Oh, this is fun. MoveOn.org, Brave New Films and the Service Employees International Union went live with a Web site to have some fun with Fox News’ “crying man,” Glenn Beck. Turns out, he has it out for us. Oh noes!
South Carolina’s own Stephen Colbert is known for his hard-hitting (yet, fake news) interviews. Except when it comes to former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, which he never mentioned on his show. Hmm. Regardless, there’s endless fun and games with the James Island native.
We went on a fake interview with him recently. It seems to have gone OK.
“The Killers” aside, we loved our time at what we call “the ol’ GCK.” We worked with some very, very smart people. They were liberals, conservatives, dicks, awesome people — it takes all kinds to make a paper the best it was over 100-plus years. Then, there was us. Yeah, we had a habit of pissing off people like we do now. Almost, more so. There were more letters to the editor, every week, about our columns than anybody else’s.
We honestly don’t know what it is about our writing style that gets people so bent out of shape. But, it happens. Even to congressmen. When we took over Viewpoints in the summer of 2003, our first column was about financial aid. It was a common theme, and got, yes, “You lie!” U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (but, really, it had to be a staffer) to write in to rip us on what we said.
Bush didn’t cut Pell Grant funding
Pell Grant funding has not been cut, as claimed in a Viewpoints article Aug. 21, 2003. As a graduate of the USC School of Law, I am proud to report that, to the contrary, President George W. Bush requested nearly $2 billion in additional funding for Pell Grants for 2004, and in July the House approved a bill to increase funding to $12.3 billion – the highest level in history.
However, some groups are using scare tactics to confuse families and students about the Republican pro-education agenda. This is a shame because educating our children and assisting with the high cost of college should not be a partisan issue.
The Department of Education is required under the Higher Education Act to update specific tax tables used in calculating need for federal aid by June 1 of this year. This updating requirement was passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress in 1992, led by Senator Kennedy who now criticizes the Department for complying with the law he helped draft.
Sadly, these false accusations have been lobbed at Bush’s administration to score political points and only serve – if taken seriously – to discourage families and students from seeking financial aid for which they would likely qualify.
As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am committed to finding ways to increase access to higher education for all qualified students.
Personally, I authored a recently passed bill that increases student loan forgiveness for teachers in math, science and special education who teach in disadvantaged school districts.
I would also like to remind students that incurring debt for a college education is likely the best investment they can make.
During his career, a person with a college degree will earn more than $1 million more than someone without a degree. I believe education is the greatest enabler and equalizer in our society, and, along with Bush, I am committed to making college available to all South Carolina students.
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson
S.C. Republican Congressman
Because we worked at the paper and heard what was going to be in the pages while we worked, we didn’t read it like we did when we were in high school and the year that we transferred. So, when going into the production room one night, it was a shock to hear that a member of the U.S. House had a LTE slamming us, then all of 21 years old.
But, you know us. We hit back.
Don’t spin away truth
Rep. Wilson misleads students on Pell Grant.By Wes Wolfe
I was honored that the first rebuttal to one of my columns came from none other than the man who used to be my state senator, Joe Wilson. Wilson is the Republican representative from South Carolina’s second district in the U.S. House.
I hope Rep. Wilson’s letter to the editor was written by one of his staffers because it showed ignorance and a complete lack of understanding unbecoming to a member of Congress.
In his attack on my column about the reduction of Pell Grants for college students, Rep. Wilson says, “I would also like to remind students that incurring debt for a college education is likely the best investment they can make.” Debt is the best investment? Right.
Why doesn’t he tell that to my Republican father, who lives in Wilson’s district and who is sick with worry over his own debt problems, much less mine?
Why doesn’t he tell that to the thousands of other students that will be getting at least $17,000 in debt with their bachelor’s degree?
Why doesn’t he tell that to the millions of middle-class families around our nation that are barely making ends meet because of their debt? A college degree is a blessing. A $17,000 debt is a curse.
