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Busch wins Darlington
2008-05-11 05:52:00
PALMETTO STATE’S ONE, ONLY NASCAR RACE GOES TO ANNOYING 23 YEAR OLD Unfortunately, NASCAR’s annual right-of-passage known as the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway didn’t go to TPS’s favorite driver Martin Truex Jr., and it totally sucked this year. Although most of the field earned their “Darlington Stripes,” Nevada’s 23-year-old prodigy Kyle Busch captured the checkered flag to cap off an otherwise uneventful weekend. At a track-record average speed of 140.350 mph, Busch, who led a race-high 169 laps, pulled away after a restart on Lap 308 of 367 and ran away from the rest of the field en route to his third Cup win of the year and the seventh of his career. One week removed from last Saturday’s controversial finish at Richmond, where Busch spun Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a late-race battle for the lead, Busch finished 3.115 seconds ahead of runner-up Carl Edwards and extended his lead in the Cup standings to 79 points over second-...

Democrats sure are funny
2008-05-09 17:58:00
DNCC CELEBRATES WINNING BET BY SENDING SINGING SUPERDELEGATE IN DONKEY SUIT to RNCC When the Colorado Avalanche played the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, it spelled disaster for the GOP. That’s because Republican National Convention President and CEO Maria Cino and Democratic National Convention Committee CEO Leah Daughtry agreed to a “friendly wager” between the host cities, Minneapolis and Denver, respectively. According to the terms of the bet, the losing city’s convention team would send a “taste” of that city’s local delicacy for the winning city’s convention staff to enjoy. The Avalanche won the series, of course, because they are the best team ever (even though they were swept in the next round) and the Democrats in Denver received an assortment of walleye from the lakes of Minnesota. Umm… am I alone in thinking that might violate the “enjoy” part of the agreement? ...
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Straight Talk Express 3.0
2008-05-09 00:25:00
MCCAIN ROLLS BRAND NEW CAMPAIGN BUS INTO COLUMBIA From what I can tell, the advance preparations for tomorrow’s campaign visit by GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain are fully underway. And that includes the arrival of the brand spankin’ new Straight Talk Express pictured above in all its glory. The Palmetto Scoop of course was privy to an inside peak at the second version of McCain’s signature campaign bus, and let me tell you, that baby is sweet. Everything from the blinds to the doors was remote controlled and I counted five flat-screen plasma televisions and probably 300 cups of Starbucks coffee. What a long way he has come since the 2000 Straight Talk Express or even from last year’s model. I heard rumors that the current version cost upwards of $1 million, but I can’t confirm that. Anyway, here are a few more shots: SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Straight Talk Express 3.0", url: "http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/05/08/ straight-talk-expres...
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Solicitor ad probably wouldn?t hold up in court
2008-05-08 19:53:00
JENNINGS HAS HARD TIME TELLING TRUTH IN CAMPAIGN SPOT Political ads certainly have a propensity for taking a little liberty with the truth. But there is a big difference between embellishing and deceiving voters. Take for example Blair Jennings, who is challenging 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson in a very heated Lowcountry GOP primary. He is the first to take to television airwaves with a 30-second spot titled “Tough.” Unfortunately, the only thing “tough” about this ad is the love it garnered Jennings from the Charleston Post and Courier when they went through and debunked some of the untruthful claims in the ad. “Jennings has put some of our area’s worst criminals in prison, convicting over 60 homicide cases,” the narrator says. “The only candidate to successfully prosecute a death penalty case, convicting cop killer Jesse Sapp.” But in reality, the newspaper claims, those “60 homicides” include a large num...
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Rev. Wright coming to SC?
2008-05-08 15:56:00
OBAMA’S CONTROVERSIAL PASTOR SET TO VISIT AIKEN, MAY BE CANCELED FOR SECURITY REASONS The divisive former pastor of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama that has dominated recent headlines may be coming to Aiken next week. But a conflicting report claims that is not the case. According to the Aiken Standard, Rev. Jeremiah Wright is scheduled to take part in a revival at the Second Baptist Church on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Wright reportedly has visited the church four times previously. Second Baptist Church pastor Doug Slaughter and another pastor, Brendolyn Jenkins, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. WRDW-TV, who initially broke the story, is now claiming that Chris Thomas, one of their reporters, “has uncovered new information that creates confusion about the Aiken trip.” News 12 talked with the church Tuesday, and [Wright’s trip] was confirmed. Wednesday morning, Thomas talked to and e-mailed the media coordinator at Chicago’...
