SC6 Names the Top 10 Rock/Metal Songs of My "Golden Years".......

To kick off our new focus while I am thoroughly disgusted with all things political (we'll see how long it lasts), SC6 presents topic that always gets a lot of comments - Heavy Metal !! Just in case your were wondering, I'm the guy on the left, circa 1984.... kidding!!

I've been pondering my favorite songs of the Rock/Heavy Metal Era, or what I call The Golden Years. That fabulous time when the only magazines worth reading were Circus and Hit Parader. Where my closet consisted solely of concert shirts, Levi's 501's and flannels. When every girl in my neighborhood looked like Joan Jett, and we had no idea Freddie Mercury or Rob Halford were gay.

To qualify, the song needs to be between 1981 (about when I hit puberty, because kids CAN'T ROCK) and late 1991 ( when I finished college and life got serious). That takes the Alternative revolution and Classic Rock out of the contest. We're talking purely the Heavy Metal era. This takes a lot of the Neo Glam bands out of the loop - sorry, no Poison, Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z'nuff or Cinderella here. So, let's take a trip back in time........

#10 - Ratt: Lay It Down

Ratt is close to a Glam Band, but they can actually play (CC Deville couldn't hold Warren Di Martini's jock). Sure, 'Round and Round' was a bigger hit, but Lay it Down has always been my favorite. like I said on a previous post, their Behind the Music was a little cliche, except for Robbin Crosby's bout with HIV.

#9 - Rainbow: Stone Cold

Somewhere in my closet, there is a copy of the moldy oldie. After Deep Purple broke up, Ritchie Blackmore took his Stratocaster and started Rainbow. The major additions to Rainbow were drummer Bobby Rondinelli ( a friend of mine) and singer Joe Lynn Turner. I wore this album out for a couple years, before Rainbow broke up - Blackmore is not known to be easy to get along with.

#8 - Motley Crue: Dr. Feelgood

Sometime between 1981 and 1989, Mick Mars took some guitar lessons, because Dr. Feelgood was a real kickass album, and I was not a real big fan before then. It seems that kicking drugs has a positive effect often of rock bands. As Tommy Lee put it, "We got along better, we felt better, we played better - Hey, that's important." Smart boy, Tommy....

#7 - Iron Maiden , Flight of Icarus.

So many songs, which one to choose??? When most bands sang vaguely about demons, drugs or other bland topics, Bruce Dickinson and the boys were talking about Bible stories, Cowboys and Indians and the Revolution. And how many other bands had a mascot?? Eddie Rules!

#6 - Guns 'n Roses, Paradise City.

For about 4 years, G'nR ruled the planet. Appetite for Destruction came on like the intro to 'Welcome to the Jungle', and a band like no other was here. Paradise City is a song that still holds up over the years, thanks to Slash's Heroin- fueled solo's. Unfortunately, Axl Rose's pursuit of making EVERY song an epic turned him into an asshole, and Guns called it quits. Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum continue on with Velvet Revolver, and Axl is in a psych ward in Vienna, talking about how he killed Mozart.

#5 - Living Colour , Open Letter to a Landlord

no, Vernon Reid was not the most talented guitarist I've ever heard, but Living Colour could rock, funk, jazz and metal out like no other. Corey Glover showed he could sing even better than he could act ( he starred in Platoon), and the fact that Heavy Metal could make room for African-Americans who spoke their minds was a major step. A top selection in my tape deck for about 3 years.

#4 - Metallica, One.

I left this picture of bassist Cliff Burton on the post, because even though he died in 1986, before And Justice for All came out, his handprint was all over the album. This was a band still grieving, still angry, and it showed. It declared the American Dream dead, and it's use of Dalton Trumbo's film, Johnny Got His Gun, added a dramatic aspect that pushed Metallica out of the pack, and set them up for the superstardom that followed with 1991's Black Album.

#3 - Judas Priest, You've Got Another Thing Comin'.

Okay, so MAYBE I wasn't paying much attention to Rob Halford's wardrobe selections while in High School... Sexual preference aside, no one rocked better than Priest. Like Iron Maiden, I could pick from a dozen tracks, but this one chugs along like a freight train, and like most Priest songs, has a solo that you know every note to. As Rob would say, "OH YEAH!"

#2 - Ozzy Osbourne, Over the Mountain.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next Governor of California! Hey, don't be surprised if it happens. Ozzy is the grand old man of Metal, but for everyone my age back in the early 80's, Randy Rhoads was the be all and end all of guitarists. He and Ozzy had one of those classic collaborations until Rhoads tragic death in 1982. Ozzy's music suffered for a decade, until he found Zakk Wylde. Ozzy continues on, still making great music and television. SHARON !!!!!!!!!!! Tha fufmi dug shy onna cahpo agin!!! Translation? The F'ing dog shit on the carpet again.

#1 - Faith No More - Epic.

It has been 17 years since this song came out, and it is STILL in my CD changer!! When Mike Patton joined the band, and they made The Real Thing, they unknowingly influenced a generation of artists. Up to that point, NO ONE mixed Rap and Heavy Metal together - Anthrax and Public Enemy came years later. Though guitarist Jim Martin was not a master guitarist, his solo was probably the most tension laden, angst-ridden solo ever made. Faith No More followed with another great album with 1992's Angel Dust, but Patton's continued toying with his Mr. Bungle project brought Faith No More to an end. But they live on in my car still !

