Brad Warthen's Blog

OK, I THINK I've got the comment function on my new blog fixed

I know that at least bud has tried to post a comment at bradwarthen.com and failed. There have probably been others by now. Sorry.I THINK Ive got it fixed now. Please go try, and if you have problems, let me know here....

Today's column, other stuff on my new blog

FYI, todays column -- the long-promised one about Gresham Barrett (a perfectly pedestrian column that didnt deserve such a buildup, but at least it technically fulfills the promise) is to be found on my new blog, bradwarthen.com.Also, Ive posted a nice (I think) note I got from the governor, which I hope you will help me decipher......

Check out bradwarthen.com

Theres not much there -- the new blog is just taking its first, teetering, baby steps -- but I urge you to go check out bradwarthen.com, and watch it grow.I will no longer be doing THIS blog after Friday, so if you want to continue the conversation, youll have to go there. Again, that address is:bradwarthen.comAnd I promise, there will be much more to see there soon......

Video: A brief history of cartooning at The State

Robert Ariail delivered a lecture last Thursday night, as part of the prestigious Calhoun Lecture Series at the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson U. It was about the history of cartooning in general, and at The State in particular.Today, he dropped by my office to share an anecdote that he told up in Clemson, one which seems particularly apropos to share today, the day the news came out that his career at The State is coming to an end.Its about the only other cartoonist The State ever actually employed full-time, back in the days of the Gonzales brothers, and why...

Cindi's very kind words today (and Bob's last week)

Dont know if you saw Cindi Scoppes very touching column about me today. I pass on the link in case you missed it.It means even more to me than you might think because, as she notes, shes not the sort to butter up the boss (certainly not one whos leaving), or anybody else. Cindi refers to herself as the designated mean bitch around here, which of course is entirely (or almost entirely) inaccurate. I prefer to think of her as tough-minded, which is what makes her one of the best in the business.Ill tell you a little anecdote -- Cindi...

Sanford's letter to Obama

So that you might be fully informed, I pass this on. Can you see me rolling my eyes from where you sit?You saw the story about Obamas response to the original request, right? The administration told the gov that the stimulus is supposed to be used to save or create jobs. To which it might well have added, Duh! Marvelous restraint on the administrations part there.Anyway, heres the latest letter:STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINAOFFICE OF THE GOVERNORMARK SANFORD, GOVERNORMarch 17, 2009The Honorable Barack ObamaPresidentUnited States of America1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NorthwestWashington, D.C. 20500Dear Mr. President,Id first thank you and Director Orszag for...

The news about Robert Ariail

Several of you asked whether my great friend Robert Ariail would be laid off. Well, today you got your answer. The delay because Robert was mulling an offer to stay on part-time, which he decided to decline.Read Chuck Crumbos story about Robert here. An excerpt: Ariail, who joined The State in 1984, said he planned to continue his work through United Media syndicate, which serves more than 600 newspapers and magazines.“I hope to find another job in editorial cartooning,” said Ariail, whose last day at The State is Thursday. “I’m 53. It’s difficult to remake myself, and I don’t want...

Thanks for all the kind words, folks

Yes, blog regulars, you did read much of this piece earlier in the week. But people who dont do blogs (a much larger number among newspaper readers) missed it, and there is some new material in it, at the beginning and the end. Not much, Ill admit, but some...By BRAD WARTHENEditorial Page EditorONE OF THE tough things about getting laid off in a very public way is that you can’t get your work done — you can’t even walk down the street — for all the wonderful people who come up to you and say kind things. (Never mind the...

St. Paddy's at Yesterday's

Here I am standing at the bar in Yesterdays. So where are yall?This is not the usual crowd. Very young, very green, quite drunk, generally speaking. Ill need at least another pint before I can tolerate them. I think Ill have one of those Bud Lights in the special St. Paddys green aluminum bottles. I dont like light beer, but one must bow to the conventions of the day.Born Under a Bad Sign, which I must add to my playlist, was just playing on the rather loud PA. Before that, it was Up On Cripple Creek, which cant be beat,...