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USC women?s b-ball inks big name coach
2008-05-07 23:58:00
IT’S WNBA SUPERSTAR… WAIT FOR IT… … … DAWN STALEY! I think the above video adequately represents my feelings toward, and knowledge of, the WNBA. For those of you unfamiliar with the WNBA, it is the NBA’s attempt to take the incredibly boring “sport” of professional basketball and girl it up. I’m not by any means a sexist or anything, but you have to admit that the WNBA is downright atrocious. There are a lot of things that women are better at than men, but basketball isn’t one of them. Not even close. I mean, come on, they WNBA has had one dunk in the league’s history. And a team scoring in the double-digits is pretty much considered to have had a high-scoring game. Regardless, the University of South Carolina has hired former WNBA superstar — umm, hmm, let me see here… oh, there it is — Dawn Staley to coach the women’s basketball team. Staley is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and forme...
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McCain touts McMaster, SC ICAC task force
2008-05-07 20:17:00
INTERNET PREDATOR TASK FORCE A MODEL FOR SUCCESS, GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE SAYS At a campaign stop in Rochester, Mich. Wednesday, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain told supporters that combating child pornography, abuse and exploitation in any form will be a key priority of his administration and that he will make sure it is punished to the maximum extent of the law. McCain specifically cited Attorney General Henry McMaster’s overwhelmingly successful work on the issue as a model for what should be implemented at the federal level. “Just last month, for example, [McMaster] announced that the state’s SC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force had arrested its one hundred and twenty first child predator,” McCain said. “Aided with funding from the Justice Department, the South Carolina task force has made significant progress in tracking down, arresting and prosecuting child predators in South Carolina. “Such federal, state and lo...
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TPS turns 1 year old
2008-05-07 17:48:00
THIS ONE’S FOR THE LOYAL READERS I was out of town all weekend living the dream and purposely forgot my computer, so I didn’t adequately mark The Palmetto Scoop’s first birthday Saturday. That’s right, this crazy adventure to redefine the South Carolina blogosphere all began with an innocent little welcome post on May 3, 2007. It’s hard to believe this blog has made it an entire year, and what a long way this has come. We’ve had 1,230 posts (and counting) and more than half-a-million unique hits (or three-quarters-of-a-million pageviews if that’s how you prefer to measure such things). But we couldn’t do it without you, our loyal readers. So to honor this site’s turning one year old, I don’t want to re-hash the greatest hits because I just did that five months ago. We’ve had a post or two that would probably make an updated “Top 10″ list, but I would rather pay tribute to the people who really keep this...
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This kid has a bright future in the SC legislature
2008-05-07 01:23:00
TODDLER DEMONSTRATES SKILLS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL LIFE AS STATE LEGISLATOR If you’ve ever wondered what some of our current lawmakers were like as children, I think this video might give you a good idea. The mohawk-sporting sprout above was taped by a local television reporter at a Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts game sipping on an empty beer bottle. Sure it was empty, but once they get that first sweet taste for beer, infants never look back. I don’t think it’s too far fetched to envision folks like Sens. Hugh Leatherman and Jim Ritchie or Reps. Harry Cato and Dan Cooper or numerous others who control this state’s code of laws having a similarly “smashing” start to their lives. I’m not saying their drunkards — although most people in politics are — but just that they have a tendency to act like it. And now we see where it may have all began. Although, they threw up a pretty good smokescreen Tuesday a House panel approved a bi...
More About: Future , Bright , Legislature

This might be unconstitutional
2008-05-06 23:42:00
ACTIVIST JUDGE MARK HAYES SENTENCES SPARTANBURG TEEN TO TWO CENTURIES IN PRISON FOR ROBBERY, BURGLARY I’m not exactly a Constitutional law scholar, but I’m pretty sure that sentencing a 19-year-old kid to nearly 200 years in prison for a couple of robbery and burglary charges might not gel so well with the Eighth Amendment. So I’m guessing Cory Demond Linder, who sentenced to 196 years behind bars after pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree burglary, two counts of armed robbery and one count of possession of a pistol during a violent crime, will have a pretty good case for a reduced sentence when his case is appealed. [Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette] said Circuit Judge J. Mark Hayes II sentenced Linder to three 40-year sentences on the first degree burglary charges, two 30-year sentences for the armed robbery charges, a 15-year sentence for the second-degree burglary charge and another year-long sentence on the posses...