Honorable Mention to a Band that Didn't Even Exist: Spinal Tap. Any Heavy Metal fan who didn't see and love this movie should have his head examined by Lemmy Kilmeister with a corkscrew! One of my all-time favorite movies. Oh my God.... They're playing Paradise City on a Harley commercial, with a bunch of SHEEP?? Well, at least it's a Harley ad.

Well, those are MY picks. I'm sure there are ones I forgot, so add your picks if you choose - my memory is a little fuzzy from that decade!

SC6 Pays It's Respects to Jack Palance.....

" I Crap Bigger Than You "
Jack Palance in City Slickers.

One of my favorite things was to recite lyrics from bad 80's song in Jack Palance's voice. Try it sometime , it's pretty funny. For example....

"They told you..breath.. don't you ever come around here. Don't wanna see your face... breath.. you better disappear.. The fire's in their eyes.. breath. and their wartime's been declared, so beat it....breath....just beat it.

Jack played bad guys better than anyone, but anyone my age remembers Jack for the TV show, "Believe It Or Not". Tough guy, funny guy - Jack Palance.

Nancy Pelosi Makes First Prediction for America...........

"America, You're doomed....... You're ALL DOOMED!!!!!!"

House Speaker Nancy Pelosigeist II.

Personally, I don't like her new , shorter hairstyle. Too dikey.

Okay, the Dems got their wish - they run the House and Senate. If they learn from the GOP's mistakes (Pork and Waste), it could be a long trip back. I don't think it'll work out that way. Dem or GOP, Congress loves the Other White Meat with a passion. Since I have no choice anyway, this may be a good thing for '08. If the Dems blow it, then they will lose everyting back in '08. Be careful what you ask for.....

Race and Politics Have a Long Way to Go in Florence....

So, what happened Tuesday? I haven't picked up the totals from the Election Commission office yet, but here's what I can tell from watching the results come in...

I did pretty good in the districts that I needed, but not the 85-90% I needed. Meanwhile, the other districts that are black majority went almost exclusively for my opponent. In short, all the whites voted for me, and all the blacks went the other way. In a 60-40 black district, it was 59-41, so I would first like to thank the 30 or so people that viewed this race by more than our skin pigment.

It's pretty sad that in this day and age, people still vote this way. Another problem was voter apathy. After 16 years of no Republicans running for this seat, you would think that more than 30 or 40% would show up and vote. Okay, it's official.... People in District 3 are not allowed to complain anymore - you had your chance, and you blew it.

The last one was actually a bit funny to me. The absentee ballots came in, and the close 400 vote race more than doubled to a 900 vote romp. I'll tell you one thing: there are a lot of invalids and dead people who voted this past Tuesday. Ever see 23% of a candidate's total votes come from absentees before? Me neither, but I lost anyway, and not only because of this, so why complain?

I've spent the past 3 years pounding my head against a wall to change things , but it has been an abject failure. I haven't cracked that nut one bit, and I've only exposed myself to slander and criticism. I'm more concerned with enjoying life now than building a political career. In short, I am done with running for office for the forseeable future. I got a lot of help financially this time, so it's not about the money I spent. I am just really tired, and I have nothing to show for it. It's time to work from behind the scenes and let them take the heat.

The good part is that SC6 will get pretty good now. Less concern about not getting people mad will make it more fun, and more real. Enjoy!

The Big Day........ Here at Last!!

Election Day is finally here, and we've done all we can. The signs are up at all the polling stations, I used every brochure that I had, and we contacted over 90% of the voters on our calls. All I can say is......

"Vote for Mike Reino, and all your wildest dreams will come true."

Sgt. Hartmann Returns to "Motivate " You to Vote Tuesday....

With just a handful of hours left before the polls open, we've brought back out favorite gunnery sergeant, and the Tony Robbins of politics, Sgt. Hartmann.....

sc6: What say you, gunny?
Sgt: What's your name, Sweetheart?

sc6: Uh, that's not important. Word is that there is a good chance of the Republicans sweeping all of the state offices in South Carolina. Why is that?
Sgt: Because we kill every living thing we see!

sc6: Right. Is this the death knell for Democrats in SC?
Sgt: Their days of getting votes from Old Mary Jane Rottencrotch are OVER!!! How tall are you?

sc6: I dunno, maybe 5'8''.
Sgt. I didn't know they stacked s**t that high. You sure you're trying to squeeze an inch on me?

sc6: I might be. Any advice for those thinking of staying home.
Sgt. You are worthless pukes! You are no more than lowlife, scum sucking maggots!! Get the f--- out of my polling station!!!

sc6: Well, I'll end it there. Thanks again, Sgt. Hartmann. By the way, any questions for us?
Sgt: Yeah, did your parents have any kids that lived???

sc6: Thanks again....

GET OUT AND VOTE !!!!!

And Now, a Break From Politics..........

Republican or Democrat, everyone loves puppies!! Don't ask me what breed they are, just enjoy and have a nice day!

