Character counts

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12th Judicial Circuit, Ed Clements, Republicans for Clements letter, Solicitor

Integrity counts, honesty counts, and truthfulness counts. More than ever, I support Ed Clements for re-election as Solicitor for the 12th Judicial Circuit.

I seldom forward scare-tactic emails or repeat rumors and gossip – they are seldom accurate. If possible I check such statements using trustworthy sources but sometimes there is just no way to be sure.

It’s common sense, then, not to repeat those rumors. Sometimes they turn out to be total fabrications.

In the case of the Solicitor’s office there are trustworthy sources to check, such as the Clerk of Court and other official agencies. Wikipedia, a user-submitted “source,” is certainly not one of those.

Multiple misrepresentations (faulty statistics and inaccurate “facts”) are being circulated through Letters to the Editor, Facebook and emails by people who should know better. And they are being copied and forwarded by people who should know better.

Here’s a fact: A single criminal case can have multiple warrants; newspaper accounts of arrests and trials often list these multiple charges in that single case.

Suppose a person commits twenty forgeries and is indicted on a twenty-count indictment. He is allowed to plead guilty to one count but admits responsibility and makes restitution for all twenty, the other 19 counts being dropped. If you went only by numbers of warrants, that would be a five percent conviction rate! Quite misleading.

Here are some facts: The U.S. District Court (Columbia, Greenville, Charleston and Florence offices of the U.S. Attorney) began 2009 with 1081 criminal cases pending, filed 785 cases, and ended with 1052 still pending. They moved only 814 cases in federal court – for the entire state.

During that same time, our Solicitor’s office (Florence and Marion Counties) handled thousands of warrants and moved 2320 indicted cases. That doesn’t include all the PTI and juvenile cases, DUI and CDV cases in Magistrate’s Court, and the other ancillary programs connected with the Solicitor’s office.

Words matter. The truth matters, and honesty and integrity count. Ed Clements consistently demonstrates the high caliber of his character in the operation of his office, and in his campaign for re-election.

He has my wholehearted support, and I ask you to vote for him for re-election as Solicitor for the 12th Judicial Circuit.

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CLick to read entire text: Republicans for Clements letter, July 2010

Afghanistan won’t go away; why?

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Afghanistan

If you ever read Tapister, one of my other blogs, you know what I think. Follow the money. Follow the power.

Tapister includes news articles that interest me. Articles about power struggles in the Middle East: Iran, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere.

Articles about drought, floods, fires, and famines. About food shortages and skyrocketing food prices. About natural and unnatural disasters. Multiple major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and oil spills; increasing oceanic temperatures and decreasing oxygen levels. Worldwide atmospheric changes; economic troubles on a global scale.

Articles about scientific and technological discoveries and inventions, capable of wonderful beneficence or horrifying malevolence. About quantum mechanics. The Hadron Collider and nuclear physics. Hubble, NASA, astrophysics.

News articles and opinion pieces that intrigue me are those that could have a relationship to New Testament end-times prophecies.

Afghanistan won’t go away. Military-industrial interests drive this war. Follow the money. Follow the power. Follow the pipelines.

Read the current Tapister entry for two interesting articles, and check previous Tapister entries for more.

I support Ed Clements for re-election as Solicitor

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Reelect Ed Clements

No, I haven’t switched parties. I still support every Republican candidate for office on the 2010 ballot except for this one, and hope to see many of you at future party events.

However, I have known Ed Clements for many years and know his character, his qualifications, his positions on the issues, and his accomplishments in the office of 12th Judicial Circuit Solicitor. I gladly endorse Ed Clements for reelection as Solicitor.

Please check out Ed’s website, www.reelectedclements.com and read about his viewpoints and his record as 12th Judicial Circuit Solicitor.

Recently I was privileged to sign a letter of support as one of the coordinators of Republicans for Clements. This letter was addressed to many Republican voters in Florence and Marion Counties. Excerpts are posted here: Republicans for Clements letter.

From the letter: “It is also important to note that Ed Clements has always tried to set the right example for our community by running a totally positive campaign. In this age of negative campaigns and attack media, Ed’s positive approach is refreshing.”

