Former SC Governor Jim Edwards Remembered

James B. Edwards, South Carolina's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later energy secretary in the Reagan administration, has died. He was 87.

His son-in-law Ken Wingate confirmed that Edwards died Friday, December 26,2014.

Dr Edwards was an oral surgeon who served in the South Carolina state Senate and worked to build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina, serving as Charleston County Republican Party chairman, before becoming governor in 1974.

Edwards was limited to one term under state law at the time. After leaving the governor's mansion, he headed to Washington as President Ronald Reagan's energy secretary.

Edwards returned to his home state to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina. He held that position for 17 years before retiring. During his tenure, more than 10,000 health professionals graduated from the University.

12/26/2014 - Funeral arrangements are not complete.

Governor James Edwards

Obituary:

James Burrows Edwards, DMD, 87, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, died Friday, December 26, 2014.

Jim was born June 24, 1927, in Hawthorne, Florida to the late O.M. and Bertie Ray Edwards. Both parents were school teachers, careers which led them to St. Andrews, South Carolina, in 1935 and Mt. Pleasant in 1937.

As a boy in Mt. Pleasant, Jim spent his spare time at Ft. Moultrie, home of the 263rd Coast Artillery, and acquired a lifelong love of the military and life at sea. Jim graduated from Moultrie High School in June 1944 and took a job with the Army Transportation Corps as a deck hand on an L-78 tug boat. Though only 17 years old, he joined the Merchant Marines in December 1944. Jim was assigned to the Dogwood, a Liberty Ship converted to a hospital ship transporting wounded servicemen home from Europe. Eventually, he also served on the U.S.A.T. Bridgeport, the George Washington, and the Larkspur. Jim worked his way through the ranks from ordinary seaman to an officer by age 19, licensed to pilot ships transporting "any tonnage on any water in the world."

In 1947, Jim began studies at the College of Charleston while also working as a night officer on ships as a member of the Master, Mates and Pilots Association. During summers, he remained active in seafaring trade, delivering coal to France and England, granite for the Santee Cooper Dam, and general cargo to ports throughout the Caribbean and South America.

Jim graduated from the College of Charleston in 1951, married Ann Darlington, his childhood sweetheart, and entered dental school at the University of Louisville. Upon graduation, he served two years on active duty with the U.S. Navy in Chincoteague, Virginia, as a general dentist. He would remain active in the United States Naval Reserve until 1967, retiring as a lieutenant commander.

After completing graduate medical training at the University of Pennsylvania in 1958 and a residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, Jim pursued his dream to return to Charleston, establishing his practice in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery in 1960.

While building a thriving practice, Jim entered the political arena, serving six years as the Charleston County Republican Party chairman. An unsuccessful bid for the United States Congress in 1971 was soon followed by his election to the South Carolina State Senate in 1972. Two years later, Jim was elected Governor of South Carolina - the state's first Republican Governor since reconstruction.

Jim served as governor from 1975 to 1979, returning briefly to his oral surgery practice in Charleston. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed Jim as Secretary of the United States Department of Energy, a position he held until November 1982, when he was called as president of the Medical University of South Carolina. Jim served as president of MUSC for 17 years, retiring in 2000. As president emeritus, Jim actively continued fundraising for the MUSC Health Sciences Foundation until 2014.

Among numerous civic and academic honors, Jim was granted the Order of the Palmetto for his public service to the State of South Carolina and is an inductee into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. He served on the Board of Directors of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, SCANA, South Carolina National Bank, Encyclopedia Brittanica, Waste Management, Chemical Waste Management, J. P. Stevens, Brendles, IMO Delaval, Inc., Philips Petroleum, National Data Corporation, Burris Chemical Co., the W. M. Benton Foundation, the MUSC Health Sciences Foundation, and the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT).

Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Ann; his son, James B. Edwards, Jr. and his wife, Jenny, of Columbia; his daughter, Catharine E. Wingate, and her husband, Ken, of Columbia; grandchildren, Miriam Wingate Ashworth, K. Bryan Wingate, Jr., Ansley Darlington Edwards, James B. Edwards, III., Catharine Paxson Wingate, and Hellen Tucker Edwards; one great-grandchild, Eliza Ann Wingate, and numerous nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his sister, Josephine E. Pinckney, his brother, Dr. Morton Thomas Edwards, his sisters, Ada Frances E. Melchers and Jane Ann E. Varn.

Visitation will be from 5:30 until 7:30 pm on Sunday, December 28, 2014 at St. Luke's Chapel, on the Campus of the Medical University of South Carolina.