It’s just the 21st-century version of owing your soul to the company store. You get socked with debt when you graduate college, and then comes a house, a car and healthcare costs of caring for your children.
The last thing USC students or any other college students need is some wealthy congressman telling them that being tens of thousands of dollars in debt upon graduation is “a great investment.”
Rep. Wilson is also taking advantage of the numbers game by saying that Pell Grant funding will be raised to record levels.
That fact is misleading. Pell Grant funding will still be $270 million less than it should be, and 84,000 students will still lose their Pell Grants.
An article on the subject by Greg Winter in the July 18 edition of the New York Times states the facts plainly: “The first report to document the impact of the government’s new formula for financial aid has found that it will reduce the nation’s largest grant program by $270 million and bar 84,000 college students from receiving any award at all.”
I’ve worked with politicians and journalists for a good while, and when there is a conflict between the two, one should usually trust the journalist.
Also, Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey of New York has introduced a bill in the House to repeal the law requiring the change of the financial aid formula.
Rep. Wilson was all too willing to lay the blame of the funding mess at the feet of people like Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. However, an Associated Press article on the subject from Sept. 3 noted that GOP representatives have been blocking Rep. Lowey’s bill.
Where is Rep. Wilson in all of this? There’s nothing on his Web site about him leading the way to restore Pell Grant funding. Maybe he could begin to help the situation by stopping his colleagues from stalling Rep. Lowey’s bill.
It just goes to show — next time Wilson should hold off before he runs off. You just might get owned.
OK, we’ve got to come clean. We’re not American. And our dad is the illustrious John Vierdsen. He has quite a reputation internationally for an outrageously sybaritic lifestyle, so we took our mom’s maiden name years ago. Also, we didn’t spend our childhood in Alabama — it was right here in Columbia, after moving from Switzerland. We’ve also spent time in our lives living in Auburn and Knoxville. It taught us how to be tolerant of other societies. Sometimes.
The S.C. Press Association has named Corey Hutchins and myself as the winners of the in-depth reporting award for January 2008’s “The Hit List” in the Free Times, in FT’s division.
The entire process of running down the story was an ordeal, taking two months. It all started with the question, “Where is Will Folks getting his money?” After some asking around, the hit list proposal dropped in our laps and the story took off from there.
While it was assumed that Folks wrote the proposal, there was no certainty, as there was no listed author on what we had. Nor was the organization it was written for. However, after doing an immense amount of background research and talking to a number of people, the path hit the homestretch: calling the members of the listed core council.
Because every one of the groups allied with Gov. Mark Sanford are staffed like an interlocking directorate, it was a bit of luck that one of the first calls was to Chad Walldorf. The assumption was that the proposal was written for Reform SC. However, during a phone call the day after Christmas, Walldorf, who was the chairman of both Reform SC and S.C. Club for Growth, said that the proposal was written by Folks for SCCfG. Without that key confirmation, the whole thing probably would have fallen apart.
The next two weeks were devoted to writing and rewriting the opus, to the point of being so tired with the subject, looking at the story in its Word file or the lists of notes and quotes felt like a decent into madness.
As we all saw in the primaries last year, the plan did come to fruition, after a fashion, but with mixed results for the Governor and his allies. And, if the proof in the pudding is legislative success, it doesn’t look like Sanford got the big win he was looking for.
Monday’s budget debate included the longest House session of the year, so far. And, it was tweeted.
dphamilton: starting budget week in the SC House today…hang on to your wallets!
EBedingfield: Well, at least we are moving slowly thru this budget mess.
SCLegislator: The pigeons were more interesting than this.
SCHouseDems: Democrats budget agenda: job creation, public education, healthcare. We oppose GOP tax increase on local government under any circumstance.
AshleySHunter: listening to the House pass over every section of the budget. we will be here forever.
SCHouseDems: GOP leader Rep. Kenny Bingham introduces a new ‘fee’ collected by the Dept. of Insurance to increase revenue = Another tax increase by GOP.
