MyDD :: What's happening in South Carolina?

What's happening in South Carolina?

by Jerome Armstrong, Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 11:24:02 AM EST

Second, local politics; first, check out the numbers from Rasmussen's South Carolina last three polls. Remember, this is a state where Bush beat Gore 57-41 in 2000:

July 12  --  53% Bush to 36% Kerry
Aug. 29  --  52% Bush to 43% Kerry
Sept. 17 --  50% Bush to 44% Kerry

That's a trend. What's happening? For one, the GOP has DeMint as it's statewide spokesperson for this campaign, and he has come out with the whacky idea to completely trash the IRS and replace it with a regressive 24% sales tax. The DSCC ran a hell of an TV ad there that has blasted him out of the water, and put Tenenbaum back in contention.

But there's something else, even more troubling, that's going on in SC right now, Discipline problems, low morale plague 178th. The 635 soldiers of a battalion of the South Carolina National Guard scheduled to depart today have been in a lockdown for two weeks, before leaving for Iraq this week:

The trouble began Labor Day weekend, when 13 members of the 1st Battalion of the 178th Field Artillery Regiment went AWOL, mainly to see their families again before shipping out. Then there was an ugly confrontation between members of the battalion's Alpha and Charlie batteries -- the term artillery units use instead of "companies" -- that threatened to turn into a brawl involving three dozen soldiers, and required the base police to intervene. That prompted a barracks inspection that uncovered alcohol, resulting in the lockdown that kept soldiers in their rooms except for drills, barred even from stepping outside for a smoke, a restriction that continued with some exceptions until today's scheduled deployment...

This particular Guard unit was put on an accelerated training schedule -- giving the soldiers about 36 hours of leave over the past two months -- because the Army needs to get fresh troops to Iraq and there are not enough active-duty or "regular" troops to go around.

..."Our morale isn't high enough for us to be away for 18 months," said Pfc. Joshua Garman, 20, who, in civilian life, works in a National Guard recruiting office. "I think a lot of guys will break down in Iraq."

..."There's a federal prison at Fort Dix, and a lot of us feel the people in there have more rights than we do," said Spec. Michael Chapman, 31, a construction worker from near Greenville, S.C.

Bush is a liar, Iraq is in quagmire, and this here's a backdoor draft. No, it's worse than a draft, it's practically a carolina gulag for war.

Tags: General 2008 (all tags)

Permalink :: 14 Comments :: Post a Comment

Another Rebellion in SC? (none / 0)

Here's the consequence of violating the implicit promise of the volunteer military: we (leaders) won't send you without good cause.
Now if only Bush sends troops to man the fort in Charleston harbor...

by Konopelli on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 11:53:13 AM EST

I grew up in South Carolina... (none / 0)

and my parents still live there. South Carolinians are reliably manipulated by conservative, wealthy elites using racist, religious, and nationalist appeals (proving not much has changed in a 157 years) that it's forgotten by the GOP. Textile mills closing across the Piedmont? Health care in crisis in the Lowcountry? Doesn't matter one bit, least of all to the Bush Administration. If South Carolina goes for Kerry-Edwards, I'll lie naked in a Goose Creek salt marsh next July until the mosquitos drain me dry. But, until South Carolina is a genuine threat to go Democratic, it will get nothing from Washington.

by Brian CB on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 12:05:32 PM EST

Well, at least... (none / 0)

...that's a battalion that is voting for Kerry (not to mention thier families).

by Geotpf on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 12:07:31 PM EST

Fort Dix is not in SC (none / 0)

this is nit-picking, but, Fort Dix is in New Jersey.

I think that guy is just saying that prisoners there are being treated better than those guys in SC.

by claw on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 01:44:30 PM EST

Re: Fort Dix is not in SC (none / 0)

Yes, Fort Dix is in NJ, and a battalion of the SC National Guard was training there prior to deployment to Iraq. Nothing unusual about that.
Later,
Alex

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for President! Beat McCain!

by Alex on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 03:20:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The National Sales Tax (none / 0)

Given how soft support for this idea appears to have been in South Carolina, maybe it's time for the Democrats to start hitting harder on this issue in other states, too. Democrats have never really attacked it, because they're too scared to talk about taxes.