The funeral service will be conducted at St. Philip's Church at 1:00 pm on Monday, December 29, 2014 by The Rt. Rev'd. Dr. C. FitzSimons Allison. Interment will follow in the churchyard of Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant, after which the family will receive visitors in the parish hall of Christ Church.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that memorials be made to the MUSC Foundation for the College of Nursing or for the College of Dental Medicine. (MUSC Foundation, 18 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29425) 

Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., 1494 Mathis Ferry Road, MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL.

SC Governor James Edwards (110th)

FINDAGRAVE.COM
Famous People

James Burrows "Jim" Edwards

Birth: Jun. 24, 1927, Hawthorne. Alachua County, Florida, USA

Death: Dec. 26, 2014, Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA

US Presidential Cabinet Secretary, South Carolina Governor. He served as the 3rd United States Secretary of the Department of Energy under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 until 1982. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 110th Governor of the State of South Carolina (1975 until 1979). During World War II, he served with the United States Maritime Service and later the United States Naval Reserves. He attained his Bachelor of Science from the College of Charleston and received his D.MD from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, before his post-graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to practice oral surgery in 

the Charleston-area, prior to entering the political arena, as a member of the South Carolina State Senate. During his tenure as governor, Edwards made history by becoming the first Republican elected following Reconstruction. He reinstated the death penalty and provided funding which was designated to assist the state's impoverished school districts.

Parents:
  Ordie Morton Edwards (1888 - 1978)
  Bertie Rae Hieronymus Edwards (1893 - 1981)

Burial:
Christ Church, Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA
2304 Highway 17 North, Mt Pleasant, SC 29466
843.884.9090
http://www.christch.org

Post and courier Photos  from the funeral

Post and Courier Tribute to Gov Edwards

Paul Ryan Wants to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee

Republican house leaders on Tuesday, Nov. 18, selected Paul Ryan to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee for the next two years. The Ways and Means Committee is the main tax-writing committee in Congress. The committee has jurisdiction in a number of key areas, such as trade agreements, taxes, health care, Social Security and social programs. He can serve as long as six years, but no more, due to term limits.

Wisconsin 1st district congressman, Paul Ryan,  previously served as the Budget Committee chairman.

"It’s been my aspiration for a long time because it’s the most important committee in Congress dealing with economic issues,” Ryan said in an interview Wednesday with The Journal Times.

You cannot expect a political party to become more responsive

A very long twitter rant by Jim Geraghty about the purity voters sent this Republican to the computer to make a meme.

Are you planning to stay home on "Election Day" rather than vote for a candidate who, in your mind, is only right 80% of the time?

Jim had some advice for you.

"You cannot expect a political party to become more responsive to your views by becoming less active in it."  ~Jim Geraghty

https://twitter.com/jimgeraghty

You can not expect a political party to be more responsive__Jim Geraghty

REPUBLICANS MUST WIN the SENATE In 2014

Change!

Change happens. When it comes to government, it mostly happens slowly, but it still happens.

We elected a man President of these United States that campaigned on fundamentally changing our country. He is doing his best to keep good on his campaign promise.

George Bush was elected with an agenda that was forever changed by the events of 9/11. Change came to him with a violent unimaginable attack.

Change is inevitable. It is happening before our eyes.It is messy and it is stressful. But it is not stoppable, so we better figure out how to handle it.

The Republican Party is struggling with the best way to deal with the changes. The stalwarts of the party have allowed a steady drip, drip, drip of compromise over a period of several years or at a minimum they lost some major direction in determining battles.

For whatever reason, the direction of the country gave rise to vocal, energetic grass root movements. 

There isn't a Republican on the planet that likes the change promised and in the process of being affected by Barack Obama.

What do we do about it?

Change comes. It comes slow and steady. Or it comes with an earth shattering bang.

As George Will recently said  "...improving 1 percent of the Senate is less important than taking 100 percent of Senate control from Harry Reid"

First we need to "WIN".  Then we can move in a direction to fix the country.

REPUBLICANS MUST WIN the SENATE...

Cyndi Sieger Frump, Guest writer

Conservative and Liberal Words Mean Things.

Concerning political words.  What does Conservative and Liberal mean?  Words mean things, so it all depends on what is being conserved or what liberty is being hindered.

We can not  let anyone hijack our political words. Deceivers have infiltrated both political parties. They are working hard to split up those who identify as Republicans and those who just normally vote Republican by using "Orwellian" speak.

RINOs, NeoCons, Conservative, Progressive, Liberal, Liberty, Libertarian, Constitution....All these words have been twisted and hijacked by both sides of the Left, the Neo-Nazis/Fascists and the Socialists/Communists.

We must not be manipulated one bit by their evil assault on the English language. And please do not call Commies, Socialists, and Liberals... "Progressives" they are not.

