Thursday, the Colts took on the Jaguars, which only meant a damn to us as our boy, Maurice Jones-Drew, put up a nasty amount of fantasy points on the Indianapolis defense. Wins? Losses? Screw that. We need rushing yards, receptions and touchdowns. Love you, MJD.
Anyway, [...]
If you want to see some wild events and wilder things said, just tune into a GOP primary race in the Upstate. Such as it is with the multitude of challengers to U.S. Rep Bob Inglis in the Fourth District. Christina Jeffrey, who lectures [...]
If U.S. Sen. John McCain was an LOLcat, his picture would say, “I can has irony?” The man who tubthumped all during the 2000 Republican primary race for campaign finance reform seems to have violated the law he co-wrote with U.S. Sen. Russ [...]
As Spike Lee might say, “Please, baby, please, baby, please, baby — baby baby please.” We’re getting killed with all these attempts at recreating the Nullification Crisis. OK, it’s the 21st century. The Federal government won’t send troops into your state like it [...]
Non-profits and religious organizations have one main issue between them, no matter the agenda or affiliation. It’s to have the state law changes on raffles and “social gambling” to allow for fundraising opportunities. Seriously, wouldn’t you drop $20 to participate in an Historic Columbia poker tournament? [...]
Few buzz-phrases have been more popular in Columbia over the past several years than “government restructuring.” The lastest round of prefiles close the book on what legislators will be looking at immediately.
One of Rep. Jimmy Merrill’s plans this session is to get rid of the [...]
The last round of prefiled bills came out on Tuesday, as the House came up with a solid number of new topics to address, and some that are duplicates of other bills prefiled in the House and Senate. Again, even though the Taxation Realignment Commission will [...]
The House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday to address the impeachment or censure of Gov. Mark Sanford was classic House. There were impassioned speeches, some ill-chosen remarks and after all that noise, little actually was accomplished.
It started out with debate over the impeachment resolution, [...]
The fourth annual Yale Book of Quotations compiled some of the most zeitgeisty of quotes from 2009, and to no one’s surprise around here, the interesting year in Palmetto State politics provided a number of phrases that entered their way into the national consciousness.
1. “Keep [...]
A new poll coming out of George Washington University, Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners gives Republicans a slight edge on the generic ballot, though the edge is slim enough — 42-40 percent — that it can be considered a tie. The [...]
Over the past several months, Auburn University’s been getting headlines for all the wrong reasons, and university President Jay Gogue is being called in front of Alabama lawmakers for what appear to be conflicts regarding the sale of broadcasting rights to House Minority [...]
As anyone will tell you, the legacy of Paul W. “Bear” Bryant looms large over the Alabama program. Those who make jokes don’t understand, though. After all, the Founders loom large over our nation. In the way it would be nuts to ignore the [...]
If you’re involved in public education in this state, Will Folks probably dislikes you greatly (unless you’re superintendent of education candidate Kelly Payne). Or is paid to dislike you greatly. Whatever. All the same to us. His loose cannon on Tuesday fired off [...]
Great googly moogly. Stray a little from the pack, and you get your ass handed to you. That’s what happened today when Howard Rich organization Americans for Limited Government ran a column on its Web site taking the wood to U.S. Sen. [...]
Why is Gov. Mark Sanford smiling? Maybe because he doesn’t live in New Hampshire. Beside other things that Sanford most likely abhors — hippies, flinty old men out of Pepperidge Farm commercials, teh gheys — the Granite State is also home of an enforceable [...]
Carolina might not be setting the woods on fire during Steve Spurrier’s tenure, but apparently somebody’s doing something right. One of those somebodies is offensive line coach Eric Wolford. According to reports, he’s been selected as the next head coach of Youngstown State. Wolford [...]
Former Sen. Catherine Ceips and former Rep. Wallace Scarborough have gotten married, according to a report in The Island-Packet. The relationship between the two became news when the affair started, and a detective was hired to find out what happened. The pictures of [...]
TMZ has become the new hub for investigative journalism in America — aggressively and unapologetically — and today it went live with the Sanfords’ divorce filing. The initial filing doesn’t have anything that unusual, for those used to looking over such things. However, South Carolina [...]
Bart Starr. Joe Namath. Kenny Stabler. Lee Roy Jordan. Cornelius Bennett. Derrick Thomas. David Palmer. Shaun Alexander. None of these heroes of Alabama football won the Heisman Trophy. For a program that has 12 national championships and [...]
