Florida GOP debate: 7 takeaways

This was Newt Gingrich’s last chance to shine on the big stage before Tuesday. It did not go as hoped.

Gingrich and Mitt Romney were supposed to be the main attractions, but Rick Santorum and Ron Paul won notice at the 19th GOP debate, hosted by CNN at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

For 120 minutes, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich essentially traded roles — Romney, often meek and shrill-sounding as he defended himself this cycle, became the aggressor, and Gingrich, who’s played the debate hall crowd like a musical instrument in the past, seemed to shrink from the attacks.

Romney came with balled-up fists to the debate stage, and swung hard at Gingrich during the first few questions — in the exact fashion that the former House speaker has typically gone at the front-runner.

It worked. Romney had the thing that has eluded him most this cycle — a “moment.”

SC pols vow to oppose Catawba Indian casino

A political and legal battle is brewing between politicians in York County who are advocates of economic development but oppose the Catawba Indian Nation’s plan to open a casino on its York County reservation.

The problem is, plainly, gambling.

There is no way around it. This fight is over money and whether the Catawbas have a right to make it the way other Indian tribes do – huge casinos that attract thousands of visitors who spend not just millions, but billions.

A casino would employ thousands and fill state coffers with taxes, tribal leaders maintain, but several area politicians say a casino is not an acceptable way to boost the economy.

York County Council Chairman Britt Blackwell, a Republican who proudly wears the label of pro-business, said Thursday a casino is “not the kind of economic development we are envisioning.”

The Social Welfare State, Compassion, and Political Self-Interest

  By Monty Pelerin The siren song of Socialism contains the seeds of destruction that now threaten the very foundations of civilization.  Socialism as a disease progresses slowly, but it has been underway for more than a hundred years.  The malignancy is now metastasizing.  Unfortunately, ours are the generations that will experience its pernicious outcomes. Feckless politicians blame anyone and everything but themselves for the impending tragedy.  They are responsible for the condition of the world.  Ultimately, “we the people” are [...]

BFF’s and to Hell with South Carolina

  (FITSNews) A leading South Carolina Republican activist is standing up for the Port of Savannah, Georgia – as well as S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s ongoing defense of our neighboring state’s economic interests. Lin Bennett – chairwoman of the Charleston County Republican Party – took to her Facebook page on Thursday to criticize a unanimous 111-0 vote by the S.C. House of Representatives opposing Haley’s appeasement. That vote aims to undo the “Savannah River Sellout,” a decision reached in November by Haley’s [...]

Folks: Pay Attention, Florida

WHAT’S DRIVING THE SUNSHINE STATE MEDIA TO IGNORE CERTAIN STORIES?

Having had their way with television sets, newspapers and websites in South Carolina, the 2012 “Republican” presidential candidates are now carpet bombing their cliches on the voters of Florida.

Lucky them, right?

In fact we were about to refer to those Florida voters as “poor” and “unsuspecting ..” but then we remembered we live in South Carolina.

In a piece worth reading, Crowley notes that Florida’s mainstream press is largely ignoring the story of Sheldon Adelson – a 78-year-old casino mogul who currently ranks as the eight-richest man in America. Earlier this month, Adelson pumped $5 million into Winning Our Future – the SuperPAC that’s supporting the presidential candidacy of former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich. Obviously that money did a lot of good for Gingrich – helping him win a landslide victory over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in South Carolina’s presidential primary.

Newtosaurus Sex, Pledges Not to Cheat on Wife 3

As you surely have learned by now, Newt Gingrich operates on a different plane than most ordinary mortals. His ideas are bigger by at least a factor of 3 — or so he would argue. Which is why it comes as no surprise that he was thinking about space sex before anyone else.

TheDC’s Will Rahn reports:

“However, by 1996 Gingrich thought that the space program had lost its ‘spirit of adventure’ because of the pernicious influence of government bureaucrats. If they were to get out of the way and allow private space exploration, he wrote, private entrepreneurs could be given free reign to explore the heavens at a fraction of the cost. We could also have sex in space. ‘I believe that space tourism will be a common fact of life during the adulthood of children born this year, that honeymoons in space will be the vogue by 2020,’ Gingrich wrote toward the end of the chapter. ‘Imagine weightlessness and its effects and you will understand some of the attractions.’”