AntonJGunn: In the middle of budget process and it feels like I’m in a Seder. They are “passing over” every section of the budget.
SCLegislator: @NathanBallentin The best part of this Twitting is not having to pay attention. (Can you see me waving at you?)
thadviers: at caucus luncheon sitting with the right wing conspiracy members Haley, ballentine, beningfield, Pitts and a few others.
RepJamesSmith: is working hard to make sure the State Appropriations Bill focuses on Jobs Education and Healthcare.
EBedingfield: Here we go again on the budget.
EBedingfield: Why would anyone want to take monies away from abstinence education in SC?
paigecoop: @EBedingfield Because it has been shown that abstinence programs aren’t effective
paigecoop: @EBedingfield. Prime example Sarah Palin’s little princess Bristol
tdkelly: @EBedingfield hmm, let me see. Maybe so that money could go to something that’s actually proven effective?
JoeyMillwood: Question whether or not to take stimulus money on the board in an amendment. Any input?
JoeyMillwood: Stimulus money will be used.
LinBennett: @JoeyMillwood My understanding 95% by-passes SC leg anyway and goes straight to munis and counties? Is that the case? #sctweets #tcot
JoeyMillwood: There were nine of us that voted against stimulus.
dphamilton: Vote for SC to accept “budget stabilization” federal stimulus money passes 108-8. Puts off for tomorrow what should be done today.
gcoats84: @JoeyMillwood wow, keep up the good work, please tell me it was a roll call vote
annephutto: back on the floor for the budget debate
JoeyMillwood: @gcoats Thanks man. It was a roll call.
JoeyMillwood: @dphamilton. I can’t count. Eight voted against taking stimulus dollars.
johnroconnor: S.C. Budget update: About 200 amendments have been drafted, not all on the desk. May not be as long a week as many thought.
EBedingfield: I was one of 8 who voted agianst the Obama debt.
johnroconnor: Just two amendments in K-12 education section of budget. This will be a short week.
KrisCrawford: The attempt to vote against the stimulus money before taking the stimulus money failed. Only 8 voted against taking the money.
KrisCrawford: going to be a long week it looks like. The AV component of ammendment presentatiions seems to be catching on.
tdkelly: @EBedingfield gosh I hope none of that tainted money gets spent in your district.
JoeyMillwood: @gcoats84 I also said thanks earlier for the support.
ccslick: Kudos to u 8 4 being responsible! @ebedingfield, @dphamilton, G.Smith, Nanney, @thadviers, Stewart, @nathanballentin, @joeymillwood
johnroconnor: The John De La Howe school does not get $600k for a new roof. 60-56 tabled.
johnroconnor: Rep. Harry Ott argues budget violates federal stimulus rules because it does not roll back EIA formula cuts from current budget.
SCHouseDems: GOP Rep Millwood Smith Ballentine Bedingfield Hamilton Viers Stewart Nanney vote against accepting Stimulus money. Bet theyll spend it tho!
ccslick: @SCHouseDems They voted against it on principle. I am very proud of their votes and for standing up for what they believe in and know to
johnroconnor: Rep. Dan Cooper says S.C. education spending exceeds federal stimulus spending requirements by .6 percentage points.
johnroconnor: John De La Howe school receives $270k for roof repairs.
AntonJGunn: is looking for earmarks in the state budget. Found some already.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn The Obama camp knows nothing about earmarks, correct?
dphamilton: @AntonJGunn spill those earmarks, lets expose them.
johnroconnor: No amendments in Medicaid section of budget. Done with USC system, higher ed as well. Moving right along.