One Cent Makes Sense.... And Chickens of Candidates.

I had a post on this months ago, so I won't go into the issue of the State Infrastructure Bank, but I read an advertisement for the penny tax increase. It includes a list of singatures of those who support the tax, and I am listed on it. I spoke of the good and bad aspects of it, but on the whole, Florence County will benefit from it, so I signed it.

The odd part is that the other three candidates for County Council are in favor of it as well, but somehow, their names are absent from it. So much for putting your signature where your mouth is. Sure, I know a lot of people who disagree with the tax, and I respect that. However, it seems to me that if you are in favor of an issue, you will have the guts to show your support, and take the criticism that may come with it. It's a good thing that the men in the room back in 1776 didn't worry about it.

Politics is a funny thing. Just say what everyone wants to hear, even if you can't do it, and don't dare take a stand for anything seems to be the order. It should come as no surprise that I was the ONLY candidate to sign the petition , along with EVERY sitting member of County Council. I hope that the voters look at this and see that candidates need to have specific ideas and stances on issues, not just tag lines and slogans. Two days to go, back to work!!

Will the REAL Al Bradley Please Stand Up .....

Florence County Council Candidate has double knocking on doors for him.

I thought I had seen it all. After all, I did run against Gary McLeod, so I didn't hink it got any stranger than that. However, the insanity going on in this race is unlike anything I've been involved with in politics.

When I was a kid, there was a TV show called "To Tell The Truth". It had three contestants, all claiming to be the same person, and the panelists ( Peggy Cass, Kitty Carlisle and somebody else) would ask the questions, then vote on who they felt was the real person. District 3 needs to have it's own TTTT.

My opponent, Al Bradley, apparently is too busy to knock on doors this campaign season, so he is having someone else do it for him. Normally this might not be a big deal, but the problem is that this guy is telling voters that HE is Al Bradley. How do I this? Because people I know have noticed that the guy who they talked to is not the guy in the newspaper. A friend of mine had Bradley No.2 in his house for at least a half hour. I have seen this man myself when he came by my house during the Primary. He is about the same height as Bradley, but he is darker skinned, and he wears glasses. He is apparently a better talker than Al also. Maybe they should have nominated the other guy.......

Time for more advice: First, Know What House Your Opponent Lives In. If i hadn't seen the guy myself, including his Black Ford Taurus, I probably wouldn't make much out of this. Secondly, Don't Say You Are the Candidate if You Aren't. Next time, try " Hi, I'm ________, and I'm here on behalf of Al Bradley". See... Now you're not a big liar. Easy enough??

Now, between this and the post from a couple weeks ago, is there ANY doubt that this man is not fit to be on Council? He is ethically challenged, paranoid and a little lazy. It's bad enough that the only specific plans he has mentioned is reducing the car tax - 4 months after I did. The last thing Florence County needs is a Councilman who won't add anything and can't handle his campaign professionally. Harry Logan........ does this merit any critiquing yet?

Sanford/T-Rav/Eckstrom Tour Ends When Bus Runs Out of Gas !!!

The Campaign for Fiscal Conservatism came to a sudden halt this afternoon when the bus transporting them ran out of gas, and none of the candidates were willing to pay for filling it back up.

A large crowd gathered outside of Shaw Lumber in Florence, as the three candidates discussed why each of them couldn't pay for the gas. The notoroiously frugal Sanford claimed that his staff took off with his jacket and wallet and were already en route to the next stop. Ravenel had concerns that by paying for the gas, he would be accused of "Buying the Election" by Grady Patterson troll Trav Robertson ( apparently, Patterson does little accusing since his infamous State interview). Meanwhile, Eckstrom simply said, "I've had enough trouble with vans this year, thank you."

At last check, the three were involved in a Paper / Rock / Scissor marathon to settle the dispute. By the way, I'm pretty sure the story about Sanford's jacket is true ! Such is life on the campaign trail.......

The Morning News Is a Good Paper.........FOR ME TO POOP ON !!!

Just kidding.... Or , as Triumph would say, " I kid, I kid". I've been holding this post back a couple weeks on the off chance that I might have had a shot at an endorsement. Well, it was made official today........... and I didn't get it. Que sera! The whole scenario gives you an idea of how little the press knows about the candidates they interview - and maybe how much work I need in getting my message across.

The endorsement is different from other papers, such as The State, where several Editors interview you. The Morning News is solely the decision of editor Harry Logan - and Logan isn't exactly a real big fan of mine. It's kind of a love/hate relationship. Not to make too much out of that, I'll focus on the reasons given.

First off, FMN stated that neither myself, nor my opponent seemed to grasp the importance of countywide zoning or planning. I've been intimately working with zoning and planning for years. I guess that court case with WalMart I've been involved in for the past 3 years doesn't count. Well, the problem is that FMN seems intent on inflicting it's will on the rest of the county. Florence County is not just the city of Florence. Johnsonville, Pamplico and Timmonsville are much more rural areas, and to try to fit that square peg into the round hole is not paying attention to the opinion of the rest of the county. So, right or wrong, I didn't agree, so Strike One.

