The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that the city of Greenville, SC is within the law in enacting a smoking ban. The Greenville ordinance had been challenged by a group of business owners in the city.
At least a dozen other towns and cities in South Carolina were awaiting word from the state Supreme Court before enacting proposed smoking bans.
It appears that what was once a bastion of individual rights has become a mecca for the meddling nanny-state gestapo. Rather than rule that the decision to smoke is an individual one that is no one else's business, not to mention that business owners should be allowed to decide on their own whether or not to allow smoking on their own private property, the Supreme Court in the state threw its weight behind the purveyors of the Big Brother Nanny State who seem to believe they have the right to tell other people what to do.
Government in the United States was not established to save people from themselves nor to force people to do things 'for their own good.'
Apparently neither the citizens nor the Supreme Court in South Carolina are even vaguely aware of this concept.
I would have expected such a ruling in California or Massachusetts, but not South Carolina.
Thus, the march to beat individual rights into the ground continues....
Sieg Heil!
Showing posts with label South Carolina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Carolina. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Friday, December 07, 2007
Thompson Scores a Big Hit in S.C. Visit
Shown below: Fred and Jeri Thompson
GOP Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson campaigned in South Carolina this week in a series of stops in crucial Republican strongholds. The candidate visited the Greenville-Spartanburg-Greer area, Anderson, Pickens, and Lexington.
During the campaign swing Mr. Thompson granted interviews with local network television affiliates, such as WSPA-TV channel 7 in Spartanburg, the area's only CBS-affiliate. He also spoke with reporters and citizens at the famous Wade's Restaurant in Spartanburg, where Thompson castigated the government's attempt to tell people what to eat, while he munched down on Wade's delicious fried chicken.
Thompson was a big hit in Greer, where he stopped in at a local gun shop, the Blue Ridge Shooting Sports store. The candidate tested out some shotguns and stated that of late he has been more into shotguns than anything else.
As Thompson tested out some beauties, he stated, 'It's great to be in a place where people believe in the Constitution and ALL of its amendments.'
One local resident stated that she is a big fan of Thompson not only due to his stance on guns but because he has had a consistent record on immigration and abortion.
The candidate also got some good news that the latest polls show that the statistical dead-heat between Thompson, Giuliani, and Romney is holding firm.
However, one little-known but highly important state-wide poll shows that Thompson has pulled out into a two-point lead over Giuliani and Romney. That particular poll also indicates an erosion of support for both Giuliani and Romney in the state, which has worked to Thompson's benefit.
Another beneficiary has been Mike Huckabee, who nonetheless still lags behind the three front-runners.
In his prepared remarks Mr. Thompson stated that he expects good news from the Supreme Court on D.C. vs. Heller and that Democrats have backed themselves into a corner for attempting to portray the Second Amendment as a collective right only.
'I think now they see that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right,' he said.
Mr. Thompson also stated that the federal government will have little impact on the school dropout rate, because the issue is local, familial, and social.
On immigration the candidate said that illegal immigration can be controlled by securing the border, requiring employers to check for status, and cutting off federal funds for sanctuary cities.
Thompson wrapped up his visit to South Carolina late Wednesday. Early reports indicate that this campaign swing was successful in helping the candidate pick up more support among the GOP faithful.
GOP Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson campaigned in South Carolina this week in a series of stops in crucial Republican strongholds. The candidate visited the Greenville-Spartanburg-Greer area, Anderson, Pickens, and Lexington.
During the campaign swing Mr. Thompson granted interviews with local network television affiliates, such as WSPA-TV channel 7 in Spartanburg, the area's only CBS-affiliate. He also spoke with reporters and citizens at the famous Wade's Restaurant in Spartanburg, where Thompson castigated the government's attempt to tell people what to eat, while he munched down on Wade's delicious fried chicken.
Thompson was a big hit in Greer, where he stopped in at a local gun shop, the Blue Ridge Shooting Sports store. The candidate tested out some shotguns and stated that of late he has been more into shotguns than anything else.
As Thompson tested out some beauties, he stated, 'It's great to be in a place where people believe in the Constitution and ALL of its amendments.'