The tax on stupidity

I liked this analogy offered in a book review in The Wall Street Journal Thursday about why we so often call lotteries a tax on stupidity: Imagine a standard NFL football field. Somewhere in the field, a student has placed a single, small, common variety of ant that she has marked with a spot of yellow paint. You walk onto the field, blindfolded, and push a pin into the ground. If your pin pierces the marked ant, you win. Otherwise you lose. Want to give it a go? Thus did one mathematician describe the odds of winning a Powerball lottery....

DNC takes on Sanford

Thought yall might be interested in this release, and the video above:New DNC Ad Calls on Mark Sanford to Stop “Playing Politics” With South Carolina Jobs and Recovery Money Click Here to See the DNC Ad “Playing Politics” Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqTkk9t4sec Washington, DC – The Democratic National Committee today released a new television ad entitled “Playing Politics” that calls on South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford to stop playing politics with federal job creation and economic recovery funds. The ad, which will begin airing in Columbia on Monday, outlines the deepening economic challenges facing South Carolina’s working families. Despite record unemployment and...

Never mind maneuvers...

Just watched the end of a movie in which Lawrence Olivier was strutting about in Napoleonic-era admirals uniform with one empty right sleeve, which could only mean he was portraying Lord Nelson. And there was Vivien Leigh talking about Lord Keith and St. Vincent and the rest, so I was hooked to the end of it. Saw a highly melodramatic rendering of Nelsons death at Trafalgar.As you know, Im a huge fan of the Aubrey-Maturin novels, and Lord Nelson was Jack Aubreys hero. In the books, Jack is the one to whom Nelson said, Never mind maneuvers, always go straight...

I infiltrate the unemployment system

How dedicated am I to my craft? This dedicated: with the conflict between the governor and the Employment Security Commission being a burning issue in our state, I went and got myself laid off so I could go undercover and find out how the unemployment system in this state really works. Im a regular Alec Leamas or something. Thats my story anyway.I learned an awful lot about it today -- so much that Im too tired now to sort through it all; Id be writing all night. But it will produce a lot of fodder for the blog in the...

Have a heart, Mayor Bob

When I get home tonight Im going to be in trouble with the lady who writes the checks at my house. She was already ticked that I got a parking ticket yesterday. One day I lose my job, the next I bring home a ticket. Her position is that its not that hard to avoid them. I was determined not to get another.So on the way into town, I stopped to get a dollars worth of change at Food Lion. So I was set.The following things happened: I parked a block and a half from the federal building, but fortunately...

Get a Social Security card NOW

Ive spent much of today in a series of meetings learning about the various services that the S.C. Employment Security Commission and other state agencies offer to folks in my situation. Yesterday, when I made the appointments, I was told to bring my Social Security card.Uh... I havent had a Social Security card for about 35 years, since I was in college. I dont know what happened to it. (At first, I said 25 years, but my wife says I havent had one as long as shes known me, and weve been married 34 years.)And in all these years, this...

Good job rejecting the tuition caps

This might sound strange coming from a guy who was already counting pennies (or quarters, anyway -- I miscounted how many I had this morning in my truck, and ended up with a parking ticket because I didnt have enough for the meter), with my two youngest daughters still in college. And now Im about to be unemployed.But Im glad the House rejected tuition caps at S.C. colleges and universities. I have an anecdote to share about that.Remember the recent day when college students wandered the State House lobbying lawmakers on behalf of their institutions. They wanted the state to...

Can you believe this guy? (I mean that in a NICE way)

Sorry not to have posted today. Aside from doing the work I usually do to get the opinion pages out, Im dealing with a lot of e-mails and phone calls related to my personal and professional news -- mostly very kind and thoughtful (although not quite all -- hey, you know my public).When I came in this morning, I was going to write something about our governors latest, which is pretty wild and crazy and outrageous. I decided the headline was going to be, Can you believe this guy? I was going to say, he only wants the stimulus on...