JoeyMillwood: House plowing through the budget.
adampiper: @JoeyMillwood I think y’all are using a ben tillman era mule powered plow for the budget instead of one of those john deere kinds.
dphamilton: amendments to the budget offered by Democrats today already total over $67 million and counting.
thadviers: i have 5 amds for budget. all are taxpayer friendly that cuts government.
johnroconnor: Rep. Hosey 0 for $42 million on Allendale/Barnwell budget requests. Just gave the “ain’t too proud to beg” speech. #sctweets
adampiper: Democrats trying to turn State Budget into a sluggish spending spree – some things are the same in SC and DC. #sctweets
yvonnewenger: Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, tries to get $250,000 in budget amendment for Charles Webb Center’s developmentally disabled children.
adampiper: @dphamilton – great question on the floor regarding all children matter – born and unborn. #sctweets
dphamilton: An article about one of the reasons I voted to not take the federal stimulus in SC: http://bit.ly/fXgbk
johnroconnor: House refuses to reduce funding for abstinence-based sex ed programs. #sctweets
dphamilton: word on the House floor is that we’ll be in tonight until 10:00 PM. Glad I brought some snacks.
AntonJGunn: @dphamilton Yes these amendments are changes to the budget bot NOT ONE of them is a “tax increase” or a “fee increase”. Don’t confuse people
johnroconnor: Transparency advocates are not requesting roll call votes on budget sections, though they wanted one for each of 90 sections. #sctweets
AshleySHunter: just found out budget is going till 10 pm. nooooo…. but on a bright note, abstinence works when you are abstinent.
JoeyMillwood: Dems keep putting up amendments that want to spend money, money, money!
JoeyMillwood: Rep. John King’s amendment the latest to fail.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood There you go again twisting the truth. It wasn’t Dems that voted to spend $350 million of the recovery package in W&Ms.
SCLegislator: @AntonJGunn Til 10:00??? Why didn’t anybody tell me that?
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn It was the Dems and I voted against the stimulus, my good man.
JoeyMillwood: Dems keep asking for more money and more money.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood Yeah I know you voted against the recovery but this entire proposed budget before amendments was a GOP bill. All $5.6B of it.
JoeyMillwood: @dphamilton @ebedingfield @thadviers @nathanballentin I don’t think @antongunn realizes that the majority of the Twitter caucus stood firm.
adampiper: #sctweets – Bill Sandifer exchange re: Mark Sanford might be today’s highlight: GOP St. Rep. has not talked w. GOP Gov in 18 mos.
ShannonErickson: Amndmt #170, now-rolling along! Special thanks to Rep. Joan Brady for the red/white/blue cookies-note says “let’s not fight over the crumbs”
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn We’ll never get there with Dems trying to spend all the taxpayer dollars.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood I know what you did, but I am watching to see if you’ll vote against the final budget w/ the recovery money in it. :-) Scared?
AshleySHunter: maybe the twitter reps can ask them to cut the air back. i know there is a lot of hot air down there, but its freezing in the gallery!!!
adampiper: Gary Simril asks #schouse to help @HenryMcMaster fight the water wars. #sctweets
adampiper: @JoeyMillwood @dphamilton @ebedingfield @thadviers @nathanballentin @antongun- Please help @HenryMcMaster w. the Water Wars #sctweets
SCLegislator: Some of my colleagues need to trim ear hair.
JoeyMillwood: Rep. Hosey just pulled down lots of amendments to applause.
adampiper: @NathanBallentin Thanks for helping give @HenryMcMaster a supersoaker to blast NC in the water war.
AntonJGunn: @adampiper You know I meant “can”! “Yes We Can” protect our water supply. I got your back on this!
thadviers: hanging with rutherford, Thompson and Lowe in the anti-lobby of the statehouse.
adampiper: @thadviers is that the anti-lobby or the ante-lobby
JoeyMillwood: Reps. Ott and Kennedy trying to put on a show on the house floor. The Dems end up talking to each other more than republicans.
adampiper: SC Reps and Kennedy should move their sideshow to the lobby and let the House take up real business #sctweets
adampiper: @ebedingfield – can you ask Mr. Ott if he has a fancy GPS unit – since he accused only the Rich Republicans of having one
EBedingfield: Part 1B’s of the SC Budget. The where and how!
johnroconnor: House finished with first section of budget. About 1/3 through, according to no. of amendments. #sctweets
annephutto: Rep. James Smith fighting for National Board Certified Teachers – go Rep. Smith
RepJamesSmith: is pleased the House took bi-partisan action and restored National Board Teacher Certification.