The other two reasons are funny. The other guy seems to have a better understanding of Economic Development affecting other areas more than I did, according to FMN. I might believe this if the other guy could point directly to anything that he had done that has created a single job. On the other hand, I wrote a tax incentive plan that eventually became the Jobs Creation Act of 2005, and has helped add tens of thousands of jobs. I guess it's not important what you really know, but what game you talk.

Lastly, since the other candidate was on the School Board for three years, he is more experienced with budgets. Does anyone out there NOT work with budgets?? I've been doing budgeting since college. of course, in business, you can't fake a budget shortfall in order to raise the millage. If the Board can show me where they ever actually cut something from the previous year, I'll respect what they do more.

Despite not really saying anything good about me, FMN only gave him a "slight edge" in their endorsement. It did make me realize that I haven't done a great job of showing what I've done to get here, and why I am the better choice. The potential of each of us wasn't taken into account much. The other guy will be an oky councilman - I have the potential to be a GREAT councilman - one who can affect real change in the County. I wasn't expecting to get the endorsement, but you always hope for a suprise. then again, I'd gladly trade a surprise today for a surprise on Tuesday!

Excuse Me While I Blow My Own Horn..... TOOT, TOOT !!

Well, it IS October ! You know, sometimes you have expectations on he campaign trail. Some good and some bad. We've had a gameplan from Day 1, and we've stuck to it with pretty good success. Well, we deviated from it a little tonight, with no expectations, and it turned out to be one of those nights that make you glad you run.

I was told by a member of the African-American community in Florence that my candidacy was being talked about, and that there was a lot of consideration for voting for me, based mostly on the job I do. However, I needed to get out and let them find out about my ideas. I backtracked to attend the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Alumni Meet the Candidates Forum in Florence tonight, and I absolutely KICKED BOOTY !!

My opponent had another event, so he spoke his two minutes and left - and I took the opportunity and ran with it. I was creative, I was positive, I was an innovator, and I spoke to everyone on a common level - all the stuff I usually do wrong! There is one thing we candidates look for when we speak - the up and down headshake. It lets us know that we are making sense, that we are connecting with them - that we might really get their vote. To get that from a group of black sorority sisters is golden, and it was all over the room.

I had answers for everything tonight, ideas for Education that School Board members never thought of, ideas to bridge the gap between council and the community and local groups' benefit. It was a beautiful thing to have people coming up to me afterwards, thanking me for running, and seeing that my cards didn't end up in the trash.

It showed me that there is a lot of common ground between almost all of us, even though our approaches might not exactly meet. If we get that magic 20% of the African - American vote - and we can - than this race can make history. Cross your fingers!!

All Quiet on the SC Democratic Party Front

"Sorry Folks, the Party's closed..... The Jackass outside should've told ya. NYUK, NYUK, NYUK!!"

- Marty Moose, in National Lampoon's Vacation.

Trolling through the SC political blogosphere, I've begun to notice something. The left leaners among us are noticeably absent lately. Don't believe me, take a quick gander, and here's what you'll find:

LaurinLine: The literal Queen of the Blogs, is spending the last weeks of Election Season making improvements to her website. I like the changes already. What once was a blog that you only had an inkling that leaned left, has gotten angry and partisan.

Devinely Southern: Frank? Frank?? FRANK!!!???? The Two peas in a pod post is now two weeks old. I think Frank got stuck in DC, and didn't realize that the Capitol shuts the power off when they leave.

Dems in the South: On hiatus to help Robert Barber. DITS ha spent the past month sweeping up the ashes of Barber's restaurant, and making attack ads on Andre Bauer. Note to staff: make at least one positive ad FIRST before you go negative. It's like making your first single a ballad - you end up looking fruity.

Crack the Bell: Tim is still working , but the bent has gone a bit more National, the only recent post being that Mark Sanford's approval rating might not be correct.... but Tommy Moore is a builder, a product of public skoo's, from a mill town, and........... aw, forget it!

Not Very Bright: NVB is as consistent a blogger as I've seen, and he makes some compelling arguments, but his last post was a few days ago, on a trip to Alaska. I guess Michael Ray Ellisor's numbers are about as good as Gary McLeod's, and not meriting time to hit on Joe Wilson.

Exception: Politics Rocks. Ah, young Michael is coming fast and furious, even if the posts look like this.... Oct.29: KAREN Oct30: FLOYD Oct 31: SUCKS!!

Sanford - Moore Debate on WPDE.... Moore's Evil Twin, Stuttering Tom, Appears !

I have this stray cat that I feed on my porch a couple times a day. This morning after I fed him, I found it regurgitated on the porch, only to disappear later. I imagine the noise he made puking up that Cat Chow sounded a lot like Tommy Moore in tonight's debate.

Mark Sanford has never had a reputation as a great public speaker, but Tommy Moore made him look like Bill Clinton tonight. Moore stuttered and stammered his way through the hour long debate, but I guess it is a little difficult to stay focused when you're telling half truths the whole time. The tired, 'out of touch' attack , even when supported by the disallowed cheering by Moore's RINO buddies in Myrtle Beach, was weak, uninspired and meritless in what was definitely a home game.

My suggestion is for Moore to intern for Howard Stern, where can spend his time making Howard's baked potato, and interviewing B-list stars like Raquel Welch. It's debates like tonight that make you wish it was a law that you have to watch a debate in order to vote.