Some folks have put away their sheets, robes, hoods, brownshirts, swastikas and now dress like normal people.  They've learned to sound like conservatives and libertarians, they have infiltrated the Tea Party and the Republican Party, just like the Communists have infiltrated and control the Democratic Party.

We need to reject folks who attempt to manipulate us by simply calling themselves conservatives, libertarians or Republicans. Shucks, even Adolph Hitler sounded conservative at times. And conservative minded folks not knowing better voted Hitler into office.

There is no "I'm more conservative than you" litmus test in the Republican party. Issues are too varied. Republican and conservative are synonymous.  Republicans are the Conservatives. There is no other choice we must redeem the word Republican and reject the "I'm a conservative stance."that screams to all the world  "Republican and Democrat are the same". . .  they are NOT!!! 

I am a Republican which means politically I am a conservative. I identify as REPUBLICAN. That also means I'm conservative, but REPUBLICAN is what  I am voting. Consider the repercussions on election day if those two labels are not joined at the hip.

If Republicans erroneously allow the labeling of Tru-Cons, Paulbots, and Tea Partiers as conservatives, then they collectively will ruin the Republican party chances of victory every November.

Many brainwashed folks are going to vote for any minor "third" party candidate on the ballot that has "Conservative" or "Libertarian" attached to their name, they will throw their vote away on a purely "perceived" principle giving the victory to the democrats..

Ron and Rand Paul and their inner core minions are pseudo-libertarians in 3 piece suits deliberately disguised as Republicans to get elected. We must watch carefully the words coming out of our mouths and keyboards.  We must own the English language. Do not let left wing radicals install their Orwellian Newspeak in your minds.

Stop the hijacking. Do not surrender our political words. We are soldiers to an extent. Words are our weapons. Do not surrender your words, use them to defeat the left-wing radicals whether they are Tru-Cons, Paulbots or Obamaites.

If you surrender one word to them, you are giving them control over your life.

As to the Tru-Cons, Tea Partiers and pseudo-Libertarians, call them what they are. They say they are "NOT" Republicans, they boast that they are Conservatives.  Well, we Republicans agree.  They are not Republicans, they are the "RINOS".

Contributed by New Chapters

America is the real target of ISIS

Members of the Islam State of Iraq and Shaam (Isis) with senior commander Abu Waheeb 

Isolationism may finally be decreasing in the GOP. Advocating an American leadership role and opposition to the Islamic State has been a lonely struggle for many years. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, Mike Rogers, Buck McKeon, Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard were always steadfast in this struggle, but far too many Republicans swallowed the Liberty Caucus, FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots do nothing line.

The reasonable Republicans won some important primary victories this year over the suicide caucus, but the war is far from over. It was important that we won those primaries, but the isolationists demonstrated major strength within the party. They will continue to advocate isolationist policies which will defeat us in a general election.

FreedomWorks is a libertarian organization, but they describe themselves as conservative. They claim Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) is the "Number one conservative" in Congress. Amash has an 18% rating from the pro-defense Center for Security Policy. The problem is not one congressman though, it is that many groups are portraying anti-defense policies as conservative views.

Senators McCain and Graham were repeatedly accused of wanting to help the Islamic State. Far too many people believed that ridiculous accusation. Rand Paul was silent for five days after Obama's speech, but even he is now supporting the President's pinprick air strategy.

 Jedediah "Jeddy" Bila, Fox News

Obviously far more has to be done, but at least president Obama is backing some military action. Today we should be praising Jedediah Bila for her wisdom on Iraq and Syria, and encouraging her present viewpoint.  She said on Fox: "Memo to Obama: ISIS doesn't care about political solutions. They care about killing and destruction. Wake up and start handling evil properly. ISIS must be destroyed. . ."  Is Jedediah a wise foreign policy analyst?  Of course not!  She was firmly opposed to assisting the Free Syrian Army which is battling Assad and ISIS, she is only one pundit, but we should be glad her tone has changed.

This week's Pew Poll has Republicans backing aggressive action against the Islamic State by a 71 to 14 margin. That is far different from the past. Last year 171 House Republicans were opposed to helping the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the final whip count. They believed the FSA was helping the Islamic State. 103 Republicans voted for the Fortenberry amendment to cut off all aid to the FSA. Many of them wanted to oppose Obama and public opinion was against the aid. Many groups claiming to be conservative were also against the aid package. The United States did nothing and "nothing" was an enormous help to the Islamic State.

They have killed over 170,000, wounded 630,000 and there are over 11 million refugees in both Syria and Iraq. The Islamic State is not going to stop. They are already attacking Lebanon and Jordan will be next.

Their cruel beheading video this week clearly says: "America you are our real target!"

