I think your embarrasment for SC as a haven for the tea party is a little misplaced. I think the real embarrasment should be be for states like California or cities like Detroit that are havens for liberalism.....that is where you will find true financial or social distruction.

Say, Doc - do you know which party rules the state governments in California and Michigan? The *Republican* Party - that's which one. The same one that passed a law removing all taxes on yachts in California.

@reg: "...which party rules the state governments in California The *Republican* Party -"

in the interest of truth...there is a DEM majority in CA house/senate...the terminator GOP was CA gov 2003-11...

coincidental but amazing how the terminator's and W's terms coincided and produced similar disastrous results...maybe more proof GOP voodoo economics dont work...eg, 1929, 2008, and CA 2011.

BO and moonbeam are cleaning up the mess W and arnold created...

apropos of nothing but as CA was brought up...there is a similarity between CA and SC...both GOP govs (mark and arnold) cheated on their wives while in office.

Thanks, Stanley - I guess a more proper question would have been "who was in majority when that bill passed?" and "What percentage vote does CA state legislature require to overturn a law"? (answer to the latter: 3/4)

@reg: "who was in majority when that bill passed?...What percentage vote does CA state legislature require to overturn a law"? (answer to the latter: 3/4)

not sure bill to which you refer...but assume it relates to CA failure to close yacht loophole...so the following clips may help:

[CLIP] What is the "Yacht Party"...What else would you call the California Republicans who decided to support an appalling tax loophole for yacht purchasers while our state is facing a massive $20 billion budget deficit and teachers are getting pink slips?

[CLIP] Yacht buyers will continue to benefit from a loophole that allows them to avoid sales tax on their boats, after Republicans in the Assembly blocked an effort to close it Tuesday.

it requires a 2/3 vote to change tax/fee structure...so the minority GOP can and has blocked any tax/fee reform...

FYI DEMs have been the majority in CA house/senate since the 70s...but as in the US senate, majority doesn't rule.

Your comment is embarrassing, you insult hard working Americans.

Jonathan , If ya dont like it here, GO THE HELL BACK WHERE YA COME FROM. We love our state. All the best...Scott

@Scott: Don't give me that crap. I was born in Sumter. Jerks like you are why this state has remained so parochial and stubbornly ignorant. You're always threatening everyone who is different or doesn't disagree with you. It's fear and cowardice. Generate an original thought and come back to me.

@Scott Hines: "...We love our state."

SC is my beloved home state and summerville is my "kingdom by the sea"...and i hope to see her number 1 in education, job creation, etc...

would like to see her become the silicon valley of the atlantic coast...that is why we all should address (and correct) her current short comings...which are exacerbated by T-GOP policies (my opine)

gosh wish all would stop with the 'go back to where you came from'...it been around too long, eg N-word go back to africa and;

indicates one doesn't have logical arguments...counter points.

He wasn't a Republican he was a Democrat that could not get elected unless he ran as a Rep! And btw, SC has one of the fastest growing economies in the country right now! And as far as an "empty reference, what reference would make you see the light, California has a 16 BILLION $ deficit!

Re: South Carolina has the fastest growing economy... yes, we're China's west most province. When you start with expectations and results so dismal it's easy to show rapid growth. We're still ranked lower than almost every other state in the nation, in almost every conceivable measurement of success, but instead of being miles behind we're only a few laps. Still not good enough after DECADES of Republican control.

@Joe: "..., California has a 16 BILLION $ deficit!"

difficult to follow the what and why of joe's random, mostly inaccurate, ad hominem like, unsubstantiated, comments...but in general, FYI:

under GOP gov schwarzenegger (2003-11), CA deficits increased and was 20.7 billion his last year in office.

"Ongoing Annual Budget Problems Around $20 Billion...we forecast that operating deficits after 2010–11 will be around $20 billion each year."

"Despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's promises to reduce California's indebtedness, the state's debt has nearly tripled during the seven years he has been governor."

(kinda reminds one of W and GOP economic policies in general)

under moonbeam (DEM gov jerry brown) the deficit is being reduced...now $16B vice

BTW the $16 billion is a projection based on no action taken...ie, no spending cuts and no revenue increases...the projections fluctuate wildly...a week ago the projection was $9.2 billion.

mo FYI stuff and perhaps perspective:

per the "debt clock" debt to GDP ratios: SC, 21.6%; CA, 18.1% http://www.usdebtclock.org/#

but an article say: "According to U.S Debt Clock.org, South Carolina’s current debt-to-GDP ratio is 30.6 percent – ranking the Palmetto State behind only Kentucky.

i dunno why the difference

Considering their stated goal is to keep American progress on any front from happening while the sitting president is in office I'd have to say yes, that is what the voters of SC want.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html

@Chris Winston: "...reduced to name calling and veiled (or not so veiled) innuendo...Have Mulvaney, Duncan, Gowdy and Scott remained truer to their word than others?"

this guilty party agrees re reduction...not sure why it happens...why contributors (i) cant stick to topic...or even not initially on topic...

so to the question: Mulvaney, Duncan, Gowdy and Scott been true...suppose they have been true to misguided ideologies...ie, Block BO...sad they cant compromise for the common good...

compromise would have accelerated BO's recovery.