The news about me (among others)

Well, as you can see, I am in the news today. In the morning youll see a further message about me and about the editorial department from our president and publisher, Henry Haitz (Ill link when its available). In case you missed the news, here’s the short version: I’ll be leaving the newspaper after next week, as my position has been eliminated in this company’s quest for deep expense cuts.I’m not sure what else to tell you, or how valuable such commentary from me would be. As y’all know, I’ve tried to keep y’all in the loop about the profound...

Stem cells and the Kulturkampf see-saw

Heres a place for those of you who are so inclined to comment on the Obama administrations new policy on stem cells. That is to say, the latest tilt in the Kulturkampf see-saw. Republicans get in charge, it tilts one way. Democrats get in charge, it tilts the other. And so it continues, even in the post-partisan era.I dont know what to say about it myself because ... I dont know; I guess I havent thought about it enough or something. The partisans seem REALLY sure of their sides, and personally, I dont know how they can be. But maybe...

Accountability, USMC style

Peggy Noonan had an excellent column Saturday that I hope you can read (since Im a subscriber, its hard for me to tell whether the links I post to the WSJ are subscriber-only or not).Its about how the U.S. Marine Corps dealt with its own culpability in a tragic plane crash that killed civilians on the ground back in December.Ms. Noonans point was to contrast the way the Corps owned up and held its own folks accountable, contrasted to the finger-pointing and blame-shifting that we are used to seeing inside the Beltway, and in the corporate world.I read it shortly...

A secessionist Freudian slip

My favorite part of the concurrent resolution described in my last post is this:Whereas, the several states of the Untied States of America, through the Constitution and the amendments thereto, constituted a general government for special purposes and delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving each state to itself, the residuary right to their own self government. Now, therefore, Yep, you read that right, and all I did was copy and paste if from the online text of H. 3509. It does indeed say the Untied States of America.Hey, if you cant break up the Union one way......

Nullification: Are we going to do it again?

Michael Rodgers over at Take Down The Flag is worried that we are, with S.C. House bill 3509, which seeks a concurrent resolution. And you know, you can easily see why he would think that, given such language as this:Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly declares that the people of this State have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent State, and shall exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right pertaining thereto, which is not expressly delegated by them to the United States of America in the congress assembled; and ...I found...

Brave new world of political discourse

By BRAD WARTHENEDITORIAL PAGE EDITORONCE, NOT so long ago, serious people decried the reduction and trivialization of political ideas to the level of a bumper sticker. Some days, I long for the coherence, the relevance, the completeness of bumper stickers. Let’s knit together a few of the unraveled threads that have frayed my mind in the past week, shall we? Thread One: A Colorado congressman who takes pride in his technological savvy claimed partial “credit” for the demise of a newspaper, saying, “Who killed the Rocky Mountain News? We’re all part of it, for better or worse, and I argue...

Bothering seagulls

My wife and I were walking on the beach this afternoon, and we saw this flock of seagulls -- the birds, not the guys with the weird hair -- snoozing on the dry sand, up above the tide line. It was cool walking into the wind, warm walking with it.My wife mentioned that if Morgan were with us, shed be scattering the gulls. That was one of her favorite activities. You remember Morgan -- I wrote about her back here. Best dog ever.Anyway, the gulls seemed to be in such a torpor there in the sun that I thought they...

I spent everything I had for this hat

Finding myself at the Surfside Pier this afternoon, and having forgotten to bring a hat (having the sun glaring down in the gap over my shades drives me nuts), it occurred to me that I had never, in all these years, bought a hat that said Surfside Beach.And all these years is a lot of years. My grandfather bought two lots down here in about 1957. He built a little cottage on one of them. In about 1968, he built a house on the other lot, which is on a freshwater lake about two blocks from the ocean. He sold...