In no way should this be considered  a "We told you so" article, but rather a praise to Jedediah and all the other recent new hawks. Recriminations will not help us now. Republicans must unite behind the GOP lawmakers who are now saying the right things about the Islamic State. We at Dyed in the Wool Republican hope our new hawk friends don't flip back to isolationism, our way of life depends on how we deal with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It will be a long difficult struggle.

May God Bless America!

Sticking with Republican?

Recently I had a meeting with an independent-moderate friend. We once served together on a board. Many hours were spent discussing strategic compromises, and the end result of those compromises. Politics and community were always topics of conversation for us.

She self identifies as a moderate, followed by the declaration, "I am not extreme in any direction."

She's a liberal leaning moderate, but she's one smart cookie.

As I did years ago, she thinks being independent is principled, so she chooses the candidate...not the party.

Like many folks she leans liberal on social issues and conservative on financial issues, but is certain that government plays a vital role in a successful community and she thinks health care is a right, so while she thinks Obamacare is not perfect, she believes we needed the Affordable Heath Care plan.

We have had lively conversations that frankly we both enjoy because we like each other, and we never take any of those words between us personal. We speak respectfully to each other, and I always learn something from her.

I am old enough to be her mother. She even reminds me of my children when she says, "Can I talk now?" She has helped me see how important it is that my approach on very important issues be tempered with kindness as well as truth. (Biblical principle)

During our meeting she said, "You know I have a lot of respect for you, but many times lately I have wondered how you can stick with those Republicans. They are so crazy to the right these days."

I said, "There are so many times I don't want to "STICK" with them."

I paused and said,  "You know, there are no perfect institutions. Family, Friendship, Career, Church, Community - none of them are perfect either."

She replied, "No, nothing is perfect and certainly the republicans and democrats are not."

I continued, "I have come to believe that success in my life depends on getting a few choices right - Politics, Religion, Spouse, Family and Friends. We all make our choices. We choose our TEAM in every area of life, and then we must stay engaged if we are to be successful."

I went on to say, "I am so thankful there were dedicated people working ahead of me to create a civilized society so I could live free in the best country God ever allowed to exist. I feel responsible to do my part in my little corner of the world for my children, grandchildren and community. There is no middle ground here. Success requires a TEAM. There are only two teams, Democrat and Republican. The only way to influence a team is to be an involved team member."

My friend represents the independents who decide elections in America.

For me the REAL Republicans, are not the big mouths on the radio, FOX NEWS, or social media.

The "Real" Republicans  are the dedicated local grassroots folks who work as a team, behind the scenes, doing whatever is needed to get the best Republican candidate elected. I have NO trouble sticking with them."

So yes, "I am sticking with Republican!"

Who is responsible for the enforcement of American Immigration Laws?

by Guy Auxer

I've been relatively quiet on the illegal immigration issue essentially because I did not have the information to form an opinion. After reading the various laws multiple times I think I get it now.

We have the ability to deter some illegals. Congress did approve a goodly chunk of money for building a fence which has not been done and really should be. I said deter, not stop because you CANNOT stop all of them, ask East Germany how well that fence thing worked out, but . . . we can significantly reduce the number of people coming across with a barrier. Many will be defeated psychologically by that.

For those that do make it across the border we do have the manpower to capture and detain them. We have the right to charge them with that crime and hold them for a prescribed period of time. What we do not have is enough space to hold a significant number for extended periods of time. I might suggest they be convicted of a misdemeanor trespass type of crime and sent back across the border. Any person caught a second time would serve a prison sentence prior to deportation, subsequent convictions, longer sentences.

The problem today is we are not deporting at a fast enough rate, they should be sent back to their birth country not just Mexico, so if they are from the ME or Central America we send them back there.

Now for the people who have been here for awhile illegally, we have the manpower and ability to find and detain each and everyone, what we apparently are missing is the political will to do so, and to deport them.

This may sound harsh, but there is a way to immigrate legally, it is not impossible, it does take some time and NOT everyone would be accepted on that list, which by the way is why most are coming here illegally. In order for the existing law to work it has to be enforced. That means Americans will need to elect officials who will deport illegals, simple as that, and nothing is going to change until that occurs.

I do not believe in open borders, even for people who have been here for years, I believe in order to have a country you have to have borders. Do not be confused for a single instance, those who are talking about immigration reform are simply talking about amnesty and my best guess is they do not have the political fortitude to do what the law prescribes and that is to deport illegals.

Okay, let the rock throwing begin.

Guy Auxer is a contributing writer to Dyed in the Wool Republican.

Joni Ernst knows how to cut pork - Ouch!

Joni Ernst - Republican nominee for the
United States Senate election in Iowa in the 2014.

What can we really say about this political ad from Joni Ernst who is running for the US Senate in Iowa against democrat Bruce Braley in November? It does get your attention.

