TheState.com: S.C. Politics

State to seek funds for education reform

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:55 EST

State Department of Education leaders said they will apply for a portion of $4 billion in federal stimulus money for school reform available to states, and they think they have a shot at getting it.

The U.S. Department of Education isn't yet accepting applications for the money, which will be available through a competitive federal grant program called "Race to the Top."

But when applications are accepted, the department has said, it will favor states that support charter schools and that have put in place programs that tie teachers' pay to their students' academic performance.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has control over which states will get the money, and it could go to as few as 10 to 20 states.

Betsy Carpentier, the state's deputy superintendent for education, said South Carolina has several key strategies already in place that could help it land a grant, including:

Climate change bill: Graham out in the cold

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:58 EST

When it comes to combating global warming, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is right where he loves to be - ahead of the curve, in the mix on a major issue, at the table for high-level, bipartisan talks behind closed doors.

Graham, a South Carolina Republican, is working with Democratic U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and independent U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to craft a climate change bill.

They face the dual challenge of overcoming widespread GOP opposition and withstanding relentless attacks by Big Oil and allied energy interests.

"Our goal is to create a vision that not only will help this planet - which I think is in peril - but will create millions of new jobs for Americans who need them and help us become energy independent to make us safer," Graham told a crowded Capitol Hill news conference Wednesday.

Kerry, Lieberman and Graham held private meetings with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former EPA chief Carol Browner, now President Barack Obama's top adviser on climate change.

The Buzz: Sanford watches GOP win from afar

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:44 EST

Sanford watches GOP win from afar

Democrats weren't the only losers last week when Republicans took governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. The biggest loser might have been right here in South Carolina, our own Gov. Mark Sanford.

Sanford chaired the Republican Governor's Association until resigning that post this summer after admitting to an extramarital affair.

His replacement, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, is basking in the glow of the two wins. Some political analysts think Barbour's election plan could translate into more election victories in 2010 when 38 governors are up for election.

Leading the GOP to more wins in 2010 could have served as a launching pad for a presidential bid in 2012 for someone with such ambitions.

Sanford report can be aired

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:58 EST

Gov. Mark Sanford must convince the State Ethics Commission that a report detailing his use of state and private planes and campaign money should be kept private, the S.C. Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court ruled that Sanford waived confidentiality in the yet-to-be completed investigation but that it is up to the Ethics Commission to decide what is made public.

"The only reasonable interpretation ... is that it was an intentional relinquishment of the right to confidentiality, and therefore a valid - and complete - waiver," the court wrote of Sanford's Aug. 28 letter to the Ethics Commission in which he said he was waiving confidentiality.

That letter also was released to the public by Sanford, who touted his action as going above and beyond what was required because of his belief in open government.

Sanford's attorney had argued the letter only was intended to allow the Ethics Commission to disclose that it was investigating allegations against Sanford and the scope of that inquiry.

Graham bill on 9/11 trials defeated

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:40 EST

The Senate on Thursday narrowly defeated a bid to try Sept. 11 suspects only before military tribunals after an emotional debate that rekindled questions from the attack eight years ago over how to keep Americans safe from further assault.

The Senate's 54-45 vote to reject the measure by Sen. Lindsey Graham opens the door for President Barack Obama to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, to trial in civilian federal court.

Obama has pledged to shutter the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by January and transfer some of its 220 detainees to the United States for trials in civilian courts.

Three Democrats - Sens. Jim Webb of Virginia, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas - and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut joined all 40 Senate Republicans in voting to restrict the 9/11 trials to military commissions.

Graham, a South Carolina Republican and a military lawyer who has served active duty in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, pleaded with his colleagues to back his amendment to a spending measure for the Justice Department and other federal agencies.

Barrett presses rivals on detainee issue

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01 EST

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett found out Wednesday his Republican rivals for governor are willing to disagree even when they agree on an issue - housing terrorism suspects in Charleston.

And a Democratic opponent was blunt and coarse in rejecting Barrett's plea to oppose the transfer, telling the Upstate congressman to take the letter he planned to write to President Obama and "shove it."

It's one year before South Carolinians head to the polls to elect a new governor. Wednesday's tussle over how the state should oppose the possibility of housing terrorism suspects in South Carolina was perhaps the first sign of how heated the race for governor will be over the next 12 months.

Tuesday Barrett called on nine fellow gubernatorial candidates to sign a letter to President Barack Obama opposing the transfer of any of the more than 200 terror suspects housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a naval brig outside of Charleston. Obama has pledged to close the base but has yet to decide when or what will happen to the Iraq and Afghanistan war detainees held at Guantanamo.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a military lawyer who has tried to work closely with the White House on detainee issues, criticized Obama for announcing plans to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison before developing a comprehensive plan for handling the suspects.

Obama nominates two N.C. judges

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:34 EST

S.C. in position to lose a seat on 4th Circuit Court of Appeals

WASHINGTON - The nomination of two North Carolina judges to the nation's second-highest court could further a leftward push by President Barack Obama in shaping the federal judicial system.