One local resident stated that she is a big fan of Thompson not only due to his stance on guns but because he has had a consistent record on immigration and abortion.
The candidate also got some good news that the latest polls show that the statistical dead-heat between Thompson, Giuliani, and Romney is holding firm.
However, one little-known but highly important state-wide poll shows that Thompson has pulled out into a two-point lead over Giuliani and Romney. That particular poll also indicates an erosion of support for both Giuliani and Romney in the state, which has worked to Thompson's benefit.
Another beneficiary has been Mike Huckabee, who nonetheless still lags behind the three front-runners.
In his prepared remarks Mr. Thompson stated that he expects good news from the Supreme Court on D.C. vs. Heller and that Democrats have backed themselves into a corner for attempting to portray the Second Amendment as a collective right only.
'I think now they see that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right,' he said.
Mr. Thompson also stated that the federal government will have little impact on the school dropout rate, because the issue is local, familial, and social.
On immigration the candidate said that illegal immigration can be controlled by securing the border, requiring employers to check for status, and cutting off federal funds for sanctuary cities.
Thompson wrapped up his visit to South Carolina late Wednesday. Early reports indicate that this campaign swing was successful in helping the candidate pick up more support among the GOP faithful.
Monday, July 30, 2007
South Carolina and the Presidency
South Carolina normally would not be considered a powerhouse in national politics--a least not in terms of perception. That is about to change.
The state will host one of the earliest primaries in the nation in 2008, and thus, candidates in both Parties have already been frequent visitors to the Palmetto state.
Sensing that the state is crucial in garnering the required number of delegate votes at the political Conventions, candidates are not leaving anything to chance. Republican Duncan Hunter announced his Presidential bid here. Ron Paul has been here twice. So have Hillary and Obama.
Yet South Carolina is actually more crucial to the Republican candidates than that of the Democrats. The state is now thoroughly Republican. Both of its U.S. Senators are Republicans. So is the Governor. The state legislature is controlled by Republicans.
Thus, this is a test state for the Republicans. Whoever wins here will more than likely win the Party's nomination for the White House.
Although S.C.'s U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint belong to the same Party, the two are actually as different as night and day. Graham is solidly behind McCain and has been rumored to be a potential running mate for the Arizona Senator, should he win the nomination.
Graham has also created some enemies for himself among the Party faithful here, with his front-lines support of the McCain-Ted Kennedy-George Bush immigration amnesty plan.
Rumors are that the Senator may be in trouble during his next re-election campaign, and he already has some opposition from two Republican candidates who are intent on wresting the nomination away from Graham.
Jim DeMint, on the other hand, has become a favorite of the Party faithful in S.C. with his staunch opposition to the amnesty bill that Graham supported. DeMint also supports Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination, although his backing has not helped the candidate move to the top of the pack.
Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani have strong support in the state, but polls have shown that South Carolina will probably go to Fred Thompson, assuming that Thompson will declare his candidacy.
On the Democratic side, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have shown solid support among Democrats in the state. Despite John Edwards' strong ties here and his upbringing in neighboring North Carolina, he has not been able to create very much excitement for his campaign.
In all likelihood, the candidates who win South Carolina will be their Party's nominee for the Presidency. At this point it would appear that those candidates will be Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton.
And thus, South Carolina will have a large hand in choosing the next President.
The state will host one of the earliest primaries in the nation in 2008, and thus, candidates in both Parties have already been frequent visitors to the Palmetto state.
Sensing that the state is crucial in garnering the required number of delegate votes at the political Conventions, candidates are not leaving anything to chance. Republican Duncan Hunter announced his Presidential bid here. Ron Paul has been here twice. So have Hillary and Obama.
Yet South Carolina is actually more crucial to the Republican candidates than that of the Democrats. The state is now thoroughly Republican. Both of its U.S. Senators are Republicans. So is the Governor. The state legislature is controlled by Republicans.
Thus, this is a test state for the Republicans. Whoever wins here will more than likely win the Party's nomination for the White House.
