The first line of today’s Greenville News focuses on the ‘image’ consequences of this latest embarrassment by a Republican politician for the voters of South Carolina.
President Obama on Thursday accepted South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's apology for shouting “You lie!” during his speech on health care reform Wednesday night, but that didn't diminish the harsh spotlight on a state already reeling from a public image slam brought on by its governor's affair with an Argentine woman.
Here is the article in its entirety, if you care to read it.
I was shaking my head from the first words, in the caption, which in the newspaper itself read:
Lawmakers, residents fear damage to state’s image ...
Give me a break.
Except for state Democrats, NO ONE is concerned about the image of the State of South Carolina and its stupid voters, least of all those voters themselves.
If they were not embarrassed BEFORE Sanford’s affair revelations, they for damned sure are not embarrassed now. That man has done nothing but discredit himself further every day since that story broke. Yesterday’s paper noted that Republican state legislators were almost unanimous in their calls for his resignation (61 of 72). He did everything but laugh at them, and dare them to try impeachment (which they might actually do!). He doesn’t believe they have the nerve to do that. He wants to remain governor because he feels that is what is best for him right now. Not what is best for the state, not what is best for any of the people of the state, but then, he has never cared about the people of the state of South Carolina, which has official unemployment of 11.8%. He could care less, since he has a job.
As of 3/09, 677,128 people were receiving food stamps in South Carolina (a 1.4% increase over February), of 4,479,800 total residents (from a 2008 estimate). That’s approximately 15% of the state’s population! It’s hard to imagine that many of those who can’t provide enough food for themselves and their families can afford health care. That doesn’t bother Mark Sanford.
According to one source, 467,000 children under the age of 18 are below 200% of the poverty level in the state of South Carolina. Hard to imagine they have much if any health care. That doesn’t bother Mark Sanford, though. He has health care. He has a job. That’s what matters. It’s funny, almost every day there are letters in the newspaper imploring state legislators to let Mark Sanford get back to the job of governing for the people of South Carolina. The irony, of course, is that that is NOT what Mark Sanford does. Never has been, never will be. He abdicated those responsibilities from Day One. If South Carolina voters are not embarrassed by that record, they won’t be embarrassed by anything else.
To give another example, the person South Carolina Republicans elected State Treasurer, Thomas Ravenel, was arrested and convicted on cocaine charges. If South Carolina voters are not embarrassed by that record, they won’t be embarrassed by anything else.
In 2000 the NAACP got legislation passed to remove the Confederate flag from the flagpole atop the State Capitol building in Columbia. Only ... in crafting their legislation, they insisted only that it be removed from that flagpole, not completely from the Capitol grounds. In a truly vicious political move, South Carolina legislators smugly moved the flag to a far more conspicuous and prominent position next to a monument honoring Confederate soldiers. It remains there to this day, and South Carolina remains under an NAACP boycott since that day, too, which should be a source of unbridled shame for any human being with a conscience. If South Carolina voters are not embarrassed by that racist symbol on the capitol grounds, they won’t be embarrassed by anything else. (Sadly, it is true, a Democratic governor signed that legislation into effect. :( I felt I should point that out.)
There is, however, a group which is embarrassed and ashamed of the behavior of South Carolina Republicans. That group is made up exclusively of Democrats, who have a real sense of the magnitude of the disgraces brought upon the state by lousy, uncaring Republican politicians.
Joe Wilson is merely the latest in a seemingly endless series of dumbass Republicans bringing shame and humiliation to the state of South Carolina. But only we Democrats know the reality and the intensity of that experience. Republicans aren’t bothered at all. They’ve rallied to his cause, with contributions of over $200,000 since his inexcusable outburst. CNN features THAT story, only mentioning as an aside that Rob Miller has raised over $750,000 since then. How is $200,000 a bigger story than nearly four times that amount?! :( Please consider a donation to Rob Miller. Here’s the ActBlue link I used, to make sure everyone knows the potency of people-powered politics. Rob Miller's thank you is at the top of the Rec List. Please rec his diary and thank him for recognizing our feelings about him, against his deplorable opponent.
Thank you for visiting Top Comments tonight.
On to comments!
From RLMiller:
I've never sent in a Top Comments nomination before, but in my diary on climate change, WarrenS wrote a great description of the action of our leaders.
From mofembot:
Loonesta wrote a moving poem the day after 9/11/01, and shared it in Kevvboy's diary.
From Elise:
This is a hilarious comment from Thomas Boyko on a child's response to the school speech.