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Miss Teen SC: The Musical
2008-05-06 19:59:00
STUDENT ADDS HARMONY TO UPTON’S SWEET, SWEET POETRY I had just about stopped watching videos that referenced the pride and joy of our state, Miss Teen South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton, until I found this video. Danicah Waldo, a freshman cabaret singer at Pace University, dressed up as the besmirched beauty queen and put her infamous pageant prose to music at what looks to be some kind of orientation or talent show or whatever thing it is that the boring Dungeons & Dragons crowd does when they get to college. It’s truly a poignant song and absolutely captures the true essence of Upton’s celebrity, but I’m a little annoyed by that girl who’s supposed to be Amy Teegarden’s really horrible accent at the beginning. I’m not sure if she’s trying to do an over-the-top President Bush impersonation or just has no idea what southerners sound like. Either way, Teegarden doesn’t even had an accent, so what gives? And to make it worse...
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McCain coming to SC
2008-05-06 16:59:00
GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE TO MAKE CAMPAIGN STOP IN COLUMBIA FRIDAY For the first time since winning the state’s Republican presidential primary in January en route to the party’s nomination, Sen. John McCain will be visiting South Carolina. The McCain campaign has just sent out invitations to a 5 p.m. fundraiser this Friday, May 9 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. But if you want to attend the event with the man who may be the next president, it won’t be cheap. Tickets start at $1,000 for the general reception and to be a co-chairman, the most exclusive spot at the event, someone will have had to raise or contributed at least $20,000. Most notably, all of South Carolina’s Republican leaders will be in attendance including Gov. Mark Sanford — who took a major political risk and endorsed McCain in early March when it was only a 99.9 percent certainty that the Arizona senator would get the GOP nod — both of the state’s U.S. Senat...
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Gamecocks? top hoops star arrested
2008-05-06 05:58:00
LEADING SCORER DOWNEY CHARGED WITH ON-CAMPUS ASSAULT For the University of South Carolina’s athletics program, the off-the-field legal problems have just been extended to the basketball court. News has just broken that Devan Downey, the sophomore who led the Gamecocks in scoring last year, was arrested Monday on a simple assault charge. We spoke with USC spokesman Russ McKinney, who said early last week around lunchtime Downey and another USC student got into an argument at the Russell House on campus. McKinney described the incident as “very minor.” Campus police investigated, and at the time, the student decided they didn’t want to press charges against Downey. That student changed their mind Monday, and Downey found himself at Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. [WIS] Unlock the football players arrested, Downey is a major star. He’s easily USC’s best player and one of the best in the Southeastern Conference. To call this...
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First shot fired in 2010 Dem guv primary
2008-05-06 01:55:00
TENENBAUM TAKES OUT REX AT STATE DEMOCRAT CONVENTION The State newspaper is reporting that former State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum worked to remove her successor, Jim Rex, as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention — an act that has heated up a deep-rooted rivalry and will likely boil over into the 2010 gubernatorial race. Sources close to the story told me that Tenenbaum’s husband Sam, along with former Democrat Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian, allegedly made a power play this weekend in Columbia at the party’s state convention to prevent Rex from representing Democrats after Rex reportedly refused to endorse presidential candidate Barack Obama. Rex, the highest ranking Democrat in South Carolina and the only member of his party to hold statewide office, was up against enormous pressure from Obama supporters including Tenenbaum, a state chair for the Illinois senator. While much of the “talk” surrounding Gov. Mark Sanford’s...
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SC Dems in bad form
2008-05-05 20:53:00
STATE PARTY HAS TROUBLE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS The South Carolina Democrats can expect a visit from Bill Lumbergh — a.k.a. the State Ethics Commission — anytime now asking if they got the memo about the complying with state law. That’s because the party’s first quarter 2008 financial disclosure reports were incorrectly filed. A quick look shows that the campaign disclosure numbers are filled out on the April operating disclosure form and visa-versa. When reached for comment, an answering machine at the party headquarters said, “we will be out of the office on Saturday, May 5 preparing for our PACT tests. If you leave your name and e-mail address we will call you back, or if you prefer, leave your phone number and we will e-mail you as soon as possible.” Nevertheless, once the numbers are matched with their proper form, the South Carolina Republican Party still has a huge cash advantage — by an estimated two Mark Sanford slush funds reform gr...