Although S.C.'s U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint belong to the same Party, the two are actually as different as night and day. Graham is solidly behind McCain and has been rumored to be a potential running mate for the Arizona Senator, should he win the nomination.
Graham has also created some enemies for himself among the Party faithful here, with his front-lines support of the McCain-Ted Kennedy-George Bush immigration amnesty plan.
Rumors are that the Senator may be in trouble during his next re-election campaign, and he already has some opposition from two Republican candidates who are intent on wresting the nomination away from Graham.
Jim DeMint, on the other hand, has become a favorite of the Party faithful in S.C. with his staunch opposition to the amnesty bill that Graham supported. DeMint also supports Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination, although his backing has not helped the candidate move to the top of the pack.
Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani have strong support in the state, but polls have shown that South Carolina will probably go to Fred Thompson, assuming that Thompson will declare his candidacy.
On the Democratic side, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have shown solid support among Democrats in the state. Despite John Edwards' strong ties here and his upbringing in neighboring North Carolina, he has not been able to create very much excitement for his campaign.
In all likelihood, the candidates who win South Carolina will be their Party's nominee for the Presidency. At this point it would appear that those candidates will be Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton.
And thus, South Carolina will have a large hand in choosing the next President.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
SOUTH CAROLINA'S RAGE TOWARD LINDSEY GRAHAM
Columbia, SC (TLS). Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, finds himself in deep political trouble in his home state of South Carolina. Graham raised the ire of the Republican base when he helped broker the present 'immigration compromise bill' that is supported by Ted Kennedy, John McCain, and President Bush.
The fact that Graham supports John McCain in his Republican Presidential nomination bid is increasingly viewed as an albatross hanging around the Senator's neck.
With McCain losing support among the Party faithful, and with the Kennedy-McCain-Bush immigration bill viewed by most as an amnesty program for illegal workers, Republicans in South Carolina have begun to turn their rage toward Graham.
A grassroots coalition has sprung up within the state that is seeking to rescind Graham's election to the Senate. In short, they want to immediately remove him from office.
By overwhelming majorities South Carolinians want secured borders, immigration limitation and control, and a commitment on the part of elected officials to uphold and enforce the immigration laws that are already on the books.
Graham is increasingly viewed as someone who does not share the views of the majority of the people in his state.
The Liberty Sphere believes that the Senator is in deep trouble politically. If he survives the move to have him removed from office, he has an election to face next year. With opposition mounting, it is looking doubtful that Graham could win another term.
South Carolina's other Senator, Jim DeMint, another Republican, has been solidifying his popularity in the state by his steadfast opposition to the immigration bill. When South Carolina voters compare the two, given DeMint's more compatible views with the majority of the state's electorate, Graham comes out looking like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.
It will be interesting to see just how strongly the ill winds toward Graham are blowing in South Carolina.
The fact that Graham supports John McCain in his Republican Presidential nomination bid is increasingly viewed as an albatross hanging around the Senator's neck.
With McCain losing support among the Party faithful, and with the Kennedy-McCain-Bush immigration bill viewed by most as an amnesty program for illegal workers, Republicans in South Carolina have begun to turn their rage toward Graham.
A grassroots coalition has sprung up within the state that is seeking to rescind Graham's election to the Senate. In short, they want to immediately remove him from office.
By overwhelming majorities South Carolinians want secured borders, immigration limitation and control, and a commitment on the part of elected officials to uphold and enforce the immigration laws that are already on the books.
Graham is increasingly viewed as someone who does not share the views of the majority of the people in his state.
The Liberty Sphere believes that the Senator is in deep trouble politically. If he survives the move to have him removed from office, he has an election to face next year. With opposition mounting, it is looking doubtful that Graham could win another term.
South Carolina's other Senator, Jim DeMint, another Republican, has been solidifying his popularity in the state by his steadfast opposition to the immigration bill. When South Carolina voters compare the two, given DeMint's more compatible views with the majority of the state's electorate, Graham comes out looking like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.
