Anyway, like all governments, Oklahoma is hurting, so it ended funding of the hootenanny. The town would almost double in size every year and bring in a lot of revenue, but the state figured it couldn’t stick the taxpayers with the $120,000 bill so that inmates can tangle with a bronco or two. Come on, Sooners. Let’s get some sponsorships in there. You know, gun makers, bail bondsmen, Army surplus stores and the like.

As you know, an inmate without a bull to ride is a sad inmate indeed. And what of the clowns? WHO’S THINKING OF THE CLOWNS?

We consider it funny that even before a proper announcement, people were already being invited “to meet Republican Congressional candidate Tim Scott.” Wait, really? The AP, which sent a story across the wire around lunch time, apparently didn’t know, either. Leaving the lieutenant governor’s race, he was second in money with over $170,000 on hand.

Here’s something to ponder — five months out from the primary, there are seven Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates. Trading the coast for DC must be a really attractive option these days.

Now we’ve got this stimulus business. As the Sanford candidate, Haley’s been trying to toe the rhetorical line on the stimulus bills, bringing it up multiple times in the GOP gubernatorial debate recently. Quoted today in The State from the debate, she said, “I don’t want any Washington bailout money of any kind.” Au contraire. Last year, she voted for the cash. The justification? Her belief in Gov. Mark Sanford’s strange thinking that the state could reject it.

Let’s put this in context. Six years ago, U.S. Sen. John Kerry got raked over the coals for the statement, “I was for it before I was against it.” Haley has one-upped that, by being — by her statements and actions — for and against something at the same time. That is truly deft political dancing. A few pols might have been able to pull that one off, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton come to mind, but those men were geniuses at the art of politics, the type that come around once in a generation.

If what we’ve seen so far is the case, the District 87 representative is not cut of that cloth.

A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1 SO AS TO ENACT THE “RIGHT TO LIFE ACT OF SOUTH CAROLINA” WHICH ESTABLISHES THAT THE RIGHT TO LIFE FOR EACH BORN AND PREBORN HUMAN BEING VESTS AT FERTILIZATION, AND THAT THE RIGHTS OF DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION, GUARANTEED BY ARTICLE I, SECTION 3 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, VEST AT FERTILIZATION FOR EACH BORN AND PREBORN HUMAN PERSON.

Whereas, the General Assembly, under Article III, Section 1A of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, 1895, is empowered to assemble to make new laws, as the common good may require; and

Whereas, Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, 1895, guarantees that no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or denied the equal protection of the laws; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under the law finds it necessary and proper to ensure that the rights of its citizens extend to each newly born and preborn human person. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

“Article 5

Right to Life

Section 1-1-310. This article may be cited as the ‘Right to Life Act of South Carolina’.

Section 1-1-320. (A) The right to life for each born and preborn human being vests at fertilization.

(B) The rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of this State, that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws, vest at fertilization for each born and preborn human person.”

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

If you thought the hubbub over voter ID and the state sovereignty bills was something, this piece going to the House floor would induce epic fights. Indeed, even in the subcommittee meeting, Chairman Jim Harrison Greg Delleney and a person arguing in favor of the bill got into it.

A Herald-Journal story reminded people that South Carolinians for Responsible Government and Conservatives in Action actively opposed his nomination when he was up the first time, and CIA put out an ad denouncing Beatty, but Millwood seemed to think it was OK for them to do that, but that Beatty should have taken his beating without saying anything.

“When is the last time you saw a sitting Supreme Court justice give a television interview?” Millwood said. “He should be above the political fray.”

Once again, eyes rolling so hard. Yes, defend the shady groups that got you (barely) elected, and go after the Supreme Court justice. It turns out that Millwood thinks that only Republicans should be judges.

Are you fucking kidding us? “I don’t care who the person is. Give me their political party identification, then I know how I will vote.” Lordy. The definition of ignorant is going to have to be expanded for this guy.

…that Capps had the audacity to win elections that he ran without checking first with the big three consultants; that Capps does not attend Gamecock football games; that Capps actually knows Mike Reino; that Capps actually worked for Republican campaigns before Howard Rich came along including for that RINO Ronald Reagan; that Capps does RINO things like being an adjunct professor at some sissy college that wants people to learn; that Capps has been seen in a bar near Summerville; that Capps committed other notorious offenses to those who are the self professed rulers of South Carolina; that Voting Under the Influence, with the power vested to it by a few folks drinking in a barn, does hereby and forever censure Earl Capps for being an longhaired, outlaw blogger devoted to RINO politics and heavy metal music.

Be it also resolved, by Voting Under the Influence, with the power vested to it by a few folks drinking in a barn, to extend greetings to Earl Capps for a Happy Birthday along with this censure.

Fun and games, gentlemen — fun and games. Hopefully Earl will have a good birthday on Friday.

Before Wednesday’s session, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and Senate Minority Leader John Land got together to work out a compromise on the legislation to minimize the pain the Senate would have to endure in knocking down amendments before the inevitability of voting the bill through. It’s a tribute to both men that they got it done.

Gubernatorial candidate and Sen. Vince Sheheen was not down with the plan, and still kept several amendments on the desk. Land showed his leadership by saying he empathized with Sheheen but had to object to his amendments. In the end, the bill passed.

McConnell, before the debate, said, “Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I want to bring some clarity to the debate from yesterday, and the questions that were raised. I subsequently had the opportunity to talk to the senator from Clarendon about the dialogue that he and I had regarding, would amendments be allowed on the third. And, here is what was intended and he will confirm it: yes, we would allow amendments on third that are an exception to the rule. Something that we left out and intended to put in, something that misstated that we should have stated a different way, and clarifications.”

Yes, Virginia, progress can happen in the General Assembly.