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DeBoer case burns on
2008-05-05 18:09:00
BURNLOUNGE LAWSUIT NOT LIKELY TO BE SETTLED ANYTIME SOON In case you forgot, former University of South Carolina fullback Rob DeBoer was named in a lawsuit last June for his involvement in virtual music store BurnLounge, which the Federal Trade Commission claims is one of the largest pyramid schemes in the country. But little has happened since. Although the case was nearly settled, The State reports that it is still raging on. There?s no public talk of a settlement. In a court filing last month, DeBoer and other BurnLounge defendants said they plan to fight the charges at trial but need more time to prepare because they?re cash strapped. DeBoer is representing himself after the feds denied his request to pay his lawyer more money, the filing said. The defendants are under orders to keep their spending under control. The defendants sought an April 2009 trial date; the court scheduled trial for December. The feds are asking that DeBoer give back roughly $30 million to the people he ...
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Somebody?s a little full of herself
2008-05-05 04:49:00
KETNER CAMPAIGN: SCREW THE ECONOMY, GIVE ME YOUR MONEY Sorry to scare you with that banner picture, but I think it adequately conjures up the compulsory thousand words about the intensely arrogant nature of Linda Ketner’s bid to unseat Congress man Henry Brown. And to remind her supporters that everything is all about Linda, she recently sent out an e-mail encouraging folks to take their rebate checks from the federal government and — rather than spend the money in a way that would stimulate the economy or pay down debt or — give them to her campaign. According to The State, Ketner “argues in her e-mail that spending the money is a short-term solution. Sending her to Congress is a commitment to needed, long-term change.” That sounds surprisingly like the jargon being pushed by Socialist Party Vice Presidential “candidate” Stewart A. Alexander. “The government rebate checks are an example of the failures of capitalism and how a capital...
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zZZzzzZZzZzZzZzZzzz?
2008-05-02 22:55:00
ANOTHER BORING DAY IN THE PALMETTO STATE I’m working on a few stories, but there’s pretty much absolutely nothing going on today. I mean there literally isn’t one cool thing to write about. So here’s a video of some guy singing an inaudible version of some unidentifiable song (Journey maybe?) in Mt. Pleasant last night. Yep, that’s all I’ve got. Deal with it. In my defense, it is actually a pretty good video. Especially the last twelve seconds where he pretty much gives up and just stops singing. If you can even call what he was doing prior to that point “singing.” There are plenty more of theseterrible karaoke videos posted here if you’re really bored courtesy of B92 FM and LowCountryToday.com. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "zZZzzzZZzZzZzZzZzzz…", url: "http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2008/05/02/ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz/" });

Former Gamecock joins Wilkins in Canada, ey
2008-05-02 18:39:00
SORENSEN DRAFTED BY SOME CFL TEAM I’VE NEVER HEARD OF Former University of South Carolina offensive lineman Justin Sorensen certainly proved that he likes to party when he went out in Columbia’s Five Points last Halloween dressed up as a 6′7″, 327-pound old lady. And now he has to prove that he can make it in professional football as he was selected fifth overall in Wednesday’s Canadian Football League draft by the British Columbia Lions. Oh wait, nevermind, that’s not professional football. But I guess it’s close. Granted in a different ballgame of sorts, but he’s the highest draft pick USC has had since George Rogers went No. 1 overall in the 1981 NFL draft. It’s more or less a draft-and-follow process for the Lions, who’ll maintain Sorensen’s CFL rights through the year and then see if he winds up being drafted or making an NFL roster in 2009. Either way, it’s a great fallback for the 6-7, 327-pound giant w...
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Bring back Boyanoski
2008-05-01 23:10:00
CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS HAS REALLY GONE DOWNHILL LATELY I would be lying if I said I read Campaigns and Elections on a daily or even a weekly basis. In fact, I’m not sure if I’ve even been to their site since the end of the South Carolina primaries. But I have always considered them a reliable source of good information. Until today that is, when I came upon this tidbit about the 2010 race to replace Gov. Mark Sanford and realized that their grasp of this state’s politics has greatly deteriorated since the departure of John Boyanoski. As Democrats expand the congressional playing field this year, they may look to states like South Carolina to build gubernatorial majorities as well. When Republican Gov. Mark Sanford exits, state legislative Republicans, with whom the incumbent has a strained relationship, will rejoice. But their battle to keep the mansion could be difficult. Attorney General Henry McMaster and U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett could try for the GOP nominat...
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Obama and Leatherman sharing talking points?