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FYI: Because of my public support for a candidate of another party in a contested election, in accordance with the South Carolina GOP Rules I have had to resign from office as Secretary of the Florence County Republican Party and as Committeeman for Delmae I Precinct.

Why I do what I do, whatever that is

Tags

casus belli, conspiracy theory, Glenn Beck, Overton Window

The Overton Window is Glenn Beck’s new book, a fictional novel based on a great deal of facts. I highly recommend you read it, even if you usually don’t read fiction.

Crammed full of factual data, this story could easily be happening to someone today.

In a recent conversation with a friend – before I knew this book existed – I outlined some of what I have observed in international news over the past year. (Much of what I read from abroad is never reported by the mainline media in this country.)

I shared my opinion that the set-up was nearly ready for the next step in America’s transformation: a manufactured crisis that would “necessitate” a suspension of the Constitution and government / military take-over of the rest of our society. I.E., a casus belli.*

Obviously I’m not the only person who thinks that. Here’s the Amazon blurb about The Overton Window:

A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed… can it be stopped?

There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.

For Noah Gardner, a twenty-something public relations executive, it’s safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome, and insulated from the world’s problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country.

But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future — but Noah, convinced they’re just misguided conspiracy-theorists, isn’t interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause.

And then the world changes.

An unprecedented attack on U.S. soil shakes the country to the core and puts into motion a frightening plan, decades in the making, to transform America and demonize all those who stand in the way. Amidst the chaos, many don’t know the difference between conspiracy theory and conspiracy fact — or, more important, which side to fight for.

But for Noah, the choice is clear: Exposing the plan, and revealing the conspirators behind it, is the only way to save both the woman he loves and the individual freedoms he once took for granted.

* The Overton window is a real concept, as is casus belli. Look them up, for some interesting reading and meditating.

Do you notice a trend?

Tags

battle, skirmish, trends

The primary election is over but the battle certainly is not… a run-off will take place in two weeks here in South Carolina and the campaigning will go on until then.

For the record, my choices have not changed for any of the offices. Those who didn’t win in the primary will be in the run-off, and I still wholeheartedly support them.

After that day the candidates may take a well-earned breather, maybe a whole day, before they gear up for the general election.

Will the voters take a longer breather? Will they take the summer off and “vacation” from politics until November? If they do, they will regret it.

Because there is a bigger battle going on than the visible one with TV ads, bumper stickers and yard signs, a battle for the future existence of the republic as we know it.

Over the years I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. Some folks fight hard for a little while, then when it looks like they’ve won a skirmish they tend to sit back and rest a spell. We simply can’t afford to do that this year.

“What price Churchill?”

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Winston Churchill

The following struck a chord with me when I read it earlier today. Excerpted from http://www.powerlineblog.com 5 June 2010:

Even Churchill had his doubts about the outcome of the Battle of Britain. While he was driving home from Buckingham Palace on May 10, 1940, after having received the King’s appointment as prime minister, Churchill said to an aide: “I hope that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it is. We can only do our best.”

In the decisive Cabinet meeting of May 28, Churchill addressed members of the government who were considerably less resolute than he was:

“I have thought carefully in these last days whether it was part of my duty to consider entering into negotiations with That Man (Hitler)…. And I am convinced that every one of you would rise up and tear me down from my place if I were for one moment to contemplate parley or surrender.

If this long island story of ours is to end at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground.” (emphasis added)

The effect on his colleagues was electrifying.

Commenting on this episode in Churchill on Leadership, Steven Hayward writes:  “[F]rom time to time, and especially in a crisis, the genuine leader must simply exert his personal force and summon up his willfulness.”

Who I support for…

Tags

6th district SC, Congress, GOP

6th District Congress – Jim Pratt
www.jimprattforcongress.com

Having heard all three candidates on several occasions, my choice is Jim Pratt. 50 years old, Jim is married to Karen and has three adult sons James, Joshua and David. He lives in St. Matthews, Orangeburg County, SC. Please visit Jim’s website to read his stands on the issues facing our Congressional district. Jim’s qualifications for office include his present and past work and community service experience.