It begins..

"I'm Joni Ernst, I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm. So, when I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork."

Wow, what a visual she created only 8 words into the commercial! Maybe she can help get rid of all those liberal nuts in Washington.

Go Joni!

For more on Joni click the following links:
http://www.joniforiowa.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Ernst

Check out her commercial below:

The tea party needs to stop resting on its real or imagined 2010 laurels

by Ken Gardner

I'm getting tired of the tea party bragging about their influence in the 2010 elections.

Yes, in what was going to be a huge GOP year anyway, Republican candidates did extremely well in the US House races. But several weak tea party candidates arguably cost the GOP the Senate.

It is time the tea party stops reminding everyone of how well they supposedly did in 2010, that was 4 years ago.

What about the disappointing results in the 2012 election? There was a larger, more engaged electorate in a presidential election year. Where was the tea party influence? What have you done for America lately?

Politics is a lot like professional sports: you are only as good as your last game (or your most recent season).

The tea party needs to stop resting on its real or imagined 2010 election laurels and start working to get Republicans elected in 2014. There are only two teams, Democrat or Republican.

Team Republican could use some real help to win elections in 2014 and 2016.

Ken Gardner is a contributing writer to Dyed in the Wool Republican.

Happy 160th Birthday Grand Old Party

Birthplace of the Republican Party, Ripon,WI - March 20, 1854

It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. (March 20th to be exact.) A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity.

The name “Republican” was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Party was formally organized in July 1854 by thousands of anti-slavery activists at a convention in Jackson, Michigan. And it was no accident that two years later, in 1856, the first Republican National Convention took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written.
(http://www.gop.com/our-party/our-history/)

---

Ray Metz of Kentucky

Ray Metz of Kentucky says, "I am so very grateful to the American citizens who worked to establish the Republican Party and I'm proud to have voted for:

• Barry Goldwater (1964),
• Richard Nixon (1968),
• Richard Nixon (1972),
• Gerald Ford (1976),
• Ronald Reagan (1980),
• Ronald Reagan (1984),
• George H.W. Bush (1988),
• George H.W. Bush (1992),
• Bob Dole (1996),
• George W. Bush (2000),
• George W. Bush (2004),
• John McCain (2008)
• Mitt Romney (2012)."

There have been good times, and there have been challenging times. As I look back, there was never a Democrat, who I believe deserved my vote more than the Republican.

I am among the most fortunate to have ever walked the earth. I am an American, a citizen of the greatest country even known, who has lived in the best of times. And so it is with humble gratitude that this proclamation is made: I am proud to be a Republican, and I am a proud supporter of Senator Mitch McConnell.

Happy Birthday GOP! March 20, 1854 - March 20, 2014

Florida Congressional District 13 Special Election - What did we learn?

Bill Young, David Jolly and Alex Sink

The Florida 13th Congressional district's seat was vacated October 18, 2013 following the death of Republican Congressman Bill Young.

 A special election was held on Tuesday March 11, 2014 to fill the remaining term (Jan 2015).

The election was narrowly won by former Young aide, Republican David Jolly over Democratic candidate Alex Sink.

With almost 100% of the vote counted, Jolly had 48.5% of the vote to Sink's 46.7%.

Libertarian Lucas Overby had 4.8%. The 13th district is 37% Republican, 35% Democrat and 24% Independent.

Jolly campaigned on repealing the Affordable Health Care law, saying in one ad that Sink would undermine Medicare because of Democratic-passed cuts to programs under "Obamacare."

Sink, Florida's Democratic nominee for governor in 2010, painted Jolly as an extremist saying "He will take us back" to when people were denied coverage. She pledged to "fix what's wrong" with the health care law.

The most interesting thing is the amount of campaign funds that were spent. The combined total raised by both Republicans and Democrats was more than $12 million. Sadly, David Jolly, winner of this special election, will be facing a Democrat opponent again in November when the district will vote to fill the seat for the 2015-2017 term.

What is the lesson here?

 Rosemary Tennis says there are two lessons:

1) Obamacare will defeat the Democrats.

2) Libertarians are NOT Republicans! They are working hard to defeat Republicans!


Ken Gardner agrees with Rosemary, saying:

 "This is an important point. It isn't so much that the Libertarian candidate takes more votes from the GOP than Democrats. The evidence is less than clear that they do. The problem is that they CAMPAIGN against Republicans, and they do so from the right. It isn't that they persuade moderate to liberals to vote Democrat as much as they discourage moderate to conservative voters from voting at all."

David Jolly says:

"Hey, if you like your Republican controlled House....You Can Keep It. . .VOTE REPUBLICAN!"