The confirmations also would give the Tar Heel state the appeals court heft sought for years by the state's legal community and its senators in Washington. North Carolina now has just one resident on the 15-judge panel, which hears cases from five mid-Atlantic states.

Judges Jim Wynn of Cary and Albert Diaz of Charlotte were, as expected, nominated by Obama Wednesday to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If confirmed, they would bring the number of North Carolina seats to three.

Diaz would be the first Latino member of the 4th Circuit. He now serves as Special Superior Court Judge for Complex Business Cases in the Mecklenberg County Superior Court.

Uncommon roots but common goals

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:58 EST

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, both sons of the segregated South, grew up in parts of South Carolina that were much further apart than the mere 175 miles between them.

Tonight, the two men - a black Democrat from Sumter and a white Republican from the small Upstate town of Central - will share an honor that the Jim Crow laws of their youth might have prohibited.

The Columbia Urban League will present to Clyburn and Graham its annual Whitney M. Young Award in recognition of their efforts to advance race relations in South Carolina.

"Both Congressman Clyburn and Senator Graham have demonstrated in their own distinct ways a commitment to social justice and equal opportunity for all Americans," said James T. McLawhorn, president of the Columbia Urban League.

"People don't necessarily articulate issues the same way, but when the dust settles, they're both of one accord when it comes to promoting basic rules of fairness," McLawhorn said.

McMaster, Haley to sign letter opposing terror suspects

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:54 EST

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster and State Rep. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, have said they will sign a letter, written by one of their fellow Republican candidates for governor, opposing the transfer of terrorism suspects form Cuba to a Charleston naval prison.

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-Westminster, asked the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates to sign a letter to President Barack Obama Tuesday opposing the transfer of any of the more than 200 Afghan and Iraq war detainees being held at the to-be-closed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center.

McMaster agreed but said Barrett should not have been caught off-guard since President Obama has pledged to close the Cuban prison.

"I can't understand why anyone would be surprised by the news. Barack Obama announced his plans to close Guantanamo Bay during the presidential campaign. It hasn't exactly been a secret," McMaster said in a statement. "Congress should have taken action on this issue long ago. National security is a federal issue. The United States Congress is the branch of government with the jurisdiction and the legal authority to stop the president from making unwise decisions that threaten the security of our nation."

Haley also said that, as a member of Congress, Barrett has a chance to do more than write protest letters to President Barack Obama opposing the transfer. Barrett can introduce legislation to prevent the transfer, Haley said.

Gubernatorial candidates take crowded stage

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:34 EST

Watch the debate: Video courtesy of myetv.org. More information about the debate can be found here.

Ten candidates vying to be governor of South Carolina left little doubt Tuesday of the importance of natural resources and the environment.

From global warming to off-shore oil drilling and nuclear waste storage, the candidates were grilled by journalists in a tightly woven debate on their views on protecting the environment without stunting economic growth.

Debate organizers said it was the first time in state history all the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor took a stage together, to address issues pertinent to voters and critical to the state's future.

"The reason is, there is tremendous economic benefit derived in this state from our natural resources," said Emmett Davis, chairman of the South Carolina Natural Resources Society board, which sponsored the debate.

Graham supporters fight back

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:36 EST

S.C. conservationists and business leaders rallied to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's defense Tuesday, after an energy industry group began running ads critical of the Republican's support of a bipartisan energy bill.

On a conference call, supporters said Graham is fighting for South Carolina's needs in the national energy debate, and that future U.S. prosperity and security depend on energy conservation and efficiency.

"If you're not at the table, you're on the table," subject to being carved up, said Michael Couick, president and chief executive of the Electrical Cooperatives of South Carolina Inc. "Lindsey Graham gets us a seat at the table."

Couick said an energy bill that is good for California or other large states might not be right for South Carolina, where a higher percentage of households earn $25,000 or less and are more likely to live in manufactured housing that may be less energy efficient.

"We've found that Sen. Graham understands South Carolina and the challenges we face," Couick said.

Governor's race a wide-open 2-party affair

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:02 EST

A year from now, South Carolina voters will choose a new governor.

The race for the state's top job has not been this wide open since 1994.

That was the last time South Carolina replaced a term-limited governor. Gov. Mark Sanford, who was elected in 2002, cannot seek a third term.

Political observers expect tense, competitive primaries among both Democrats and Republicans. Three or more candidates in each party could have the money and staying power to last until June.

With such a wide field, expect the unexpected, say those watching this race take shape.

Conservation, business leaders back Graham on energy

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:07 EST

S.C. conservationists and business leaders rallied to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's defense Tuesday, after an energy industry group began running ads critical of the Republican’s support of a bi-partisan energy bill.

On a conference call, supporters said Graham he is fighting for South Carolina’s needs in the national energy debate, and that future U.S. prosperity and security depend on energy conservation and efficiency.

"We've found that Sen. Graham understands South Carolina and the challenges we face," Couick said.