It will be interesting to see just how strongly the ill winds toward Graham are blowing in South Carolina.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Female Teacher-Male Student Sex Scandals
Washington, DC (TLS). The state of South Carolina has been shell-shocked in recent weeks by two high-profile sex scandals involving female teachers/school officials and under-age male students. The first of these incidents involved Ware Shoals High School in the small town of Ware Shoals, S.C., where a cheerleader coach by the name of Jill Moore was charged with giving alcohol to minors, contributing to the delinquency of minors, and taking 16-year-old female students with her for sexual trysts at local motels with two National Guardsmen. The second incident occurred last week when a middle school teacher in Clinton, S.C. by the name of Allena Williams Ward was charged with sexual activity with 14 and 15-year-old-boys.
Both of these incidents made international news.
In addition, both of these incidents occurred in small, religiously-oriented rural towns in the South--something that is normally not expected in the Bible belt. The town of Clinton is home to the prestigious Presbyterian College, which is a small, liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Ware Shoals is even smaller, having at one time been a thriving textile mill village in the days when cotton was king in the South. Religion was the centerpiece of these small towns and villages, and to this day they continue to be strongholds of Christian evangelicalism and conservative Republican politics.
So what's going on here? Why the seemingly sudden rash of sexual scandals involving female teachers and their students?
The phenomenon is not unique to the South but is nation-wide. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, news reports have increasingly focused upon high-profile cases of liaisons between female teachers and young male students. Several of these resulted in prison sentences for the teachers involved. At least two resulted in pregnancies. One of these cases involved not only a pregnancy but an eventual marriage when the teacher was released from prison and when the student became an adult.
Further, a shocking U.S. Department of Education study issued in June of 2004 stated that at least 20% of male students had reported either verbal or physical sexual misconduct by female teachers.
Several theories have been postulated as to the reasons for these occurrences. My own gut feeling is that the lax mores of modern society leave it vulnerable to these kinds of inappropriate, and sometimes criminal, behaviors. The waning influence of religion and moral values is certainly a core factor.
However, the problem is much more complicated than that. As a special report issued in 2005 by U.S.A. Today indicates, these troubling cases can be laid at the feet of mental and emotional instability, pathological insecurity. a terribly deficient self-image, personality disorders, as well as a family history of sexual, emotional, verbal, and physical abuse. Most of the female perpetrators were being treated for depression and anxiety at the time of their arrest.
It should be pointed out that the vast majority of women who receive treatment for depression and anxiety are NOT involved in sexual activity with minors. However, these two disorders when added to a personality/developmental disorder, plus a history of abuse, can add up to a dangerous mixture that leads unstable persons to pursue intimate encounters with under-age persons--persons who reflect the emotional age of the adult perpetrator.
Thus, a 35-year-old teacher who is involved with a 15 year old boy may actually be only 15 years-old in emotional terms. She never matured emotionally to the point that she can have satisfying sexual relations with other adults.
The Liberty Sphere wishes in no way to provide an excuse for any adult who initiates sexual liaisons with under-age persons. The explanations postulated above are merely attempts to explain and understand the bizarre.
For the complete text of the U.S.A. Today special report on this subject in 2005, click here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-11-29-women-sex-crimes_x.htm
Both of these incidents made international news.
In addition, both of these incidents occurred in small, religiously-oriented rural towns in the South--something that is normally not expected in the Bible belt. The town of Clinton is home to the prestigious Presbyterian College, which is a small, liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Ware Shoals is even smaller, having at one time been a thriving textile mill village in the days when cotton was king in the South. Religion was the centerpiece of these small towns and villages, and to this day they continue to be strongholds of Christian evangelicalism and conservative Republican politics.
So what's going on here? Why the seemingly sudden rash of sexual scandals involving female teachers and their students?
The phenomenon is not unique to the South but is nation-wide. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, news reports have increasingly focused upon high-profile cases of liaisons between female teachers and young male students. Several of these resulted in prison sentences for the teachers involved. At least two resulted in pregnancies. One of these cases involved not only a pregnancy but an eventual marriage when the teacher was released from prison and when the student became an adult.
Further, a shocking U.S. Department of Education study issued in June of 2004 stated that at least 20% of male students had reported either verbal or physical sexual misconduct by female teachers.