This Is for Moye....... St. Louis Cardinals - World Series Champs!!!

Dizzy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith and now Albert Pujols.... Congrats, Moye !

Clyburn vs. McLeod 2006: Same as 1994, 96, 98, 02 and 04...............

I can never get enough of this picture of Clyburn and John Kerry. It looks like Kerry is actually massaging the back of Jim's neck. No wonder Gary accused him of being against the Marriage Amendment!

That was about the only interesting exchange from what I read of their 50 millionth debate against each other. I only read coverage from The Sumter Item, and it was pretty standard fare: Clyburn with his Quality of Life issues (mostly for his alma mater and Orangeburg), and Gary referring to everything as Socialism ....... all I can say is Da, Comrade!

This is starting to be like the 5th Season of American Idol or Survivor.... Been there, done that. Nothing is more boring than watching the same train wreck for the 20th time. Here is my question: Who can the GOP recruit to run for Congress in 2008? My gut tells me that this is Clyburn's last go around. He will shoot for a Cabinet position afetr promising to "deliver" SC to someone (like he did for Kerry in 2004?). If not, he'll cash in his two pensions, and scare a few corporations into giving him a board spot.

If I'm right, the seat will be wide open, so the smart thing is to find the right person now, and get them exposure for two years. Throw out some suggestions, and NO, YOU CAN'T SAY ME!! I don't have the cash to make a serious dent. I have an idea or two, but I'll keep them to myself. Cast the net wide, and let's have out own vetting process...

The Meeting of Two Great Blogging Minds: SC6 and Crunchy Republican Cross Paths!

I was on the campaign trail tonight at a Thomas Ravenel function thrown by organizer extraordinaire, Mary Tepper. Mary and Jed's home is fabulous, and they always throw a good party. I worked my way around , and ran into the Queen of Conservative blogging, Sunny Philips herself.
We chatted about various campaigns, and some of which were a bit disappointing. Needless to say, I think we agreed that the two of us are smarter than a couple pros in the business - although Sunny is the only one who actually makes a living in politics!

This Dirty Campaign Tactic Makes Sign Destruction Seem Tame........

Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale... A tale of absolute stupidity, paranoia and outright lies. You think picking on a candidate's driving record or how short her skirts are is hitting below the belt. Well, welcome to a new low - the Florence County Democrat.

It seems that I have been accused of plotting to entrap my opponent by attempting to have a traffic stop set up on him after dinner last Tuesday. You read right - somehow a Phantom Sheriff's deputy and I conspired to have him pulled over on his way home, in an attempt to embarrass him and improve my chances of winning November 7th. As I have been told by the other candidate himself, he was told by a "reliable source" that a member of the Florence County Sheriff's Dept. named "Lt. Dean" were only stopped because the County Sheriff himself found out and put a stop to it. I called Sheriff Kenney Boone personally today, and he has absolutely no knowledge of any of this.

This runaway rumor in the other camp apparently caused them to decide to go for retribution in the form of a smear campaign. Saturday night, flyers were stuff into newspaper boxes and mailboxes ( a $1000 per offense charge) in Lakewood , Windsor Forest and Grove Park subdivisions highlighting an incident I was cleared in earlier this year. I have 136 of them in my possession, and about 400 more ended up in the hands of residents. So, not only has my opponent's camp (directed or otherwise) engaged in dirty politics, they did it based on a complete and total lie from their own side !

Of course , I was only made aware of this after the flyers were planted. In response , I do have a couple questions... First, do you have any control over "your people"? I see teenagers with better ethics than this bunch. Secondly, why did no one call me during the four days between the 'Road Block' incident and the flyer mess? It's the first thing I did when I found out what happened. Initially, I thought this was a independent act of stupidity, but the more I find out, the more doubt I have.

Next, what will be my response? One word.........Nothing. Try and tar me all you want, but I don't play dirty in campaigning. Maybe you thought my famous "bad temper" would make me do something stupid. Maybe you guys in the Democratic Party were expecting less of a campaign, but "my people" and I are better at it than you, we know the issues, and we're a class act. Will we win? Who knows, but there is no doubt that the 6-3 edge in County Council is in serious danger. Thanks for the juice, guys!

A Free Commercial Suggestion for Ralph Norman, or What Should Have Been His First Ad...

Burgersprattster Sprattsterburger Spratt's Penpal

I've been waiting a while to use the Burgermeister pic again! With 17 days til the Election finally ends, the time has come for Ralph Norman to really hit John Spratt , and hit him hard, or else this race is in big trouble. Here is my suggestion..

Spratt has finally ended his negative ads against Norman concerning Immigration. It was a little annoying after a while, but it was effective. First , it caught Norman looking like hypocrite. Note to staff: If you bring up an issue make sure your candidate is squeaky clean on it. It's effectiveness was evidenced when I was waiting at the Drs. office. It was on, and I heard the man next to me mutter the famous line, " Saying one thing and doing another." When an ordinary citizen finishes your commercial, you've got him.