2008-05-01 19:25:00
RNC VIDEO HITS OBAMA ON GAS TAX FLIP-FLOP, ILLINOIS SEN.’S RHETORIC SAME AS THAT OF FLORENCE COUNTY SEN. The Republican National Committee released a new Web video today titled “Barack Obama ?s Gas Tax Hypocrisy.” The video hits the Democratic presidential candidate for changing positions on a gas tax relief plan supported by Sen. John McCain that the USA Today said “could save motorists $6.8 billion in taxes during the summer.” While serving in the Illinois state legislature, the video claims, Obama supported a gas tax holiday. But that record is inconsistent with his current stance. “A three-month tax holiday is a bad idea,” Obama says in the video. “It?s a gimmick that?s been tried before.” The RNC counters saying that, “as Americans are paying record-high gas prices nationwide, Obama has changed his position on providing hardworking Americans with much-needed gas tax relief this summer.” Most noteworthy for me i...
More About: Democrats , Talking , Legislature , Points

I want to work for Greenville County
2008-05-01 17:53:00
REGISTER OF DEEDS TIM NANNEY REPORTEDLY MAKES NEARLY $800,000 According his Statement of Economic Interests form filed with the State Ethics Commission on April 14, Greenville County Register of Deeds Timothy Nanney has an annual income of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. Nanney lists the county as his only source of income with a salary of $772,449.96. If that number is accurate, that would mean the earns only $9,000 less than the state’s two highest paid employees combined. I’m not sure what exactly a Register of Deeds does to earn all that loot, but I’m pretty sure it’s not for overseeing the office’s mission to “provide for the recordation, maintenance and availability of county records dealing with real and personal property.” So either it’s a typo, or Nanney’s father-in-law Bob Taylor, who has been on the County Council (which oversees employee salaries) since the dawn of man, hooked him up with a sweet paycheck...
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Witherspoon campaign: Graham a traitor
2008-05-01 00:56:00
FORMER RNC MEMBER MIMICS MOVEON.ORG, SENDS E-MAILS SAYING SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMITTED TREASON A recent campaign e-mail published by SC Hotline from former Republican National Committeeman Buddy Witherspoon’s Senate campaign reveals the truly disturbing nature of the malicious, libelous attacks aimed at Sen. Lindsey Graham by his challenger. The e-mail was sent by Witherspoon’s Political Director Christopher R. Oviatt, the second ranking member of his campaign, and contained a post-script that read, “If you?ve received this email but do not wish to receive further information and updates in the efforts to rid our state and country of the traitor, Lindsey Graham, please email deportillegals@earthlink.net with the word, ‘CANCEL’ in the subject line.” The line is reportedly even a part of his default email signature. The “deportillegals” e-mail address is distressing enough, but to call a well-respected sitting United States Senator who ha...
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A few Wednesday scoops
2008-04-30 23:01:00
LEATHERMAN, LICENSE PLATES, VOTER ID AND HOME RULE I’ve been pretty busy lately so I haven’t been posting the usual absurd number of stories, but even if I had been around, there really isn’t anything going on in South Carolina. At least not much worthy of its own post. So here are a few stories to tide you over until something scandalous takes place, which should be any minute now: ? WHAT A SURPRISE, LEATHERMAN LIKES HIGH GAS TAXES — It’s probably not much of an exaggeration to say that State Sen. Hugh Leatherman has added a few trillion bucks in pork projects to the state budget over his career. But even he realizes that someone has to pay for his greed — taxpayers! So what better way for the entire state to fund Green Bean Museums and performing arts centers and festivals and all the wonderful things that benefit a few dozen people in Florence County than to keep paying high gas prices. Leatherman justified this by telling WLTX-TV that the s...
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The other Carolina has stolen our playbook
2008-04-30 20:51:00
DIRTY TRICKS, WRIGHT BECOME CENTERPIECE OF NC PRIMARY I’ll admit that, of late, I care about as much about the Democratic presidential nomination process as I do the Allendale County School System’s fifth grade science fair — although I here Bobby Smith’s baking soda volcano is totally going to beat out Susie Parker’s salt map — but the North Carolina primary has become interesting for two reasons. The first is that our cousins to the north have decided to inject a little bit of our good old fashioned dirty politics into their otherwise boring snooze-fest: Who’s behind the mysterious “robo-calls” that have spread misleading voter information and sown confusion and frustration among North Carolina residents over the last week? Facing South has confirmed the source of the calls, and the mastermind is Women’s Voices Women Vote, a D.C.-based nonprofit which aims to boost voting among “unmarried women voters.” What&#...