One of the under reported stories every year in major college football is the amount of free crap football players get when they go to a bowl game. Some is useless. For instance, we got a free watch from the SEC and a free pin for [...]
This week, the University of Alabama announced it was canceling classes between Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 for the BCS National Championship Game between the Crimson Tide and Texas. For the kids in public school in Tuscaloosa County, they don’t get the same consideration. [...]
We didn’t believe all the talk during the summer that the Sanfords could reconcile after Gov. Mark Sanford’s affair with an Argentinean woman. What it did, and what was expected by us, was that it lit the fuse on a long burn that would end [...]
Alabama won its first Southeastern Conference championship in a decade during the first week of December, and is the odds-on favorite to beat Texas (for the first time) and win the program’s 13th national championship. Like we did for the outset of the season, [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford hasn’t learned a damn thing from 2006 and 2008, if a recent post by political operative and friend of Sanford, Jeffrey Sewell, is to be believed. In the past two cycles, Sanford has tried with poor success to enlist allies like [...]
Guess what? Remember when members of the House put out a number of bills going after “distracted drivers” dealing with their Blackberrys, iPhones and whatsis? The Senate says, “Hello!” Or, maybe a more appropriate greeting would be, “Can you hear me ticketing you now?”
Again, please some [...]
Every time there is a contentious primary race in South Carolina, there’s accusations and cross-accusations of people from the opposing party voting in the primary to cause problems. That didn’t seem to be a problem in Virginia in 2000, when U.S. Sen. John McCain’s primary [...]
It’s no surprise that the health care tussle in Congress has infiltrated the General Assembly. After all, bills were introduced in the House to allow South Carolina to opt out of a health care plan that has yet to pass the U.S. Senate or get [...]
Kitteh!
OK, back to the regularly scheduled business. A number of bills ready to go in the Senate for 2010 deal with general fauna — protecting the furry and feathered ones, while the scaly ones are up for harvesting. Really, though, there’s some [...]
If you thought the Taxation Realignment Commission was be-all and end-all of tax reform for the 2009-2010 legislative session, you would be wrong. It gets much more complicated than that. It’ll be interesting if any of these bills get out committee before the TRAC panel returns [...]
It seems that the tipping point in the restructuring of the S.C. state government has happened, and with a vengeance. If a number of these bills pass and go into law, the way South Carolina does business from here on out will change dramatically. Hopefully, it [...]
The House ad-hoc subcommittee on impeachment did what was expected — voted down the resolution for the impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford. There was a thought that it would get some Democratic support, or another Republican beside chief sponsor Rep. Greg Delleney, but the [...]
It’s hard getting old, being old or just having strategies that are old. We don’t know if people are aware of this, but the year is 2009. There’s been half of a one-term presidency, two two-term presidencies and the beginning of a term for another guy [...]
You could see this coming from a mile away. Members of the University of Alabama faculty senate have expressed their displeasure at the university canceling classes from Jan. 6-Jan. 8 for the BCS National Championship Game, when the No. 1 Crimson Tide faces [...]
Tennessee had to wait until the walking Krispy Kreme machine left, but now the NCAA is finally looking at the Volunteers’ recruiting practices. Namely, using comely girls to show football players a good time. Even reportedly sending them to Byrnes High School to [...]
Barbara Walters is about the worst thing to happen to TV news in, oh, ever. “Worse than the bifurcation seen in the Fox News/MSNBC divide,” you ask. Yes. “Worse than when ‘Dateline’ was inventing days to slot a new episode.” A thousand times. This woman basically [...]
Something tells us La. Gov. Bobby Jindal is just another pandering politician and doesn’t really care about football. After all, he had to get out front on the New Orleans Saints bandwagon, considering for a few games this year more than three of [...]
Monday, Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody missed out on winning the national award for the best lineman in college football. Instead, that trophy went to Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He won the award despite being a part of a middling Big XII [...]
The past week has seen some interesting polls put into the field, one by the Republican-leaning Rasmussen and one by the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. Depending on who you believe and what you believe, you’ll come out from looking at the polls with your [...]
There are 34 bowl games this year, and we’re picking every damn one of them (probably with 60-70 percent success). You can follow the progress or join up and do battle with us through ESPN College Bowl Mania. We’re in “The League” and “[...]