So, where does Ralph go from here? By spinning the tables on Spratt with his newest ad issue: Social Security. I've said from day one, this is where to attack Spratt as an elitist hypocrite. It's easy, and will fit into a 30 second spot well. Millions depend on Social Security, and Democrats like Spratt and Jim Lieburn, uh Clyburn, go out and scare the heebie jeebies out everyone over 60 by making it sound like Congress is gonna play Russian Roulette with their retirement checks on the stock market. A little truth about investing the fund, and about how Spratt makes his money would work wonders.

The fact is , Spratt is loaded. How much? I don't know, but I do know something very important. Every candidate has to file a financial disclosure statement. I remember because mine had a slew of zero's..Among it are their stockholdings. Spratt's stock portfolio has somewhere between $1.6 and 8.8 Million !! If the stock market is so risky, why is Spratt invested up to his neck in it?? Because he likes taking chances? No, it's because it makes him money, like it would for his constituents. John Spratt isn't depending on Social Security when he retires - he's got a pension, he's loaded and God Bless him. I'm a Republican, I don't hate people for their wealth.

From Norman's end, it's a can't lose, which is better than some of his other tactics have done. What's the worst that could happen? They find out he has stocks and he supports it for the voters too? Spratt brought it up, now it's time to make him sorry he did. Here's what I see.......

It's a Fact. By 2017, the money going into the Social Security Trust Fund will be less than the money spent, and by 2041, it will be gone. It's also a fact that John Spratt doesn't want to invest the fund in bonds that would earn more money and literally save the Fund . It's kind of odd, considering that Spratt has millions of his own money invested in the Stock Market. Why is it good enough for him, and not good enough for YOU?? Who's Saying One Thing and doing another NOW , John? Vote for Ralph Norman.

I love this stuff!

It's 1968 All Over Again! War, Mike Reino and the Tigers and Cards in the Series....

Here's my World Series pick: Tigers in five.

How to Chase Al Sharpton From Your Town... Two Words - Tawana Brawley!

Without a doubt, this week's most ridiculous story is the one about Chris Rock's Mom getting dissed at the Cracker Barrel in Murrell's Inlet back in May. Not one to miss a photo op (legitimate or not), Rev. Al Sharpton was on hand to blow some hot air on the subject. Of course, if Al wasn't at an adjoining table, I'm not interested in his opinion.

Denny's used to be the place famous for ignoring minorities , but the new target seems to be Cracker(?) Barrel. There is one major flaw in this theory, and i'll get to it later. For those of you not familiar with the story, Chris Rock's mom went to the Barrel O' Crackers , and after getting a table, she was not served or given a menu for 30 minutes. The manager seemed to do his best to make it up to her , offering her the meal for free. Even though Mrs. Rock refused, a gift basket was sent to her later - indicating that she let them know who she was. Well, a mere 5 months later, Mrs. Rock made the long trek from Andrews to Murrell's Inlet to lay the smackdown on Cracker Barrel, with Rev. Al in tow.

If Al is trying to portray Cracker Barrel as a den of rednecks openly discriminating against African Americans, he's got a steep climb ahead. You see, Cracker Barrel discriminates against everyone, because EVERYONE waits at the Barrel!! Has anyone ever gotten into that place without waiting an hour an a half, wandering aimlessly through the Country Store, checking out twenty types of pecan logs. Getting your name called there to eat is like getting paroled or hitting the lottery. Those poor waitresses are serving a non-stop crowd of people who have waited an eternity to just sit, they're bound to miss someone. Mistakes happen. When I go to the doctor, and I get to the waiting room, I know I'm gonna be there a while. So what do I do? I take a nap. I think someone overreacted that day.

My one question is: Where is Chris during all this?? I can picture a 5 minute skit on this on HBO sometime soon. My real hope is that this goes away fast.

Tommy Moore's $500 Million Lie............

Oh wait, that's Bill Parcells... Must have mixed them up in my files. We are now in full swing for the TV ads. Some are good, some are iffy, and then there is The Big Tuna's big lie - $500 Million dollars worth.......

Last year, we exposed the hypocrisy of the supposed "Budget Cuts" to Medicare - where a 7.4% budget increase was described by Democrats as a cut. Now Tommy Moore is graspign at straws with his attack on Mark Sanford's record on education.

Education funding is alot like the half glass of water. Some focus on how much is there, and others focus on what isn't there - then blame others for it, when they themselves have more to do with it than the one they are blaming. Back in the 70's - when Tommy Moore first took his seat in the Senate, the Legislature decided to set a concrete level for the state to fund education at, one that is still used today. For about the first 25 years, the Legislature and Senate - of which Moore is a major cog of - ignored that level.

After realizing that poor education leads to an inability to recruit companies, thereby making unemployment higher, a poor quality of life and higher crime, South Carolina did something about it. Those who say that the State needed to reach that set mark established in the Days of Disco , Lava Lamps and neon Led Zeppelin posters. In three short years, we escaped the deficit trap that kept us from funding education "fully", and that was done with Mark Sanford as Governor. It might seem kinda hard to criticize a record like that, but Tommy Moore's twisted logic has found it..

Moore accuses Sanford of "cutting' the gap between the old benchmark and what was funded, even though funding increased every year, up to the point this year when the amount funded reached the mark for the FIRST TIME EVER ! Sorry Tuna, but when you spend more on something than the year before, it is not a cut.