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Would-be bomber hearts Pontius Pilate
2008-04-30 01:42:00
SCHALLENBERGER SAID HE WANTED TO GO TO HEAVEN, KILL JESUS To say that 18-year-old Ryan Schallenberger, who allegedly plotted to blow up Chesterfield High School with ammonium nitrate, is a “little disturbed” would probably be an understatement. In fact, calling him anything less is like saying Madonna and Kanye West respect Jesus. Actually, it’s funny that I mentioned that… Federal authorities say a South Carolina teen accused of plotting to blow up his high school told police that he wanted to die, go to heaven and kill Jesus. [AP] So as you can see, the moral of the… wait, did that say he wanted to kill Jesus? By going to Heaven? Because I’m not a theologian here, but I’m pretty sure that plan it’s exactly going to work. I highly doubt Jesus, being the all-knowing Lord of Creation, is going to let some punk into Heaven to kill him. I could be wrong about this, but even if he did sneak in, what is he going to use to carry out this...
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Ritchie gets schooled at debate
2008-04-29 23:48:00
MARTIN, HYDE TAKE INCUMBENT TO TASK ON SPECIAL INTEREST DONATIONS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION I wasn’t at last night’s Senate District 13 debate between Sen. Jim Ritchie and challengers Shane Martin and Max Hyde because I try to stay as far away from Spartanburg as possible, but the Herald-Journal was and they said it was basically a mud fight that left the incumbent looking like a fool. From his opening statement, Hyde came out swinging at Ritchie, trying to paint the two-term incumbent as a servant of special interest groups. While Hyde and Ritchie sparred, Shane Martin stayed out of the fracas and focused on the issues. About 100 people - mostly supporters of one candidate or another - attended the debate at Rock Water Tavern. The Palmetto House Republican Women sponsored the event. From what I hear up there, Hyde is having a good bit of success getting the special interest tag to stick on Ritchie. Which isn’t that hard when Ritchie has received $7,000 in total contri...
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VIDEO: Chesney busts move, foot
2008-04-29 13:51:00
WHY CAN’T WE EVER BE IN THE NEWS FOR GOOD THINGS? I figured it would only be a matter of time before video of country music superstar Kenny Chesney’s injury at Saturday’s sell-out concert at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia hit the Internet. And then bam, there it is. It’s like I can predict the future or something. For those of you that didn’t pay attention when I wrote about this Sunday and have become interested now that national blogs and media are running the story, Chesney caught his right foot in an elevator lifting device while taking the stage in front of 44,424 fans but went on to play the entire show. They had to cut off his bot afterward and he was treated by University of South Carolina medical staff. So now that this story has blown up, I’m wondering why it is that South Carolina has such a difficult time making national news for positive stuff. You know, stuff that isn’t some kid plotting to blow up his school or a beau...
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Jim Rex for governor?
2008-04-29 03:43:00
SC EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT’S MINIMALLY ADEQUATE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE OF SHAME Under the guise of a petition drive to create a Constitutional amendment inserting the words ?high quality education? into the South Carolina Constitution, State Schools Superintendent Jim Rex has launched what appears to be nothing more than an exploratory Website for a looming 2010 gubernatorial bid. On the site, GoodbyeMinimallyAdequate.com, Rex claims the amendment would increase vital education funding. Despite ignoring the plethora of other, more suitable options to improve our schools, it seems like a noble cause. But critics charge this site is little more than a media stunt that allows Rex to grandstand on an issue while accomplishing very little. “While the educracy argues and wastes political and financial capital to change words in the South Carolina Constitution, they have been woefully inadequate in meeting the educational needs of all children in South Carolina,” said Randy P...
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What?s wrong with NFL scouts?
2008-04-28 16:55:00
FMR. GAMECOCK STAR CORY BOYD GOES IN LAST ROUND OF DRAFT Former University of South Carolina running back Cory Boyd is going to be an NFL star some day, I’m absolutely certain of that. But after being selected in the seventh round of this weekend’s draft — 238th overall — by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has a long way to go. And that is pretty disappointing for a guy who had an incredible college career that included 2,267 rushing yards, 117 receptions and 28 touchdowns in four season with the Gamecocks; a large percentage of those stats being earned in the last two years. WLTX-TV’s Matt Barrie agreed and called Boyd’s insultingly undervalued draft position “a joke.” I am so sick of the 40-times, the vertical jump, and the shuttle times being huge factors in which a team evaluates talent. They are all GARBAGE. Cory is not the fastest back, he?s not the most elusive, and he may never be a star in the NFL. But every time the Cardinals w...
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