AshleySHunter: according to bakari sellers- sanford has read one book- the earth is flat.
AntonJGunn: its 7:16pm and we are just starting to get to the meat of how your tax dollars will be spent.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn Your computer time is wrong. It’s actually 8:18.
AntonJGunn: @JonJon66 @JoeyMillwood yes my state government computer is so old that it doesn’t keep up with the time changes.
JoeyMillwood: Still going on the budget. Debating education now. Rep. Ott is talking about redistribution of wealth within a school district.
dphamilton: finally a Democrat admits they are for redistribution, thank you Rep. Ott. “I’ll be blunt, this is about redistribution.” –Rep. Harry Ott
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood “waving my finger at you” – there is no conversation about “redistribution of wealth”. He’s talking about backpacking funding.
AntonJGunn: Backpacking is a positon that is supported by the Ed Finance Study Committee and the SC Policy Council.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn Rep. Ott said the he was talking about “redistribution.” What are you upset about? That’s all Obama talks about.
rpagesc: @dphamilton Are they spreading the wealth around? It scares me when you all are in session late in the evening.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood That’s not all that Obama talks about. Never heard him use the word. If you vote for the budget you support redistribution too
PhilBaileySC: @JoeyMillwood Will you be voting for final passage with all that stimulus money?
AntonJGunn: I need to bring a dictionary to the House floor. There is so much selective language usage in here.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn No…He just passes the biggest spending bill in history.
PhilBaileySC: @JoeyMillwood Joey, please vote for it so I can pass your recorded vote onto the Club For Growth (aka your campaign funders)
dphamilton: @rpagesc don’t worry, we took extra vitamins today and we’re keeping a vigilant eye on things…they’re trying to increase weighting
WolfeReports: When Kennedy gets worked up, you just have to watch. Better than television.
dphamilton: @rpagesc they have an amendment to add on a weighting for poverty in EFA funding.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood No he didn’t. Congress did that. Reflect on your High School government class. Congress passes, Presidents sign on veto.
dphamilton: @WolfeReports it is if you have a mute button….don’t know if it comes across on TV/web but he is very loud in the Chamber.
johnroconnor: S.C. Budget debate is now on adding more funding for poorer school students.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood By the way, its still less than what the previous administration spent on wars in other countries.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn Oh excuse me.Obama and the Democrats in Congress passed the biggest mistake in U.S. Gov’t history. You’re making it easy for me.
dphamilton: alright, @JoeyMillwood & @AntonJGunn, break it up fellas.
johnroconnor: Someone’s got Thursday basketball tix if we’re debating school funding formulas at 9 p.m. Monday of budget week.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood Nope. The biggest mistake was Iraq. That mistake has cost us lives and money.
SCHouseDems: @shannonerickson Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran- Rob Miller- is watching these budget votes…
paigecoop: @dphamilton Please don’t break it up, some of us at home are enjoying the @JoeyMillwood VS @AntonJGunn prize fight.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn I guess if you don’t think the rest of the world deserves democracy and freedom from a terrible dictator, you may be right.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn What would Jack Bauer Do?
WolfeReports: @JoeyMillwood That is a very simplistic argument. We coddle dictators all the time, when it serves national interests.
WolfeReports: One more hour left in debate? Should order pizza, mix a drink and celebrate.
PhilBaileySC: @ashmanini It’s cool. @JoeyMillwood is too busy “growing government” right now. He could be very “stimulated” so look out.