Here's the funny part. When taking into consideration who has been in Columbia for how long, who is REALLY more responsible for the education cuts? Should we blame Sanford , who's been there three years, or Moore, who 's been there for 28 years!! Tommy, if it's gonna take you 28 years to solve any other problems in SC, I'll pass.

Hey, Who Had the Cameras Running??

It seems that someone from the Morning News was at the debate three weeks ago!
Cameras were running for all the candidates. Luckily, I didn't see it. Want to see me and all the other local candidates? Click onto www.scnow.com and click onto Election 2006, or on the Morning News icon at SC hotline.

Florence Area Candidates Gather at Ebenezer Park..

SC House Seat 63 candidate Kris Crawford had a cookout Saturday at Ebenezer Park in Florence. A crowd of about 200 came out to eat, chat and see The Plaids. Among the guests were US House District 5 candidate Ralph Norman, along with signs for Andre Bauer, Thomas Ravenel and those hard to find Sanford signs. Money was also raised for breast cancer research.

It was a good time, and we all got an opportunity to make new friends, talk issues, and get some signs in yards. Thanks to Kris, Becca and his army of Red Smurfs for the invite.

Fake News Alert: Kanye West Named UN Ambassador for North Korea....

Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has upped the ante in his conflict with President George Bush. Kim announced that he has pulled his Ambassador from the United Nations - and replaced him with Hip-Hop star Kanye West.

" Sure, his Korean isn't so great, but the guy is a star, and he gets under Bush's skin like nobody I know - he's my dog!" quoted Il. West was slightly less enthusiastic: "I'll tell you, I don't understand a word the guy said, and my knowledge of International Diplomacy is weak. what am I supposed to say? George Bush doesn't care about........ Koreans?? But hey, the check cleared, so I gotta represent."

Premier Il was undaunted nonetheless.... "C'mon! Think of all the cool raps he can make up with my name: I'm Kim jong Illin', If Bush Be Willin', He'll get his Fillin', of Kim Jong Killin'.... Pretty Phat, don't you think?" West had no comment on Il's rapping abilities, or of any musical collaboration wiith him.

This does further heighten tensions between the US and North Korea, but Kim seemed rather flippant about his recent nuclear testing. "It wasn't REALLY a nuclear device..... those ICBM's were really two sticks of dynamite tied to a Roman Candle." And the underground detonation?? "Let's just say lighting a cigarette in an underground bathroom is a bad idea."

Reino For County Council Signs are In !!

Yes, Reino for County Council Signs are now available for yards all across District 3. They are great way to show your support for lower taxes and true represenattion of your neighborhood. If you want one ( or a few more for your friends), e-mail me at reino2004@msn.com

Voice of the Voter: What Really Matters...

In today's Florence Morning News, they released the results of their Voice of the Voter survey. Here are the results:

Local Issues:

1. School Quality

2. Taxes

3. Jobs

4. Managing Growth/ Crime (tie)

6. Parks and Recreation/ Environment.

State Issues:

1. Protecting Children from Sexual Predators

2. Health Care

3. Unemployment

4. Tax Reform

5. Credit Rating/ School Choice (tie)

National Issues:

1. War in Iraq

2. Economy/ Homeland Security (tie)

4. Gas Prices

5. Social Security/ Immigration/ Gay Marriage (tie)

8. Jobs

Well, the people have spoken. Are some issues in the wrong categories? Are some not controllable by elected officials? Comments?

The Baseball Playoffs Are Here....Who Am I Rooting For?

Angry? Me?????

Give a moment or two to the angry young man,
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand.
He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood,
It's a comfort to know his intentions are good.
And he sits in a room with a lock on the door,
With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man

- "The Angry Young Man" by Billy Joel.

Okay, maybe it's time for a little explaining of things. SC6 is not an official website of my campaign. Originally, I did it anonymously, but I was accidentally outed last year. It is essentially a forum for me to express my views on topics - not just political. If I want to chat about football or music or a date I had, this is where it will be. In short, if some of you are looking at SC6 expecting me to talk only about issues pertaining to my county council race, you will be disappointed. I use this to entertain you, but mainly to entertain myself.

Now, onto other things... Somewhere along the line, I've been labeled as a negative, angry person. It's not the first time that I've heard this. Heck, even the lady I've been dating told me that to a certain extent. So, is this assertion correct? No and maybe. After all, how we are viewed is how we are, right? Perception may be reality in politics, but that doesn't make it fact.

I've never had an easy road in politics. This is my second race , and both are seats held by African-Americans. Let's face it , if this were an easy seat to win, someone else would be running for it. I take the hard jobs, because losing is not a big deal to me. The goal is to discuss issues, expose hypocrisies, and end up with a more honest government . If I were satisfied with the job a person was doing, I wouldn't be running - hence, the criticisms. A battery runs on both positive and negative, and there is a lot of negative to run off of in Florence.