Several theories have been postulated as to the reasons for these occurrences. My own gut feeling is that the lax mores of modern society leave it vulnerable to these kinds of inappropriate, and sometimes criminal, behaviors. The waning influence of religion and moral values is certainly a core factor.
However, the problem is much more complicated than that. As a special report issued in 2005 by U.S.A. Today indicates, these troubling cases can be laid at the feet of mental and emotional instability, pathological insecurity. a terribly deficient self-image, personality disorders, as well as a family history of sexual, emotional, verbal, and physical abuse. Most of the female perpetrators were being treated for depression and anxiety at the time of their arrest.
It should be pointed out that the vast majority of women who receive treatment for depression and anxiety are NOT involved in sexual activity with minors. However, these two disorders when added to a personality/developmental disorder, plus a history of abuse, can add up to a dangerous mixture that leads unstable persons to pursue intimate encounters with under-age persons--persons who reflect the emotional age of the adult perpetrator.
Thus, a 35-year-old teacher who is involved with a 15 year old boy may actually be only 15 years-old in emotional terms. She never matured emotionally to the point that she can have satisfying sexual relations with other adults.
The Liberty Sphere wishes in no way to provide an excuse for any adult who initiates sexual liaisons with under-age persons. The explanations postulated above are merely attempts to explain and understand the bizarre.
For the complete text of the U.S.A. Today special report on this subject in 2005, click here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-11-29-women-sex-crimes_x.htm
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Surprise! Hunter 3rd in Important Straw Poll
Washington, DC (TLS). South Carolina has become an extremely important destination for candidates in both Parties this year, as Party leaders designated the early South Carolina primary as a pivotal first test that could make or break a candidate. The state has received multiple visits from Republican and Democrat presidential candidates such as Duncan Hunter, R-CA, John McCain, R-AZ, Rudy Giuliani, R-NY, Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, Barack Hussein Obama, D-Ill., and Chris Dodd, D-CT.
A dark horse candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination is well on his way to receiving a major boost from this week's straw poll of the Spartanburg County Republican Party. U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, has emerged from the back of the pack to take third place in the important Republican straw poll.
Only a few months ago pundits had totally written off the candidacy of Duncan Hunter as a long-shot at best. Lacking in the name recognition and campaign funds of front runners Giuliani and McCain, Hunter was viewed as hardly a blip on the radar screen.
Hunter's sudden rise to the top three in the Republican race has raised eyebrows among the Party elite and enlivened the hopes of conservatives who feared that there would be no one in the race to represent them in either Party. As we have reported previously on The Liberty Sphere, Duncan Hunter has resonated with the voters in the upstate of South Carolina.
As a conservative Republican stronghold, the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina is beginning to embrace the message of Duncan Hunter, who speaks of peace through strength, the sanctity of human life, including the unborn, the need for a secure border and tough immigration reform, fair trade with countries such as China which have used the millions we send their way to oppose us, and low taxes. These 'Reagan Ideals' appeal to a broad cross-section of voters in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, who still consider President Ronald Reagan as perhaps the best U.S. President of the 20th century.
Hunter was first elected to Congress during the 'Reagan Revolution' in 1980, when Reagan trounced Jimmy Carter in a landslide and swept dozens of conservative Senators and Congressmen into office with him. Reagan turned right around the did the same thing in 1984, pummeling Walter Mondale in one of the largest landslides in the history of American politics.
Since that time, Duncan Hunter has not wavered from his conservative values.
While Hunter at this point stands in third place in the Spartanburg County Straw Poll, the count is not over. Bad weather in the area Thursday and Friday forced a cancellation of the vote count before all precincts were counted. The remaining 10 precincts will be counted next week.
Here are the results of the straw poll so far, with 81 out of 92 precincts counted:
John McCain--164
Rudy Giuliani--162
Duncan Hunter--158
Sam Brownback--85
Mitt Romney--80
Newt Gingrich--33
Mike Huckabee--21
Tom Tancredo--10
John Cox--4
Ron Paul--4
Condoleeza Rice--2
Several candidates tied with one vote.