Lots of candidates and no incumbents in Mount Pleasant

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:45 EST

In a generally quiet election season, things have been busy in a South Carolina coastal town.

The bedroom community of Mount Pleasant, the state's fourth-largest municipality with a population of more than 64,000, elects a mayor and town council on Tuesday. The Post and Courier of Charleston reports that of 22 candidates for those positions, there are no incumbents.

Nineteen newcomers are seeking town council seats.

Three men who had served on town council - Joe Bustos, Gary Santos and Billy Swails - are all running for mayor.

Mayor Harry Hallman, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, stepped down last spring. His replacement, Kruger Smith, did not seek a full term.

State senator to challenge Spratt

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:07 EST

A Republican state senator said Monday he is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. John Spratt in 2010 - a race national Republicans consider "one to watch."

Freshman state Sen. Mick Mulvaney's announcement comes two months after voters in Spratt's home county - increasingly conservative York County - booed and jeered South Carolina's longest-serving congressman at a meeting on health care.

"I decided to run while sitting in the back of that meeting," Mulvaney said of the Sept. 3 event in Rock Hill, where more than 600 people filled an auditorium and hundreds more gathered around loudspeakers outside.

A spokesman for Spratt did not immediately return messages left at his office and on his cell phone.

As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Spratt is among the few high-profile Democrats that the GOP considers vulnerable. Most on that list are in their first or second term, said Andy Sere, regional spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

10 candidates, 1 stage, 3 things to know

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:23 EST

It's one year before statewide Election Day, and tonight 10 candidates seeking to become South Carolina's next governor will debate in Orangeburg.

Voters will go to the polls at least twice in 2010 to elect a successor to Mark Sanford.

Tonight will be the first time candidates from both parties will participate in a debate before a primary, according to organizers. Voters will go to the polls in June to select Democratic and Republican nominees for governor.

Here are three things you should know about tonight's debate.

Critic: DHEC must monitor stream

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:04 EST

JALAPA - A once clear-running stream in the Sumter National Forest has turned red so many times that William Hall wonders whether it will ever be the same again.

Nearly a year ago, South Carolina's environmental protection department knew that sediment was running into the creek from a chicken farm.

But as recently as Sept. 18, soil was eroding down a hillside to the stream, according to photographs Hall's family took.

Hall, a retired schoolteacher, says the Department of Health and Environmental Control should have stopped the erosion that put silt in the creek as soon as the agency learned about it.

"DHEC has done nothing but pay lip service to this," said Hall, who is concerned about pollution from poultry farms near his Newberry County home. "I'm disappointed."

The Buzz: After 7 years, Sanford discovers compromise

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:56 EDT

Governor, state benefit

Want proof that Gov. Mark Sanford may have changed his stripes?

The Buzz points to three recent examples.

- First, Sanford backed off a demand that lawmakers approve a top-to-bottom overhaul of the state Employment Security Commission during last week's quickie session to correct a glitch that restores unemployment benefits to jobless South Carolinians. During a roundtable on the issue two weeks ago, Sanford said he realized the problem was more complicated than he first thought. Then, last week, when legislators changed a formula in state law so that jobless South Carolinians can get extended unemployment benefits, Sanford signed it.

- Second, Sanford swallowed his pride and his traditional objections to the huge bundle of state-provided tax incentives used to lure roughly 4,000 Boeing jobs to North Charleston. In the past, Sanford has vetoed incentive packages, but he held his fire this time.

Poll positions for '10 Survey: Rex first, Ford second among Democrats

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:08 EDT

Sen. Robert Ford, an underdog Democratic candidate for governor, holds a second-place position in the five-person primary race, according to an internal poll conducted by Jim Rex's campaign.

About 400 likely Democratic voters were quizzed on which candidates' names they recognized and their opinions of those candidates.

Rex, the state's schools superintendent, led the Democratic candidates with a 41 percent favorable rating. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said they did not know who Rex was.

- Ford, D-Charleston, came in second with 32 percent of respondents holding a favorable opinion. Fifty-one percent of those polled did not know Ford.

- Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, took third place with 23 percent of respondents holding a positive opinion of the attorney and 63 percent not knowing him.

Agency: Sanford report should be aired

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:05 EDT

The State Ethics Commission argued in court papers Friday that state law allows it to send the preliminary results of its investigation into allegations against Gov. Mark Sanford to House lawmakers, no matter whether Sanford waived his confidentiality rights.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the S.C. House of Representatives say Sanford unequivocally and completely waived his right to confidentiality. While that may be a decision Sanford now regrets, it is one he can't take back, they argue.

Lawyers for the Ethics Commission and the House got their final shots Friday at convincing the state Supreme Court that the preliminary results from an investigation into Sanford's travels and expenses can be made public.

"In short, the 'genie is out of the bottle,' " House lawyers wrote. "And Governor Sanford is trying to put the genie back in."

At issue is an investigation, being conducted by the State Ethics Commission, into Sanford's use of state planes for political and personal trips, as well as his use of campaign money.