DeMint is hardly the only candidate who supports it; every conservative worth his brown shirt likes it. There are probably dozens of Republican Congressmen who are vulnerable to this attack. We should go after them.

by Drew on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 01:47:44 PM EST

Re: The National Sales Tax (none / 0)

DeMint is special because he actually introduced the NST bill on the floor of Congress. Incidentally, it's not a 24% sales tax; it's a 30% sales tax. DeMint and the gang of rightwing scumbags who dreamed the thing up get the 23 or 24% figure by calculating the tax as a percentage of the total price plus tax, rather than of the pre-tax price, which is how sales taxes are calculated in real life. Any criticism of this proposal should include mention of that bit of dishonesty.
Later,
Alex

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for President! Beat McCain!

by Alex on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 03:23:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The National Sales Tax (none / 0)

I agree with my liberal friends that a NST is a bad, bad idea.

by Mark Fulwiler on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 04:52:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

He's not that special. (none / 0)

I bet that his bill has a dozen cosponsors, none of whom were counting on anyone other than their conservative clique hearing about their support, let alone the DCCC airing ads on this issue in their districts.

If it worked in South Carolina, it could be devestating in more moderate areas.

by Drew on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 06:31:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Here's a partial list. (none / 0)

From Georgia: Johnny Isakson, Republican Senate nominee, plus Max Burns and Phil Gingrey, both Republicans in tossup districts. I wonder if the DSCC or the DCCC plan to run the same ads against them as they did against DeMint? They're certainly as deserving and Georgia is hardly more conservative than South Carolina.

by Drew on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 06:38:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Here's a partial list. (none / 0)

Isakson? GREAT! I smell blood in the water. The DSCC needs to jump on this; SC and GA were the Repugs two best pick-up opportunities in the Senate, and this issue could save both those seats. They could even use the same ad -- some of the media markets probably overlap.
Later,
Alex

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for President! Beat McCain!

by Alex on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 11:50:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The National Sales Tax (none / 0)

YES!

I've been repeating this over and over. Hammer the Republicans on this National Sales Tax idea!!

A lot of people don't believe me when I mention it to them. It goes against the grain of everything they thought about Bush. Bush is the one for lower taxes, right? Kerry wants to raise taxes, right? And yet, here is a new tax on consumption that would disproportionately affect the poor and middle class. The price of everything in the country would be raised 20% or more under the plan they are talking about. Conservatives think it's great because they could phase out the IRS. And it would discourage "reckless consumption" by those spendthrifts, the poor.

Do a google search for DSCC and National Sales Tax to read up on it. This is a doozy of an idea.

Nobody likes this idea except the Grover Norquist types, and they need to hear it explained first.

An ad about this, like the one they ran in South Carolina, would cause Bush big headaches.

by Dumbo on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 10:30:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The National Sales Tax (none / 0)

The Norquist gang doesn't need it explained -- they drafted the bill in the first place. No sane economist anywhere on the political spectrum thinks this is a remotely good idea, of course -- but Norquist is crazier than a sh*thouse rat.
Later,
Alex

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for President! Beat McCain!

by Alex on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 11:52:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Things aren't quite so rosy down here (none / 0)

It may be a trend, but South Carolina is still solidly Republican, much to my chagrin. I agree the DSCC ad on Demint's sales tax proposal is hard-hitting, but the Tenenbaum canpaign is still having a hard time getting traction on the issue. Demint is still the odds-on favorite, but two things that might not show up in the polling might play against him. Tenenbaum will do well in Lexington County, cutting deeply into the GOP base. Secondly, there's a growing unease in the Lowcountry and the Midlands about having both our U.S. Senators come from the Upstate. Yes, we remain such a provincial place down here that those things matter.

by timkelly on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 02:33:26 PM EST

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