Gingrich Pulls Ad After Rubio Dubs It ‘Inflammatory’

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s campaign on Wednesday pulled an ad that accused rival Mitt Romney of being “anti-immigrant” after influential Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida complained that the ad was inaccurate and inflammatory.

“We respect Senator Rubio tremendously and will remove the ad from the rotation,” Gingrich’s Florida campaign chairman, Jose Mallea, told The Miami Herald. “We will replace it with a positive message that will continue to focus on drawing contrast between our clear vision on the issues important to the Hispanic community and our opponents lack thereof.”

Rubio scolded Gingrich over a Spanish-language radio ad that says Romney is “anti-immigrant.”

Gov. Haley Talks More Smack to Unions

  (Free-Times) More than 100 years after the Civil War, South Carolina is still fighting unions. On Jan. 24, GOP Gov. Nikki Haley signed an executive order that prohibits workers who strike from receiving unemployment benefits. She also said unions will have to disclose their financial information. Orangeburg Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter called Haley’s order “overkill.” Others said it was redundant and a political stunt. “Striking workers in South Carolina can’t get unemployment, and unions already fully disclose their financial information,” said state AFL-CIO president Donna [...]

The Ruse of the Two Resumes

When one of my sons arrived at college for his freshman year, one of his first classes took him by surprise.

The professor–brown tweed suit, bow tie, right out of central casting–proceeded to greet his highly impressionable students with a power point that outlined his impeccable credentials: cum laude this, chairman of that, Fields Medal winner in physics and on and on.

In an instant, my son wrote him off as a stuffed shirt, pompous academic who had to make a boastful impression on a group of young students. It looked like a classic case of overkill that had backfired on a prince of the Ivy campus.

But then, a moment later, the scholar lit up a second Power Point: “My other resume,” as he put it. This one revealed the dark side of his life:

-Recovered alcoholic
-Neglectful father
-Insensitive and uncaring friend

Gamecock Hero Stephen Garcia Returns to Columbia

Stephen Garcia might step onto the South Carolina campus one final time before he embarks on a possible pro football career.

Moments after leaving Saturday’s “Battle of Florida” All-Star game in Boca Raton, Fla., in the fourth quarter because of an arm injury, Garcia hinted that he would participate in USC’s Pro Day on March 28.

“Training Monday,” Garcia replied to a local TV station when asked what was next for him. “Then I have to make sure I’m going up to Columbia for the Pro Day. Hopefully, I’ll get a shot at the next level.”

Garcia has been working out daily at an athletic training facility in his hometown of Tampa, Fla.

Nine days ago, Steve Spurrier told reporters covering the ceremony honoring the football team at halftime of the USC-Florida basketball game at Colonial Life Arena that the two parties had not yet discussed Garcia’s possible participation in USC’s Pro Day on March 28.

DHEC Ignored State Law with Dredging Vote

Office of the Speaker SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       January 25, 2012 Contact: Greg Foster (803) 734-3125 gregfoster@schouse.gov DHEC Ignored State Law w/ Dredging Vote Legislation addresses DHEC’s actions & protects SC’s future interests   (Columbia, SC) – Today, the S.C. House of Representatives passed a bill (H. 4627) to protect our state’s waterways and environmental interests.  The Legislation, approved by a 111 to 0 vote, reaffirmed and solidified an existing 2007 state law requiring the [...]

Haley Takes (Errant) Aim At Unions

  (FITSNews)   GOVERNOR SIGNS ORDER FOR LAW THAT ALREADY EXISTS S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley signed an executive order on Tuesday that she says will prevent striking workers in South Carolina from receiving unemployment benefits. The only problem? State law in South Carolina already forbids striking workers from receiving unemployment benefits. In fact, all Haley’s executive order actually does is require that two of her cabinet agencies communicate with each other better regarding pending labor disputes – something they should be doing [...]