Sometimes it’s like the General Assembly is like the minor league to Congress. You can say something stupid, deal with a mini-scandal, learn from it and move on to the big leagues. Rep. Jeff Duncan, who is trying to make the leap from the S.C. [...]
Maybe it’s the mind’s inevitable draw to the salacious, from the sybarites to the Ned Flanders clones. But the ad-hoc House impeachment panel is going down Lovers’ Lane. It threw out 28 charges suggested by the State Ethics Commission, but on Monday began [...]
Former State Treasurer Grady Patterson has passed away, leaving South Carolina without yet another long-time state political figure. Unlike the gentleman who defeated Patterson in 2006, the man appeared perfectly happy to serve the Palmetto State in a relatively unheralded position. Democratic operative [...]
Don’t get between former U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering and a sporting event. Over a year ago, there was an on-deck circle mistake (bat goes flying, clocks some guy in the head, Pickering keeps playing), and today a report comes out saying Pickering lost [...]
Here we go. With the conference championship games over, and only Army-Navy left on Dec. 12, bowl bids are going out hot and heavy. There are some things that were expected, some surprises and — oh man — Clemson totally got jobbed.
We’re participating in Southeastern Conference sports site SECRivals‘ weekly SEC power poll this season. Let’s see what’s happening.
Week 14
No. 1. Alabama
No. 2. Florida
No. 3. LSU
No. 4. Ole Miss
No. 5. Georgia
No. 6. Auburn
No. 7. Arkansas
No. 8. Tennessee
No. 9. [...]
What the hell is going on with the campaign of Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster? His spokesman Rob Godfrey (a guy we actually think is an OK dude) ran some smack on U.S. Rep Gresham Barrett and Lt. Gov. André Bauer, which may have [...]
For years — damn, five decades — Britain has kept open a tip line for UFOs. But, let’s recognize what that was really about. It’s doubtful the UK gave a damn about aliens. It was more likely that the Ministry of Defence wanted the populace [...]
It’s alive! Like Lazarus in the Bible or something out of a George Romero film, Alabama running back Mark Ingram’s chances at the Heisman Trophy are looking pretty good, a week after it seemed all was lost when Auburn shut him [...]
We consider ourselves quite disciplined in that we have avoided reading the editorials in The Post & Courier for the two years since we moved back to South Carolina. The lead editorials in the P&C have, shall we say, a reputation. For instance, when you’re [...]
Wait, that just happened, right? Alabama dominated Florida? No late-game heroics from the Tebow child? The truly amazing thing is that this Crimson Tide team plays up to the level of the game. Quarterback Greg McElroy played above his head, and outshined the star [...]
Thursday, the ad-hoc impeachment committee went over the allegations provided by the State Ethics Commission. There was a lot of back-and-forth between the legislators and Gov. Mark Sanford’s high-priced attorneys. Then it came. The big move. The committee dismissed 28 of the charges.
Yep, there [...]
We really like the College of Charleston. Our step-father went there, and if an insane ex-girlfriend hadn’t showed up when we were touring campus, we might have started off there instead of VCU. Now, it turns out that the school in the most historic [...]
There’s a ton of people running for South Carolina governor these days. About five on each side, Democrats and Republicans. Now, before the New Year, we have a write-in candidate, believe it or not.
This guy is named Morgan Bruce Reeves, and he played football.
Reeves says [...]
Hey, kids! Did you remember that Dec. 1 was another one of those prefiling days for the House? Well, it can be excused if you forgot, considering the thrilling back-and-forth between Gov. Mark Sanford’s high-priced attorneys and the ad-hoc House impeachment committee that morning. Actually, [...]
The time before the next session isn’t just about writing bills and fun with impeachment. There are a number of important issues that need to be dealt with, and some preplanning involved. That’s why a few groups of legislators are getting together to save time when [...]
With Columbia’s bad-to-worse budgeting and general financial problems, public safety in the city has received a serious hit. Fortunately, the fire station on Devine Street is back to full operating strength, bringing back an engine that had been shut down by budget cuts in the Spring.
The [...]
So, you’re on the road and you’re ready to stop to eat. It’s been too long of the snacks and energy drinks and turning up your volume to a million decibels to stay awake. Where to eat? The road off the interstate is littered with chain [...]