This is worse than Facebook

You know how Ive complained about how I just dont get Facebook -- that I find it disorienting, and just generally a lousy way to communicate information?Well, Ive found a worse way -- Twitter.Have you seen this new site that S.C. Rep. Dan Hamilton and self-described GOP political operative Wesley Donehue have started, SCTweets? Basically, its point is:...to find a creative way to showcase SC’s tech-savvy elected officials. Specifically, we expect the Statehouse crew to be twittering a lot from the floor and we thought it would be cool to see what they were saying. That goal somehow expanded and...

$41 million for SC, and everybody's in on it

You get used to press releases from congressional offices in which Rep. This or Sen. That announces that his district or state is going to get X amount of federal largesse. Even when the member had nothing to do with it, by announcing it, he gets credit. Its routine.But this one was so big that the president and the veep had to get in on it, which is something new for me:President Obama, Vice President Biden, U.S. TransportationSecretary LaHood, Announce Availability of Nearly $41.2 million in Public Transportation Investments for South Carolina More than $8 Billion Made Available Across the...

S.C. Dems loving them some Rush

Just in case you doubt what I say about how partisan Democrats symbiotic, co-dependent relationship with Rush Limbaugh, note this gleeful ode of adoration from from Brad Hutto and John Land, who are probably the most unapologetically partisan Democrats in the S.C. Senate: South Carolina Senate Democratic CaucusFor Immediate Release March 5, 2009 SC Senate Democratic Leaders Introduce Advance-Apology Resolution for Limbaugh Senators Land and Hutto call for Pre-Emptive Apology before the fad ends Columbia, SC - South Carolinas two leading Senate Democrats introduced a resolution in the state Senate today offering advance apologies to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh....

What about Gresham Barrett?

Either today or tomorrow Im going to call and talk to Gresham Barrett about his candidacy for governor, for the purposes of a column -- like the one I did on Vincent Sheheen. As Ive indicated, I plan to focus on candidates for this job early, and give you, the voter, as much information as I can about each of them, so that you can make a better choice than we, the people, have made in the last few gubernatorial elections.Assuming, of course, that were offered a better choice -- and frankly, we havent had a really good one since...

Rush and his friends the Democrats

Just to complete the process of distracting myself with total trivia, Ill mention the spin cycle rubbish of the last couple of days about Rush Limbaugh.How pathetic can we be in this country, huh? This contemptible creature (why contemptible? because he wants this country to fail to prove an ideological point) actually gets treated as someone who matters. The chief of staff of the President of the United States elevates him, absurdly, to chief of the presidents opposition. Even more absurdly, the actual chief of the opposition party spends breath denying it.Either yesterday or the day before, as I was...

Working out is hard to do

Set that headline to the Neil Sedaka tune, which seems appropriate. After trying to get back into working out the last couple of days, I feel about as macho as Neil Sedaka. Not to cast any aspersions, but I havent exactly been coming on like Ah-nold. I look in the mirror in the locker room, and I see a flabalanche.How bad is it? It had been so long since I had worked out -- maybe once or twice the middle of last year, I guess -- that it took me at least 10 minutes to remember my locker combination. That...

The unspeakable horror

This was a terrible day for news about children.The awful thing is that the front-page story about the boy shot and killed by his brother while they were idle on a snow day was not the worst, most appallingly horrific such news in the paper.It was awful enough. In my long career in this business, I am often shocked at how unbelievably trivial the incidents leading to domestic homicides (the most common kind) can be. Although I cant remember whether this happened in Tennessee or Kansas or South Carolina (the three places Ive worked), the archetype in my mind was...

une aide de 900 millions de dollars

One of the many, many groups that send me releases via e-mail every day -- which I generally delete immediately, not because Im not interested or the subject is unimportant, but because theres only so much time in the day -- is one called The Israel Project.Todays release from that group grabbed my attention, though, because -- inexplicably -- it was in French. Heres the headline and subhead:Les États-Unis annoncent une aide de 900 millions de dollars pour la reconstruction de GazaLargent aidera Gaza pour consolider lAutorité palestinienne... which reminds me: Night before last, I was downstairs working out for...