Present:
Deputy Reserve Certification from SC Criminal Justice Academy.
Active Reserve Deputy – Lexington County Sheriff’s Department / Oath Keeper.
One hundred ninety-two hours instruction in areas of Constitutional and Criminal Law, Law Enforcement principles and tactics.
Certifications from The U.S. Department of Homeland Security include Incident Command Training, National Incident Management System (NIMS); Single Resource and Initial Action Incidents.
Oathkeeper. (See http://oathkeepers.org)

Awarded a football scholarship to the University of Florida, Jim earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation with emphasis in Parks and Tourism. Director of Sales and Marketing for several South Carolina markets with Revelation Outdoor Management (South Carolina), he is a former principal of the Antelope Valley Christian School (K-12).

Other activities / projects include:
Orangeburg County Development Commission
National Black Republicans Association (N.B.R.A.)
Christian Action Network – Promoting the Documentary “Radical Islam” in South Carolina and other U.S. cities
Life Ads Organization – Anti-Abortion campaign
Local Orangeburg Rotary and Orangeburg County Chamber
2010 Disabled American Veterans Commanders Club Bronze Leader

Straw Poll Florence County GOP

Tags

Florence County Republican Party, GOP, Primary, Straw Poll

Straw Poll – Florence County GOP – 25 May 2010

U.S. Senate
DeMint 123, Gaddy 8

Governor
Haley 72, McMaster 46, Barrett 12, Bauer 11

Lt. Governor
Conner 72, Ard 55, Richter 5, Kitzman 1

Attorney General
Wilson 100, Lord 22, Bolchoz 7

State Treasurer
Loftis 85, Chellis 37

Comptroller General
Eckstrom 77, Meilinger 28

Superintendent of Education
Zais 84, Payne 21, Moffly 17, Nelson 6, Burgess 1, Price 0

Sixth District Congress
Pratt 53, Payne 46, Harrelson 28

(Results received from Florence Co. GOP Chairman Dr. Joe Griffin, 843-992-1678.)

America Rising

Tags

America, change, elections

Reprinted from Powerline, 27 May 2010

America Rising
January 6, 2010 Posted by John at 9:35 PM

This video doesn’t exactly represent our (Powerline) point of view — we never fell for Obama’s “hope and change” scam — but it does speak for many millions of Americans. It’s nicely done. We’ll see a lot more of this kind of populist calling of Democrats to account between now and November:

UPDATE: Apparently liberals have been trying to drive this video off YouTube. The original link no longer works; these do, for now at least:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/01/025329.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiM6JAQZwHI&feature=related

Who I support for…

Tags

Education

Supt. of Education – Mick Zais
www.mickzais.com

Mitchell “Mick” Zais has been president of Newberry College since August of 2000, serving as its 20th president. During his tenure, enrollment has nearly doubled, the endowment more than doubled, facilities have been constructed and renovated, academic programs have been added, and athletic teams now compete for NCAA regional and national titles. For the fiscal year 2008-2009, Newberry College did not raise tuition yet finished with a surplus, and had their strongest financial year, ever. For the last two years, the prestigious U.S. News and World Report has named Newberry College as one of “America’s Best Colleges.”

The son of a general, Mick Zais grew up in a military family. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with an engineering degree. Mick also earned master’s and doctorate degrees in social psychology from the University of Washington. During his 31 years of active service in the United States Army, he served as a paratrooper, Ranger and retired as a Brigadier General. He served in a wide variety of infantry units, in Vietnam, the United States, and Korea. For three years, Mick taught organizational behavior, management, and leadership classes to cadets at West Point.

Mick believes that while there are some superb public schools in South Carolina, more can be done… taxpayer dollars must be being spent on programs that affect educational outcomes and these expenditures must be transparent to the public.

One thing is clear to Mick: we don’t need more government. Government should take as little taxpayer money as possible to administer only necessary programs.

Having sworn an oath to defend the Constitution, Mick strongly reveres the freedom of religion, the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to life.

Mick and Susan have been married for nearly 30 years. They have two children, Bradley, 24, an infantry veteran of Iraq, and Ashley, 22, a Wofford College graduate. The Zaises are members of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Newberry.