As you can see by the results, Duncan Hunter is now competitive with both Giuliani and McCain, in spite of the previous lack of name recognition and the lack of a deep war chest of campaign donations. This will most definitely change.
The Liberty Sphere was impressed early-on with Duncan Hunter. He is one of the very few in either the U.S. House or Senate that has received a perfect grade of A+ from Gun Owners of America, which rates candidates and politicians based upon their support for Second Amendment rights.
We are pleased to see Mr. Hunter come from behind and move into a position of prominence. As we have said before, Hunter may well be THE candidate around whom conservatives and 'Reagan Democrats' can rally.
A dark horse candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination is well on his way to receiving a major boost from this week's straw poll of the Spartanburg County Republican Party. U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, has emerged from the back of the pack to take third place in the important Republican straw poll.
Only a few months ago pundits had totally written off the candidacy of Duncan Hunter as a long-shot at best. Lacking in the name recognition and campaign funds of front runners Giuliani and McCain, Hunter was viewed as hardly a blip on the radar screen.
Hunter's sudden rise to the top three in the Republican race has raised eyebrows among the Party elite and enlivened the hopes of conservatives who feared that there would be no one in the race to represent them in either Party. As we have reported previously on The Liberty Sphere, Duncan Hunter has resonated with the voters in the upstate of South Carolina.
As a conservative Republican stronghold, the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina is beginning to embrace the message of Duncan Hunter, who speaks of peace through strength, the sanctity of human life, including the unborn, the need for a secure border and tough immigration reform, fair trade with countries such as China which have used the millions we send their way to oppose us, and low taxes. These 'Reagan Ideals' appeal to a broad cross-section of voters in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, who still consider President Ronald Reagan as perhaps the best U.S. President of the 20th century.
Hunter was first elected to Congress during the 'Reagan Revolution' in 1980, when Reagan trounced Jimmy Carter in a landslide and swept dozens of conservative Senators and Congressmen into office with him. Reagan turned right around the did the same thing in 1984, pummeling Walter Mondale in one of the largest landslides in the history of American politics.
Since that time, Duncan Hunter has not wavered from his conservative values.
While Hunter at this point stands in third place in the Spartanburg County Straw Poll, the count is not over. Bad weather in the area Thursday and Friday forced a cancellation of the vote count before all precincts were counted. The remaining 10 precincts will be counted next week.
Here are the results of the straw poll so far, with 81 out of 92 precincts counted:
John McCain--164
Rudy Giuliani--162
Duncan Hunter--158
Sam Brownback--85
Mitt Romney--80
Newt Gingrich--33
Mike Huckabee--21
Tom Tancredo--10
John Cox--4
Ron Paul--4
Condoleeza Rice--2
Several candidates tied with one vote.
As you can see by the results, Duncan Hunter is now competitive with both Giuliani and McCain, in spite of the previous lack of name recognition and the lack of a deep war chest of campaign donations. This will most definitely change.
The Liberty Sphere was impressed early-on with Duncan Hunter. He is one of the very few in either the U.S. House or Senate that has received a perfect grade of A+ from Gun Owners of America, which rates candidates and politicians based upon their support for Second Amendment rights.
We are pleased to see Mr. Hunter come from behind and move into a position of prominence. As we have said before, Hunter may well be THE candidate around whom conservatives and 'Reagan Democrats' can rally.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Duncan Hunter Stumps in South Carolina
Washington, DC (TLS). U.S. House Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, has apparently found a receptive audience in the state of South Carolina. As a candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination, Hunter has been to the state twice in the last month, first to announce his candidacy, and then to campaign in the state on Friday of this week.
Hunter addressed a breakfast meeting at the luxurious Spartanburg Marriott Hotel at Renaissance Park Friday morning. Attendees at the breakfast included Spartanburg textile mogul Roger Milliken, who has endorsed Hunter.
The breakfast was sponsored by 'FreedomWorks,' a Washington-based issues-oriented group founded by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-TX. FreedomWorks has a strong presence in 10 states and employs a full-time staff in each of these states. The group's website states that the organization has over 800,000 members nationwide.