AshleySHunter: wants to go home!
ashmanini: @philbaileysc LoL. I am enjoing the lively debate on twitter
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood No I think everyone deserves freedom and democracy. I don’t agree that’s what they have in Iraq.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn That will definitely be true when Pres. Obama withdraws our troops.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood Oh yeah, Bauer would not invade Iraq. He would defend and protect Americans on U.S. soil.
dphamilton: @AntonJGunn & @JoeyMillwood — Just to clarify guys, Jack Bauer is a fictional character.
PhilBaileySC: SC House GOP members to Dem House member’s questions: “I can answer your questions with bullshit and the amendment will still pass.”
JoeyMillwood: @dphamilton Yes…But Bauer is the man. He’s what we should all strive to be. lol.
JoeyMillwood: is tired and happy he didn’t forget his pillow at home.
JoeyMillwood: It looks like we may be winding down.
AntonJGunn: @JoeyMillwood The Millwood Motto: Special Pillows and Special Food makes me Happy.
JoeyMillwood: @antonjgunn hahahaha. For everyone following on sctweets, @antonjgunn and I are friends and agree on Lost and 24 and the greatness they are.
EBedingfield: Binding future GA’s in SC to spend money we won’t have. Is that a good thing? I think not!
dphamilton: @AntonJGunn Ha Ha, now that’s funny.
AntonJGunn: @dphamilton Jack Bauer is real. The House of Representatives is in fantasyland.
PhilBaileySC: Look at @JoeyMillwood spending all that government money. Bravo.
AntonJGunn: Its 10:10pm and we are just now approaching the end of section 1 of 90 sections of the State Budget.
johnroconnor: House wrapping up day’s work. More done on first budget day this year than my previous three sessions. About 40% of amendments.
JoeyMillwood: We have adjourned. Will pick back up at 930 a.m.
As reported on FITSNews late Sunday afternoon, a new social networking site for S.C. conservatives, The Palmetto Network, is going forward to link up and coordinate social conservatives in the state.
In the post, it says that the site is invitation only, but Wolfe Reports registered as a member of the site when consultant Joshua Gross rolled out the site on Feb. 6, through a link in a Facebook news feed.
According to FITS, “FITS agreed not to release any members’ names, several prominent South Carolina politicos have already joined the network – including at least one candidate for governor.”
However, this site is under no such preconditions, and listed below are some of the more prominent members and a list of groups on The Palmetto Network, current as of 7 p.m. on Sunday. As of that time, no group yet had members.
MEMBERS, in alphabetical order
Elected officials and others
State Rep. Nathan Ballentine
U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett
State Sen. Kevin Bryant
Former Sec. of State Jim Miles
Former state representative candidate Trey Whitehurst
Consultants, operatives and others
Tony Beam, director of Christian Worldview Center, North Greenville University
Nicole Cobb, Spartanburg County chair of S.C. Young Republicans
Chad Connelly, SCRG board member
Sheri Few, founder of SC PIE
Mike Green, consultant
Joshua Gross, consultant
Allen Klump, law student
Ashley Manini, director of MEDPAC at S.C. Medical Association
Taft Matney, spokesman for Conservatives in Action
Matt Moore, executive director of S.C. Club for Growth
Randy Page, president of SCRG
Jeff Quinton, operations assistant at Public Opinion Strategies
Jay W. Ragley, executive director of SCGOP
Oran Smith, president of Palmetto Family Council
Dave Wilson, creative director at McAlister Communications
Media
Adam Fogle, The Palmetto Scoop
Will Folks, FITSNews
Wes Wolfe, Wolfe Reports
GROUPS, in order of appearance
Christian Worldview Center
Dr. Everett’s Ed Forum
FITSNews
Foundation for American Restoration
Gun Owners of SC
HHIRC
Kevin Hall for SCGOP Chairman
Palmetto Family Council
SC Association of Christian Schools
SC Citizens for Life
SC Home School Network (SCAHIS)
SC Independent School Association
SC Parents Involved in Education
SC Policy Council
SCACS-SC Association of Christian Schools (posted twice)
South Carolinians for Responsible Government
The Palmetto Scoop