From pensivelady:
Hello top comments folks,
In the diary about the AARP poll, this comment from BennyToothpick was about CBS's less than insightful analysis of their own poll.
From Dragon5616:
Dear Top Comment Person,
Nulwee had this informative comment in LoudounObserver's recommended diary.
From N in Seattle:
In an inane first (and last??) diary by some adolescent calling itself "kosconservative", MinistryOfTruth masterfully describes just how influential DailyKos has been in dividing Americans from one another throughout our history. There's a whole lot of substance in that comment, something that can't be said of the diary.
From greeseyparrot:
Check this out:
I hope this qualifies (in spite of it currently having only two recs) because I can't think of the last time I thought so highly of a comment.
My picks:
Please give a tip to mbdunn, who has followed a hard road.
And check out this early am contribution from Troubadour, who, I feel sure, has a sense of South Carolina Republicans, if not ALL of them!
Top Mojo, excluding the tip jars and usual high mojo comments:
1 Jumping the thread by Dallasdoc - 189
2 Thanks for the diary, and thanks for trying to by Nashville fan - 165
3 According to Ed Schultz by johnmorris - 135
4 Amen, by LynndaMaree - 128
5 I have boycotted certain brands for about by MarkMarvin - 116
6 Interestingly - a WHITE MAN goes there! by pinkbunny - 109
7 I cringe at walks down memory lane by voracious - 108
8 The Republicans are the Key... by The BBQ Chicken Madness - 107
9 We're killing the middle class in America by Dallasdoc - 106
10 i absolutely agree with you by jk2003 - 101
11 Bush adman Mark McKinnon by Kitty - 98
12 The President should emphasise the by JL - 96
13 You Lie!!! by Mr Magu - 93
14 WOW! Just WOW! by TidBits - 88
15 Let's hope the next thing Wilson yells is... by canadaboy37 - 84
16 BUSH-clearing is a massive undertaking by xxdr zombiexx - 78
17 It's not just the Black folks, by DrJeremy - 77
18 I Hope by JekyllnHyde - 77
19 It's Going to Be Hard... by Pluto - 76
20 A lot of us would like to see your positions by SallyCat - 75
21 This is just so kewl.... by PvtJarHead - 75
22 Best of luck and spend it wisely by decembersue - 73
23 I hear your shout and raise you one. by Bob Love - 72
24 And THIS is the beauty of the website by Joshua Lyman - 72
25 I am so f---ing proud that he's my President! by GreenMtnState - 72
26 Fear is the key. by bellatrys - 70
27 You don't understand... by happycozy - 69
28 Then there was The Onion by Simplify - 68
29 About f'n time! by ultrageek - 68
30 I was in 2 WTC by plf515 - 67
31 it always gives me the sinking feeling by bluesteel - 67
Top Mojo, everything included (of 28485 comments in the past 24 hours)!
1 Tip Jar by Rob Miller - 937
2 Tip Jar by janicegwashington - 683
3 Tip Jar by plf515 - 582
4 Tip Jar by LoudounObserver - 534
5 Tip Jar by indepenocrat - 508
6 Tip Jar by blackwaterdog - 492
7 Tip Jar by proseandpromise - 354
8 Tip Jar by HistoryInAction - 284
9 Tip Jar by JLFinch - 283
10 Tip Jar by nyceve - 274
11 Tip Jar by Bruce Nilles - 270
12 Tip Jar by mka193 - 260
13 Tip Jar by adrianrf - 253
14 Tip Jar by Meteor Blades - 224
15 Tip Jar by Jerome a Paris - 196
16 Jumping the thread by Dallasdoc - 194
17 Tip Jar by slinkerwink - 188
18 Tips for peace and love by MinistryOfTruth - 169
19 Thanks for the diary, and thanks for trying to by Nashville fan - 169
20 How cool is this by Spedwybabs - 148
21 both/and makes sense by kid oakland - 147
22 Mojo Mug by TexDem - 139
23 According to Ed Schultz by johnmorris - 138
24 Amen, by LynndaMaree - 128
25 I have boycotted certain brands for about by MarkMarvin - 116
26 The Lounge Is Open by TexDem - 111
27 Get Your Supply of Doughnuts Here by TexDem - 110
28 Interestingly - a WHITE MAN goes there! by pinkbunny - 109
29 I cringe at walks down memory lane by voracious - 108
30 Mojo Friday Wants You by TexDem - 107
31 The Republicans are the Key... by The BBQ Chicken Madness - 107
32 We're killing the middle class in America by Dallasdoc - 106