According to the organization's founding principles, FreedomWorks' objective is to support smaller government and lower taxes. Rep. Hunter fits the bill of the type of candidate FreedomWorks supports.
During the breakfast in Spartanburg, Hunter took questions from local citizens who attended the meeting. He reiterated his support for consistent, firm enforcement of the nation's immigration laws--a growing sore spot among a significant portion of the American population. In the wake of a near-20-year lack of attention to immigration law, resulting in the onslaught of millions of illegal aliens on American society, Hunter believes that it is essential to the nation's survival that we make a clear distinction between legal immigration and illegal entry into the country. Illegal aliens are law-breakers and not 'immigrants.' Hunter would stop the influx of illegals into the country by re-enforcing the security of the nation's borders, bolstering the strength of the Border Patrol, and strictly enforcing the immigration laws already on the books--laws that have been virtually ignored by both the Bush and Clinton administrations.
In addition, Hunter stressed the need for fair trade policies in order to protect the U.S. from unfair practices of nations such as China, who use current law to their benefit at America's expense.
Perhaps the most attractive quality exhibited by the candidate at Friday's breakfast is his insistence that no 'image consultants' be used in his campaign. Hunter believes in a 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' approach to campaigning. Many at Friday's breakfast lauded Hunter for his stand, as the nation has been forced to endure a barrage of politicians in both Parties that appear to be more concerned with 'image' than genuineness.
Hunter is the genuine article--the real deal. The candidate quipped, 'I don't have to spend any money on image consultants. I already know what I stand for, and I just need to tell the people.'
It cannot be stressed enough that Duncan Hunter is one of only a handful of politicians in Washington who rates a grade of A+ from Gun Owners of America.
That sounds good to us.
Hunter addressed a breakfast meeting at the luxurious Spartanburg Marriott Hotel at Renaissance Park Friday morning. Attendees at the breakfast included Spartanburg textile mogul Roger Milliken, who has endorsed Hunter.
The breakfast was sponsored by 'FreedomWorks,' a Washington-based issues-oriented group founded by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-TX. FreedomWorks has a strong presence in 10 states and employs a full-time staff in each of these states. The group's website states that the organization has over 800,000 members nationwide.
According to the organization's founding principles, FreedomWorks' objective is to support smaller government and lower taxes. Rep. Hunter fits the bill of the type of candidate FreedomWorks supports.
During the breakfast in Spartanburg, Hunter took questions from local citizens who attended the meeting. He reiterated his support for consistent, firm enforcement of the nation's immigration laws--a growing sore spot among a significant portion of the American population. In the wake of a near-20-year lack of attention to immigration law, resulting in the onslaught of millions of illegal aliens on American society, Hunter believes that it is essential to the nation's survival that we make a clear distinction between legal immigration and illegal entry into the country. Illegal aliens are law-breakers and not 'immigrants.' Hunter would stop the influx of illegals into the country by re-enforcing the security of the nation's borders, bolstering the strength of the Border Patrol, and strictly enforcing the immigration laws already on the books--laws that have been virtually ignored by both the Bush and Clinton administrations.
In addition, Hunter stressed the need for fair trade policies in order to protect the U.S. from unfair practices of nations such as China, who use current law to their benefit at America's expense.
Perhaps the most attractive quality exhibited by the candidate at Friday's breakfast is his insistence that no 'image consultants' be used in his campaign. Hunter believes in a 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' approach to campaigning. Many at Friday's breakfast lauded Hunter for his stand, as the nation has been forced to endure a barrage of politicians in both Parties that appear to be more concerned with 'image' than genuineness.
Hunter is the genuine article--the real deal. The candidate quipped, 'I don't have to spend any money on image consultants. I already know what I stand for, and I just need to tell the people.'
It cannot be stressed enough that Duncan Hunter is one of only a handful of politicians in Washington who rates a grade of A+ from Gun Owners of America.