SC Senator Lee Bright obstructing debate & vote on "Texting While Driving law for SC"

On February 25, Stacy Arena posted a question to her State Senator, Lee Bright (SC) on his Facebook Fan page:

Stacy Arena:
"Why did you stop the No Texting While Driving legislation? BTW, I am one of you constituents, sadly. I would appreciate a full explanation, post haste & pretty please."

SC Senator Lee Bright 

Senator Lee Bright's response:
"Hello Stacy, thank you for asking this question. Right now, current law stipulates that distracted driving is an offense. This means that if you are eating a sandwich in the car and get distracted and endanger other drivers, you will be issued a citation. The texting bill is therefore redundant, and the last thing we need as a society is more legislation. We need to enforce current law as it stands, rather than focus on codifying new bills for the sake of public appeasement."

Stacy took the Senator on in that thread. She gathered information in a logical way and shared it with her Senator. Then she posted it in a Facebook NOTE. (see below)

Thank you Stacy for sharing it here on Dyed in the Wool Republican.  

My response to SC Senator Lee Bright regarding his obstruction of debate & vote on a Texting While Driving law for SC

by Stacy Arena (This was posted as a note to her Facebook page on February 27, 2014.)
Thank you for your reply, Lee. However, I do not think that you do understand where I am "coming from completely", or you would not be engaging in the obstruction of even debating the issue. You have deemed it unnecessary, by using a Minority Report tactic, for every citizen of South Carolina ~ how on Earth do you square that? And, to be sure, your stance is of the libertarian ideology, not Republican. Most Republicans I know would relish the debate, regardless of the side of the issue they stand on. Because that is the way a representative government is supposed to work.

Let’s look at the current law that you attest, “does in fact address texting while driving”, shall we? Here it is:

"SECTION 56-5-2920. Reckless driving; penalties; suspension of driver's license for second or subsequent offense.

Any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving."

I see no mention of Texting, or the sandwich eating you equated it to earlier for that matter. Yes, I understand that in your view, texting falls under that very large umbrella riddled with so many holes it could be a sieve. The law is SO general that enforcement is nearly impossible & definitely does not address this new epidemic strain of distracted driving. In my view, Texting while Driving has become such a dangerous issue, it is deserving of it’s very own law.

Have you done your research on this threat to every driver on SC’s roads? Surely you have, being a SC Senator, a representative of our district & all the people residing within it, it would be completely irresponsible to ignore the facts that have been compiled regarding the dangers. But, just in case you haven’t, I will provide you with some links which will serve as collateral evidence as to why I, and many others, would like to see a law specifically & pointedly for this newest threat to our lives & our liberties.

"Driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).1 The federal agency reports that sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent -- when traveling at 55 mph -- of driving the length of an entire football field while blindfolded." http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/files/Driving-while-Texting-Six-Times-More-Dangerous-than-Driving-while-Drunk.html#.Uw9bwXlN3wJ 

“In 2011, at least 23% of all auto collisions involved cell phones. That’s 1.3 million crashes." http://www.onlineschools.com/in-focus/driving-while-intexticated

"Among other findings, the new study found a "sixfold increase of crashes when participants were text messaging while driving" compared with those who were not texting." http://www.unews.utah.edu/old/p/121809-3.html 

"ONE TEXT OR CALL COULD WRECK IT ALL Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America's roadways. In 2012 alone, 3,328 were killed in distracted driving crashes." http://www.distraction.gov

“We thought it was critical to send a strong message and do everything we could to stop such a dangerous behavior behind the wheel,” auto club spokeswoman Martha Meade said Wednesday. Polling conducted by AAA shows that the law is having an impact, she said. Nearly one-fourth of 800 registered voters surveyed by the auto club found that they have stopped texting or are texting far less since the law hit the books, Meade said." http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/01/29/texting-while-driving-law-nets-725-convictions-in-virginia/

Your defense of your actions with this statement, “Let's apply this concept to other offenses, like stealing. Theft of another person's property is clearly not permissible by law, but what if everyone starts stealing a product that is not specifically mentioned in current law? I would argue that no new law is needed, since current law clearly states that any type of property theft is illegal. The same goes for distracted driving. Any type of distracted driving is not allowed, which certainly includes texting while driving.” is insulting to most anyone’s intelligence.