Columbia mayoral candidate Steve Benjamin is making one of his first major policy stances this week, calling for the city’s first responders to be considered first for funding during the budget process. Over the past couple years, Columbia’s police, fire fighters and paramedics, et. al., [...]
Going into November, the S.C. Democratic Party raised more money spent less money and had more cash on hand in its federal account than its counterpart at the S.C. Republican Party, but didn’t do much with it. The Republicans, on the other hand, were pretty active [...]
We’re participating in Southeastern Conference sports site SECRivals‘ weekly SEC power poll this season. Let’s see what’s happening.
Week 13
No. 1. Alabama
No. 2. Florida
No. 3. LSU
No. 4. Ole Miss
No. 5. Georgia
No. 6. Auburn
No. 7. Arkansas
No. 8. Tennessee
No. 9. [...]
It’s doubtful that anytime in the modern era of college football there have been six undefeated teams, ranked Nos. 1-6, going into the final week season (not counting Army-Navy on Dec. 12). As such, not much changed, even after a run of upsets. There remains the [...]
The Thanksgiving rivalry weekend wasn’t too kind to a number of favored teams, among them ACC division champions Clemson and Georgia Tech, who lost to Carolina and Georgia, respectively. With Mississippi State also upsetting Ole Miss, the bowl picture in the SEC is now like an [...]
What’s the matter with Spartanburg County? It’s always something with those guys. This week, The Herald-Journal revisited the resolution that was passed by the county Republican Party executive committee this summer, as campaigns are gearing up for the 2010 run. To speak to the executive [...]
The doctors called it shortly after the end of Alabama’s last-minute victory over Auburn. The noise of the flat-lining was loud. Alabama running back Mark Ingram’s bid to become the program’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner was killed by the Auburn defense, and linebacker [...]
We don’t particularly like Wal-Mart, but like many people, we’ve shopped there out of necessity a number of times depending on the circumstances. Years ago, we made the observation that one can only spend five minutes in a Wal-Mart before something weird happens.
That quotient was [...]
For the past several weeks, there has been some activity regarding improper loans given by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the City of Columbia and then to people close to two City Council members. The loans involved [...]
Sometimes, journalists have to write bullshit process stories when they already know the outcome. We’d be surprised if Associated Press writer Jim Davenport didn’t break out in a massive yawn while penning, “AG not close to decision on SC gov ethics case.” The collective reaction, [...]
There have been plenty of mentions during the impeachment process of Gov. Mark Sanford about an impeachment in 1877. The year struck us as meaningful, since it was when the old guard of South Carolina retook the government from the Federal occupying forces and the [...]
With two weeks left, and Alabama staring at a trip to Auburn and the SEC Championship Game, Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram still isn’t letting go of first place in the Heisman Trophy race. Against UT-Chattanooga, he was pulled with 10 minutes [...]
Today, the ad-hoc House committee on the impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford had its first meeting to discuss the resolution put forward by Rep. Greg Delleney and set the plan for which the committee will discuss the issue and formulate a report.
This month, Nike played fast-and-loose with 10 universities’ uniform combinations because Nike hates America. And freedom, &c. Of special note are the abominations that will or have adorned Florida State, Florida and LSU. And then there’s Clemson, joining the party at the [...]
As our uncle would say, “Oh, law.”
The Bowl Championship Series, which we just defended, didn’t exactly wow the nation when it retained former Bush administration spokesman Ari Fleischer’s firm to run its public relations operation. The move has no doubt been driven [...]
The State Ethics Commission report on Gov. Mark Sanford’s indiscretions regarding use of state money and campaign dollars was released today, but we’re not sure if this thing is really worth a damn or not. A few of these charges, here or there, might [...]
Alabama running back Mark Ingram shot to the top of the Heisman Trophy watch lists after his 249-yard performance against Carolina, but until now, the university has laid off promoting him. Coach Nick Saban really doesn’t want to deal with that distraction, [...]
It’s Impeachment Meeting Eve. Fired up and ready to go? They’re getting the logistics nailed down, and it’s looking like it’s going to be a crowded affair. Rep. Jim Harrison will be chairing the committee, and will be joined by Reps. Greg Delleney, [...]
Hey, look — mainframes! It’s hard not to think of these behemoths, and their sleeker ’90s counterparts, when thinking of the bank of computer polls being used as a third of the BCS formula. This week, for whatever reason, the computers were near-unanimous in picking [...]
