa Fe, NM Barbara McCall Chevy Chase, MD Kyle Michel Columbia, SC Timothy Moore DC Michael O'Bannon Alexandria, VA Steven Palmer Arlington, VA Elijah Rogers DC Jim Slattery DC Thaddeus Strom DC Michael Tongour DC William Walker Lexington, SC Richard Whitner Arlington, VA David Wilmot DC John Winburn DC Pretty good list, eh? Two items to note. This is not a complete list, this is only ones that I could identify as lobbyists. There are likely more, because one that I know is a lobbyist is not listed as one. Second, this is a list of only this past election cycle, not from the total 13 years in office. While JC is busy throwing stones at the GOP, the glass house he lives in is beginning to show some big cracks. The next time that some uninformed idiot tells you that Jim Clyburn cares about his people, and that he's a nice guy, show them this list, and ask them to please wake up.