Does this make me angry? Not at all... If all we want is someone to blow smoke and make empty promises, be my guest and vote for the other guy - we'll figure out how to pay for it later. I will not lie or promise to get elected, and I sure will not down my family to get sympathy. During the summer, I was attacked from all sides, and I took the high road and just waited for the truth to come out. Having the media report that with as much gusto as they did in attacking me would've been nice, but that is how it goes. So, maybe a little anger is justified....I am what I am - a real person without a front or pretense of any kind.

Maybe if I were a better public speaker, I'd be viewed in a better light. When I get on Council, my strengths will come out: Right now, there is a huge split in Council. Most decisions are made based on who isn't there, and doing an end around in Executive Session. A centrist member whose focus is on what is best for the citizens is sorely needed. Sorry, I have zero tolerance for doubletalk and misrepresntation, so if that makes me angry, then I'm guilty. It's just too bad that it doesn't anger everyone.

I'll work on a kinder, gentler Mike Reino, faults and all...

Santee Inland Port: Back to the Drawing Board , Gang!

Orangeburg County has been kicking this Inland port idea around for awhile, and a plan has finally been presented by CaroLinks, the developer in charge of this project. I've been waiting for this to come out before making a decision, in the hope that the people making this project were a lot smarter than I am.. that they had a magic bullet to actually come up with a sensible, ecenomically sound plan that would satisfy everyone. Well, they're not smarter than you or me I guess. This plan seems to inconvenience even more people, and make the cost of doing business at the port even more costly.

The plan for the original inland port was to still begin at the existing Port of Charleston, where a connector to I-26 or a railway would be built to transport cargo up to the area at I-95 and 301. This might be a good time to mention again that, like Jumbo Shrimp, Inland port is an oxymoron - with emphasis on moron. With every transfer of cargo, additional costs are incurred. So, cargo that ends up in Orangeburg has higher costs than those that come from the Port of Charleston. Costs aside, the port in this form would bring business to an area that depends way too much on the federal government for support. Too bad this isn't the plan...

I refer to the map above. See the blue stuff? That's Lake Marion. Yep, CaroLinks has decided that the best course is to unload at the Wando Terminal instead. From there, they will unload the cargo onto barges and ships the size of European tugboats (whatever those are), where they will unload(again) in Santee. Then they will transport the cargo over Hwy 6 to a distribution center near Hwy 15, where they will be transferred (again) to trucks , and sent to the Main Facility at the US 301/ I-95 Interchange. The rebuilding of the new exit will be $40 million. The Main Facility isn't exactly around the corner from the unloading area either. It will be a 25 mile transport down 301. Doesn't exactly sound like an efficient business plan, does it?

At the same time, it drives a nail right through the heart of Santee's main asset. Tourism. Does anyone want to fish next to a barge, or buy a house and watch the cargo ships go by? I doubt it. Santee has spent decades building it's reputation as a sportsmen's paradise, but if this plan goes through, forget about it. CaroLinks isn't concerned about the lake, and Orangeburg Economic Development wants everyone who is interested to come there. So who is there to stop this plan? Not anyone, really. I wouldn't put pressure on Governor Sanford to block a plan that may help an economically distressed area, but it can be altered.

It doesn't make much sense to buils a port 25 miles south of the lake, then make the path to it go north of the lake. If the connnector to I-26 that was originally planned can be done , it would seem to make the port a fiscally more sensible plan. But sense is not always an overriding factor in the decisions. For the sake of business owners in Santee, and the people who have hundreds of thousands of their money invested in homes on Lake Marion, let's hope so.

This Man Is Why the Democrats May Never Take Back the Senate......

Wake up, Harry! I wonder what he was thinking about when this pic was taken... Please leave you thoughts in comments. If you had any doubt that Harry Reid is the wrong man to lead the Democrats, this week proved it. While the GOP is led by a W., the Dems have their own W, and that stands for WIMP.

After months of wrangling between the Bush Administration and a few GOP Senators (namely John McCain and Lindsey Graham), they finally reached a mutual pact that will address the long overdue issue of detainee treatment of terrorists. What did Harry Reid do? He whined, and he complained, all for the sake of politics.

For years, there has been an outcry from the Democratic leadership to come up with a specific plan for treating the suspected terrorists being held in Guantanamo and elsewhere. While they may like for them to be treated according to the Geneva Convention, the fact is they are not an organized nation or Republic, so they do not deserve to be treated as such. Reid's big problem is that the Supreme Court will knock it down in a few years. I'll trade that possibility for proactively attacking terrorists in the meantime. Yes, the Republicans saw November coming, got down to business and compromised. That is politics, but at least it's politics aimed towards a positive direction - defeating terrorism. Politics that hurts our security at home and abroad is defeatist and un-American.

Perhaps we would take the Democrats more seriously if they were led by someone who has some gravitas - or huevos, whichever you prefer. Dingy Harry has no force behind any of his messages, delivered in that nasaly, high pitched tone. It's bad enough to preach a message of defeatism (I mean redeployment) and concession, but at least counter that message by having a tone of strength. The Democrats were better off with Tom Daschle, or maybe Nevada can hire the guy who played the Senator in The Godfather II. Those would be a step up.

If I have learned one thing, it's that the message isn't always as important as the messenger. It's no wonder the Dems aren't raising money when they are led by Harry Milquetoast.. So here's to another couple more years of Republican majority in the Senate.