The four have remained truest to their corporate donors of all in Congress. Just check their vote on the recent bill pertaining to privacy: thanks to their votes, your boss can legally require to hand over your facebook, twitter, myspace, LinkedIn and even Patch.com password. If your boss doesn't like what he sees in your own personal (non-work) expressions? You can be punished at work, even fired. And you can definitely be fired if you don't hand over those passwords, too. So much for the "small government" and "personal freedom" tea party, eh?

@Chris Winston: "...reduced to name calling and veiled (or not so veiled) innuendo...Have Mulvaney, Duncan, Gowdy and Scott remained truer to their word than others?"

didn't take long to get off topic again...but difficult to expand on a bacically "yes/no" question...any thoughts...

HR 3309 that passed in March - Rep. Perlmutter from Colorado introduced an amendment to it to have that portion removed (allowing employers to require employees to give up their passwords) - http://www.democraticleader.gov/pdf/HR3309MTR.pdf

Tim Scott (and all other Republicans but one) voted against that amendment, making it formally legal: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll137.xml

That HR 3309 redefined the "Unlawful Access to Stored Communications" law to allow that invasion of privacy. So much for his "small government" and "freedom" claims, huh?
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2701

@Joe: "what law requires us to hand over our password?"

correct me if i'm wrong...but seems when joe-etal asked question there is an answer (fr reg or whoever)...OTOH when a question is asked of joe-etal there is no answer...just more adhom attacks.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/28/house-shoots-down-bill-that-would-have-stopped-employers-from-demanding-your-facebook-password/

Of course you'll have to read.

and when you tell your employer "no," your employer can fire you for lack of compliance with his demands to violate your privacy. And you approve that, Joe? You think it's okay, Big Brother? Please remember, Big Brother Joe, why our country was founded in the first place. You keep trying to wave the constitution and bill of rights - but when those same rights are violated, you say it's okay? That our government - founded to protect rights in the first place - has nothing to do with it? That sentiment is too much like the one our founding fathers came here to escape, Joe. You should move to china or N Korea with the other commies that agree with you.

That bill was a modification to the Communications Act, and which removed the applicability of 18 USC*2701 "Unlawful access to stored communications" - meaning, Tim Scott and the rest of the GOTea Party went out of their way to make sure they took away your right to privacy. Meaning, they made sure they did exactly as their corporate campaign donors told them to do. And meaning they can chalk another notch on their bedpost everytime you post something here to defend him and the others for their unAmerican, Big Brother schemes. ..send us a postcard from North Korea, Big Brother Joe.

I'm a hardcore American, Joe. My family first came here in 1702, and to get away from folks like YOU, who thought a government should restrict freedom - who thought that a majority could impose restrictions on any other group that didn't agree - who thought that no one had a right to simple, basic rights. and you know what else, Joe? WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE THIS TIME. Get the hell out of our country - your ancestors are rolling over in their graves, right now.

Yup, that's Big Brother Joe, for you. Follow the thread here, readers! First, someone introduces the law that takes away freedom to the topic here. (Joe then denies there is such a law.) So others provide evidence that it does in fact now exist. (Joe then challenges that this new law is being interpreted correctly.) So others provide evidence that the interpretations aren't just interpretations, but fact - GOP took away right of privacy. (Joe then says it was a publicity stunt by another party.) So others provide evidence that the protest to that law was not a publicity stunt, but was attempt to protect pre-existing law protecting rights to privacy. (Joe then defends the same new law he previously denied ever existed, saying it's not government's job to protect your privacy.) So others remind Joe of the reason our country was founded in the first place. (Joe, backed against a wall after flip-flopping his stance yet again, further reveals himself to be an online troll GOP campaigner issuing juvenile boys room chatter.)

@Joe: "please grow up!"

repeating: correct me [seigler] if i'm wrong...but seems when joe-etal asked question there is an answer (fr reg or whoever)...OTOH when a question is asked of joe-etal [or facts presented] there is no answer [or counter facts]...just more adhom attacks.

recent exchange seems to confirms my opine...ad hominem attacks are NOT facts and add NOTHING to understanding the issues...

joe-etal's time better spent googling for facts...or opines that strengthen their positions...vice spouting too cute by 1/2 adhoms...weel really not that cute.

sorry joe but you need a new line...or you will become less and less relevant to yo causes.

@Joe: "u people must have no life"

mo confirmation of my opine: "repeating: correct me [seigler] if i'm wrong...but seems when joe-etal asked question there is an answer (fr reg or whoever)...OTOH when a question is asked of joe-etal [or facts presented] there is no answer [or counter facts]...just more adhom attacks.

but have to admit i do need to get a life vice responding to joe's adhoms...but in some perverse way it's fun...and perhaps it may change some T-GOP opines which would be plus for our country.