1st of all, Texting while driving is a matter or Life & Death. Stealing involves property only & no one’s life is in danger, so, the two do not equate. But, let’s say for the sake of argument that they do correlate ~ your argument is just not factual & is easily debunked. In fact, there are many different stealing laws based on types of things stolen, goods, livestock, credit cards, bonds, forgery, even the stealing of dogs has it’s own little section in Chapter 13 of SC’s Code of Laws.http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t16c013.php

The bottom line for me, sir, is not which side of the argument you stand on, the problem is that you obstructed a very needed, worthwhile & possibly life saving debate. You took the people’s voice away from them by killing the bill ~ no debate, no vote. And, that, Mr. Bright, is where you are most wrong.

lib·er·ty noun \ˈli-bər-tē\

: the state or condition of people who are able to act and speak freely

: the power to do or choose what you want to

: a political right

You took away the liberty of ALL the people of SC with a procedural maneuver ending debate & sentencing the bill to death. Why do you hate Liberty, Lee? Where do you get off treading all over mine?

Final thoughts, I think it would go without saying, you wouldn’t appreciate it if someone had killed a bill you felt was important. You would probably feel the same way I do. If you disagree with a bill, you should allow a vote to occur. If you disagree strongly, you would try and rally support for your cause. What you ultimately did, was eliminate that possibility. For someone who talks a lot about freedom, liberty and the constitution, how are you able to justify hindering the very process of letting the representatives from every land and climb of this state not be allowed to decide on the matter?

TEXAS...Red to the Roots Republican

by Ken Gardner

Texas Republican gubernatorial
election results by county (2010).

According to Gallup, Texas won't be going blue anytime soon. We have the second biggest Hispanic population of any state, but they are 11% less Democratic than the national average.

Meanwhile, white voters are 13% more Republican than the national average.
The best news of all? Hispanics in Texas today are more Republican than they were in 2008.

Texas is what happens when we have a state Republican party with an inclusive attitude towards Hispanics.

We didn't make the mistakes the California GOP made during the 1980s and 1990s. I'm still old enough to remember that California was once a reliably Republican state in presidential elections.

White Texans Continue to Flock to the Republican Party

While Texas has a sizeable proportion of Hispanics living in its borders, nearly half of the population (46%) is non-Hispanic white. This group has grown more heavily Republican over the past five years, a fact that no doubt contributed to President Obama's large 2012 defeat in Texas, larger even than his 2008 drubbing. Currently, 61% of white Texans identify or lean Republican, up four points from 2008. White Texans are also far more likely to identify or lean Republican than are whites living in other states, 48% of which tilt Republican. During this same time period, the overall U.S. white population increased from 44% self-identifying or leaning Republican in 2008 to 48% in 2013.

Source www.gallup.com

Political Preferences by Race - Among those living in Texas and elsewhere.

Ken Gardner is a contributing writer to Dyed in the Wool Republican.

Dynasty or Camelot? America needs a real leader

Jeb Bush

I am confused.  Why are people horrified that a (Jeb) Bush might run for President of the United States?

But the very same people celebrate the potential run of the son of a perpetual candidate, Ron Paul, who has never even won the party nomination?

Rand Paul

The Bush family dynasty is looked down upon while the liberal Clinton family is painted as pure Camelot, and the Paul family is celebrated for it's principles rather than accomplishments.

If we Republicans have had enough of the Bush family maybe we should be done with the Ron Paul family too. And surely the democrats should be done with the Clinton family as well.

Hillary Clinton

Leave your comments below.

State of the Union 2014 Address: President Obama's FULL SOTU

Republican Response to President Obama's State of the Union

Chris Christie fires more people in 24 hours than Obama has in 5 years

Chris Christie at the 2011 Time 100 gala.

by Ken Gardner

Chris Christie fired Bridget Kelly after learning that she lied to him about her role in the New Jersey bridge story. He also removed Bill Stepien from his political positions at the state Republican Party and Republican Governors Association.

Obama promoted Susan Rice after she lied to the American public about the attack in Benghazi.

Indeed, more people have been fired over the NJ bridge story than over Benghazi, the IRS scandals, and the Obamacare rollout -- combined.

This is what a stark contrast in character and leadership looks like. Regardless of what you think about Christie's policies, he demonstrated how leaders build credibility with voters.

He came out so strongly and so quickly and then answered so many media questions that he had to be telling the truth -- otherwise, it will be ridiculously easy to prove any lies and destroy any future political career as a GOP politician (Democrats don't care so much about liars in office).

Moreover, Christie's personal apology to the mayor and people of Fort Lee should enhance his popularity as a person -- another essential ingredient of successful GOP politicians.

Ken Gardner is a contributing writer to Dyed in the Wool Republican..

---

This inspired us here at Dyed in the Wool Republican to do a little research and here is what we found.

It is interesting to note that according to opinion writer for the Washington Post, Dana Milbank, Christie said the words I, I'm, I've,  Me, My and Myself 1,095 times in the 108 minute press conference.

Word	Count
I	692
I'm	119
I've	67
Me	83
My/Myself	134
TOTAL	1,095

That is 10.14 times per minute that Christie mentioned himself in some way. Is that good or bad? It is hard to say. Did he avoid personal responsibility? He fired the person responsible and repeatedly said he knew nothing about it. Maybe we should count how many times he said "apologize" or "embarrassed" or "humiliated". How about "them" and "they".

