Manifesto of the Morons: When Leaders With No Restraint Try to Make Themselves the Victims....

The one good thing about being named Ed Robinson - when someone Googles your name, 50 million other Ed Robinson's show up first. So, no pics of Ed here. Now , onto the post...

Everyone knows that we here at SC6 don't like when people in power make themselves out to be something they're not, and Florence City Councilman Ed Robinson is a master at it. Poor Ed seems to try to use the media for his own purposes, then when he gets thrown in jail for various reasons, who does he blame? The media. Katon Dawson's always says "Cindi Scoppe is not your friend", meaning don't try to get buddy-buddy with the media, because part of doing their job is objectivity, which might include putting you down on occasion.

Ed had been arrested twice: once for attempted assault, and once for interferring with a police officer (a constituent called him when her son was stopped for playing music too loud in his car - thanks, lady!). Last month, Robinson was stopped for driving without a license, and the police booked him. Now, in Florence, Ed Robinson getting arrested is a bit like Britney or Lindsay getting drunk on Sunset Blvd. Old news , right? Well, it's not at that point yet. It was on all the media outlets, but the news this time was how quickly he was let out, and by who. It seems that he got out the same night by Judge Cheveron Scott - his former attorney. Red flags went up everywhere. This caused Scott and Robinson to put out their "Manifesto to the Media" in the Community Times, the local AA paper.

Their main beef was the appearance that Robinson had preferrential treatment, and that it wasn't news in the first place. " I believe it is fair to say that if this were not Councilman Robinson, we would not be discussing this right now. (WBTW's) actions serve as a chilling reminder that there different standards that individuals within our society continue to have." Translation? Black politicians and citizens are treated worse than whites. While this may be a great sound byte to sell to voters come election time, there isn't much truth to it. Let's give an honest assessment, and I think I have a special perspective on this topic.

First thing, the last time I heard the term "Manifesto" was from the Unabomber. Find another term, Manifesto cheapens the document you are writing. Now as far as the Scott/Robinson preferential treatment scenario, I have no idea, so I'll leave it at that. Maybe it was , maybe it wasn't , so whatever it is, it is. But, this has nothing to do with the fact that in thi day and age, a politician who ends up in jail is going to end up on the 6:00 news. Trust me, I KNOW.

This summer, I had a spat with my Dad, and I knocked a beer bottle out of his hand. Well, being the loving parent he is, Dad called the cops, and told them I tried to strangle him. Nice. I told the cop the truth, and the next thing I know, I'm spending 12 hours at the County lockup for MY bond hearing. My first thought in the cell? Now I know how Ed Robinson feels.... No bullshit on that. It took about 5 days, but eventually the news made the TV, newspaper and radio. Later, when I was found innocent by a judge, it didn't make the TV, newspapers and radio. Talking with my handlers during the campaign, we decided to let it die quietly, an attribute that Robinson hasn't found yet.

The other attribute that Ed needs to work on: introspection and self-improvement. When you've ended up in the slammer twice, you might want to take a step back and see how a change of behavior would cause these things to not happen again. Mine was easy, move away from my Dad. Robinson's is easy too: don't drive if you've lost your license!!

Scott and Robinson may have done the bond correctly, but they are dead wrong if they want the public to think Robinson has a different set of rules just for him. Ask me, ask Wallace Scarborough, ask Thad Viers. It's the price you pay for being in the public eye. You live by the media, you die by the media...............