This past week was considered a boring one at the outset, but a few games created new story lines and teams that will be slotted into the SEC bowl tie-ins got a little of a shake. With Tennessee’s win, the conference now has 10 bowl eligible [...]
We’re participating in Southeastern Conference sports site SECRivals‘ weekly SEC power poll this season. Let’s see what’s happening.
Week 11
No. 1. Alabama
No. 2. Florida
No. 3. Ole Miss
No. 4. LSU
No. 5. Georgia
No. 6. Auburn
No. 7. Arkansas
No. 8. Tennessee
No. 9. Kentucky
[...]
Going into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, UConn was a middling Big East team with a 4-5 record. Notre Dame was 6-4 with a chance to salvage the season with a Gator Bowl bid versus Miami. Irish head coach Charlie Weis needed a win to [...]
Gov. Mark Sanford’s getting his neck stretched over the tree stump as legislators will be meeting next week in what’s called an ad-hoc committee to consider impeachment. Local Rep. Jim Harrison will be chairing it, according to Rep. Alan Clemmons and the [...]
Slagging the Bowl Championship Series these days is like being a fan of Nirvana in 1992. Rarely has trying to be a rebel looked so mainstream. Yeah, kid, you want a playoff. Woo. But, really, the bowl system and the BCS is pretty, pretty, pretty [...]
We’ve been leery of U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, because he seems like, oh, a competent version of Gov. Mark Sanford, but you can put the nail in the coffin of Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist, Rubio’s opponent in the Republican primary. Why might [...]
A goodly number of college football teams have live mascots. But the line of Ugas take the cake. We’re especially in thrall of the late Uga V, otherwise known as “Magillicuddy II.” He not only appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1997, [...]
Damn, it seems like everyone and their mom is running for Columbia mayor. The latest entrant is local attorney and Nelson Mullins partner Steve Morrison. It was assumed that he would be battling with front-runner Steve Benjamin for the same votes. That’s now a [...]
We’re not going to say former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is an idiot, but she is the most ignorant dumbass with a serious shot at national elective office since then-Ala. Gov. George Wallace ran in 1968. It was like every time she opened her [...]
The ruling coming out of the State Ethics Commission on Wednesday has as much use as a fish needs a bicycle. Somebody please tell us what the hell point is it when The State’s lede on the story is about the most stupid goddamn [...]
It doesn’t happen that often anymore, thanks to the inclusion of lethal injection among the options, but a man condemned to death for murder got fried by Virginia’s electric chair on Tuesday. Gov. Tim Kaine, who is against the death penalty (he’s also pro-life, [...]
We have great memories of when Five Points was torn up, trees cut down and temporary orange fencing placed all over creation. Mmm, good times. Well, if you didn’t have your fill yet, Harden Street is getting more of a makeover.
Turns out, the Five Points [...]
How do you say “YARRRR!” in Somali? The crew of the MV Maersk Alabama heard it again, when it was attacked by Somali pirates for the second time this year.
The last time, it looked pretty bad for awhile. The captain was taken hostage, [...]
How lame is Auburn? Take Clemson, remove the lake, and put it in an even more remote location. Then add fans who like to toilet-paper the campus after a win (classy!). Obviously, our schadenfreude meter was red-lining this morning after being apprised of not one, but [...]
Here we give you the best of the rest, the bills that were noteworthy, but didn’t have other bills that were interesting enough to pair up with. There’s a little bit of everything in here.
Including snakes. And alligators. And God-knows-what-all that Rep. Herb Kirsh is [...]
On to the transportation bills that don’t involve mobile phones. It’s great, we’ve got it all here: speeding, drugs and government travel. But, be reminded — this isn’t pre-Operation Lost Trust anymore. You can’t get do a gator-tail of blow, get inside a car and [...]
Have a mobile phone? Of course you do. You probably yak on it and text your pals and do whatever you need to do on it, all day, all the time. In the prefiled bills, there are plenty that deal with your ability to use your [...]
Oh, boy. If you didn’t think the back-and-forth in Washington of this exchange: “You think you know better than everyone! Keep your big government hands out of health care,” versus, “Oh, you mean, ‘Keep your socialist hands off my Medicare,’” was not coming to our state [...]