That sounds good to us.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Latest Update on Ware Shoals Cheerleader Sex Scandal
Washington, DC (TLS). The District School Board in Ware Shoals, SC went into executive session Monday afternoon to deliberate their options related to Ware Shoals High School principal Jane Blackwell. Blackwell was charged with obstruction by the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department as it conducted its investigation into the conduct of cheerleader coach Jill Moore and the sex, alcohol, and cigarette scandal involving several cheerleaders and National Guardsmen.
Blackwell had allegedly told students not to speak to anyone about the allegations once the story broke that Moore had been placed under arrest. Cheerleaders reportedly took Blackwell's instructions as a directive not to speak even to Sheriff's deputies about the incidents.
However, Blackwell's attorney insists that his client's only objective was to keep down rumor in the aftermath of the scandal that rocked the small town of Ware Shoals, and that she never intended for her directive to prohibit anyone from speaking to law enforcement officials.
Today the School Board voted to send Blackwell an official letter inviting her to request a hearing before the Board to tell her side of the story. According to School Board spokesmen, the Board wishes to hear directly from Blackwell as to why she feels she should keep her position as principal of Ware Shoals High School. The spokesman also stated that it would be Blackwell's decision as to whether or not there is such a hearing, but that the Board is encouraging her to make the request. In addition, the Board encouraged Blackwell in the letter to request that her hearing before the Board be made open to the public so that citizens in the community could hear directly from the principal her side of the events that led to her arrest.
Former cheerleader coach Jill Moore resigned from the school upon her arrest for contributing to the delinquency of minors and passing alcohol to minors.
The Liberty Sphere thinks that the offer by the School Board for Blackwell to gain a full, complete, and public hearing of her story is a reasonable approach. The beleaguered principal had conducted her own investigation of Moore late last year, the findings of which she kept in a diary. This fact gives the appearance that Blackwell was doing her job as principal and had planned to do something with the evidence she had gathered. Normally in matters related to personnel, internal investigations must be completed before legal action is taken. Perhaps Blackwell was waiting for all of the facts to be corroborated and verified before taking further action. But this is all conjecture at this point.
Blackwell's appearance before the School Board will be a welcome first step in sorting out the facts in this case. The Liberty Sphere hopes that she will take the Board's offer and make her appearance before them in order to present her version of what took place.
Blackwell had allegedly told students not to speak to anyone about the allegations once the story broke that Moore had been placed under arrest. Cheerleaders reportedly took Blackwell's instructions as a directive not to speak even to Sheriff's deputies about the incidents.
However, Blackwell's attorney insists that his client's only objective was to keep down rumor in the aftermath of the scandal that rocked the small town of Ware Shoals, and that she never intended for her directive to prohibit anyone from speaking to law enforcement officials.
Today the School Board voted to send Blackwell an official letter inviting her to request a hearing before the Board to tell her side of the story. According to School Board spokesmen, the Board wishes to hear directly from Blackwell as to why she feels she should keep her position as principal of Ware Shoals High School. The spokesman also stated that it would be Blackwell's decision as to whether or not there is such a hearing, but that the Board is encouraging her to make the request. In addition, the Board encouraged Blackwell in the letter to request that her hearing before the Board be made open to the public so that citizens in the community could hear directly from the principal her side of the events that led to her arrest.
Former cheerleader coach Jill Moore resigned from the school upon her arrest for contributing to the delinquency of minors and passing alcohol to minors.
The Liberty Sphere thinks that the offer by the School Board for Blackwell to gain a full, complete, and public hearing of her story is a reasonable approach. The beleaguered principal had conducted her own investigation of Moore late last year, the findings of which she kept in a diary. This fact gives the appearance that Blackwell was doing her job as principal and had planned to do something with the evidence she had gathered. Normally in matters related to personnel, internal investigations must be completed before legal action is taken. Perhaps Blackwell was waiting for all of the facts to be corroborated and verified before taking further action. But this is all conjecture at this point.
Blackwell's appearance before the School Board will be a welcome first step in sorting out the facts in this case. The Liberty Sphere hopes that she will take the Board's offer and make her appearance before them in order to present her version of what took place.
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