Milbank titles his article "New Jersey Narcissist" and of course presents Chris Christie in a bad light.

This thing is already being called "Bridge-gate" but it makes us think of the "Bridge-to-Nowhere" and is already being referred to as Bridge to Nowhere 2016. Google it.

Although he has a reputation as a micro-manager, Christie said he delegates “enormous authority” to his staff. So it is possible they did things without his knowledge. They pulled this prank thinking they were "getting back" at someone that did not support him. It is a strange form of loyalty. It is possible he didn't know.

As we've already noted, it will be pretty easy to prove any lies he may be telling and his presidential hopes would probably be over. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

If you missed it, here is the whole press conference. All 108 minutes!

Robert Gates, former defense secretary, says "It was all about getting out"

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Robert Gates, a Republican, is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011 under President Bush and President Obama.

In his new memoir, "Duty" former defense secretary Robert Gates has harsh judgment of President Obama’s commitment to the Afghanistan war, writing that he had concluded President Obama “doesn't believe in his own strategy, and doesn't consider the war to be his. For him, it’s all about getting out.”

The defense secretary makes a serious charge against the commander in chief when he says the president was “skeptical if not outright convinced his Afghanistan strategy would fail,” all the while he was sending forces into combat.

On a FOX NEWS show liberal commentator Alan Colmes said Gates liked Obama on one page and disagreed with him on the next, declaring the book full of contradictions. Some how this was supposed to mean his perspective was not valid. Charles
Krauthammer says Gates’ allegation against Obama are the worst yet.

Fox News with Charles Krauthammer video:




I look forward to reading the entire book..

Click the following link to read more about the book and author:

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Here are a few excerpts from the book that may surprise you.

"All too frequently, sitting at that witness table, the exit lines were on the tip of my tongue: 'I may be the secretary of defense, but I am also an American citizen, and there is no son of a bitch in the world who can talk to me like that. I quit. Find somebody else.' It was, I am confident, a widely shared fantasy throughout the executive branch."

"Both [Bush and Obama] were most comfortable around a coterie of close aides and friends (like most presidents) and largely shunned the Washington social scene. Both, I believe, detested Congress and resented having to deal with it, including members of their own party. And so, unfortunately, neither devoted much effort to wooing or even reaching out to individual members or trying to establish a network of allies, supporters -- or friends," Gates writes. "They both had the worst of both worlds on the Hill: they were neither particularly liked nor feared. Accordingly, neither had many allies in Congress who were willing to go beyond party loyalty, self-interest, or policy agreement in supporting them." However, Gates adds, "I liked and respected both men."

"I witnessed both of those presidents make decisions they believed to be in the best interest of the country regardless of the domestic political consequences, both thereby earning my highest possible respect and praise. Although, as I've said, political considerations were far more a part of national security debates under Obama, time and again I saw him make a decision that was opposed by his political advisers, or that would be unpopular with his fellow Democrats and supportive interest groups."

Gates writes that he spent $40,000 on lawyers to help him fill out financial disclosures and other government paperwork. Before his 2006 confirmation hearing, he filled out a 65-page questionnaire from the Senate Armed Services Committee. At one point, Bush's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, "asked if I had any ethical issues that could be a problem, like hiring illegal immigrants as nannies or housekeepers.
"I decided to have some fun at his expense and told him we had a non-citizen housekeeper. Before he began to hyperventilate, I told him she had a green card and was well along the path to citizenship. I don't think he appreciated my sense of humor," Gates wrote.
He told his wife, "I have to do this, but I just hope I can get out of this administration with my reputation intact."

Gates writes that an encounter with a woman in a restaurant who had two sons fighting in Iraq drove home the human dimension of the job. "I couldn't finish my dinner, and I couldn't sleep that night," he wrote. "Our wars had just become very real to me, along with the responsibility I was taking on for all those in the fight."

By early 2011, "My fuse was really getting short. It seemed like I was blowing up -- in my own, quiet way -- nearly every day, and no longer just in the privacy of my office with my staff ... I had blown up at (National Security Adviser Thomas) Donilon and the vice president at a meeting on Libya on March 2 and at House Defense Appropriations chair Bill Young on the third, and had come close to openly arguing with the president in the NSC meeting that same day, and had gone off on Donilon again on the fifth. Partly, I think, I was just exhausted from the daily fights."

"from the wars we were in and from new wars -- was clouding my judgment and diminishing my usefulness to the president, and this has played a part in my decision to retire."

Gates left that June, with Obama awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest U.S. civilian honor.