Down with team-building games

Count me among those who do NOT get worked up about city councils and other public bodies treating themselves to lunch. If you ask me whether taxpayers should have to pay for sandwiches for council members and staff during a meeting that stretches through meal time, Ill say no. But Im not going to get worked up about it such petty-cash disbursements. Its the much larger spending decisions the elected officials make while theyre chewing their pimento cheese sandwiches that matter.I had to smile over Belinda Gergels pot luck offering, and Mayor Bobs disclosure that he consumed two Life Savers,...

Congressman says he whacked the Denver paper

Boy, and they say the MSM can be guilty of hubris...Some congressman out in Colorado who is apparently overimpressed with himself because he travels the Information Superhighway (golly, how futuristic!), is quoted as saying:Who killed the Rocky Mountain News? Were all part of it, for better or worse, and I argue its mostly for the better...The media is dead and long live the new media.Heres whats really ironic about this: After this was brought to my attention, I tried following various links to find any sort of authoritative, original source as to what he actually said, and within what context,...

Remembering 'Breaking the News'

Back in the first comment on this post, Lee mentioned James Fallows excellent book, Breaking the News: The News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy -- which, as it happens, I actually reviewed for this newspaper when it came out.Heres what I wrote, back in 1996:THE STATEMEDIA EXAMINES ITSELFPublished on: 02/25/1996Section: TEMPOEdition: FINALPage: F6Reviewed by Brad WarthenMemo: Brad Warthen is an associate editor of The States editorial page.BREAKING THE NEWS: How the Media Undermine American DemocracyBy James FallowsPantheon, 296 pages, $23 So you think the news media are dragging the country down with their negativity and their failure to put...

Much ado about photo ID (column version)

Yep, you already read this here, back on Friday. But I post it not for you blog regulars, but for folks who saw it first in the paper today, and decided to come here for the version with links. And if you did that, welcome to the blog...By BRAD WARTHENEDITORIAL PAGE EDITORThe photo ID bill that caused such a flap in the House Thursday is one of those classic issues that political partisans make a huge deal over, and that seems to me entirely undeserving of the fuss. It’s not so much an issue that generates conflict between Democrats and...

From Sanford's clip file

A colleague calls my attention to Frank Richs column over the weekend, which starts in on our governor about halfway down: At least the G.O.P.’s newfound racial sensitivity saved it from choosing the white Southern governor often bracketed with Jindal as a rising “star,” Mark Sanford of South Carolina. That would have been an even bigger fiasco, for Sanford is from the same state as Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the junior high school student who sat in Michelle Obama’s box on Tuesday night and whose impassioned letter to Congress was quoted by the president. In her plea, the teenager begged for aid...

Praying for some leadership in Columbia

We had various speakers today at Columbia Rotary talking about homelessness in our community, including Amos Disasa from Eastminster Presbyterian, speaking on behalf of the Midlands Interfaith Homelessness Action Council (which he acknowledged that, as organization names go, is a mouthful).Saving me from taking a heap of notes, Rev. Disasa mentioned the groups Web site, at which you can read the following:More than $9 million has been raised to build a Homeless Transition Center in downtown Columbia. Yet this badly-needed facility is facing opposition from near downtown neighborhoods as well as some political leaders.It is our prayer that the faith...

Just another one of our little secrets

A colleague passes on this reader complaint, with the comment, What planet does this person live on?:I would like to know why we dont hear more from SC or Columbias media about the Governors inclination to refuse the stimulus monies when SC is in such desparate need. This state ranks about last economically,educationally, yet ranks high on crimes. Shouldnt this money be extremely vital to SC... is the media bias... playing politics or what? Dang, and after all our efforts to keep the governors position on this secret......

'25 Best Conservative Movies'

As yall know, I am inordinately fond of movies, and also of Top Five Lists and their lesser cousins, Top Ten lists and other denominations.So it was with interest that I perused this one put together by National Review, the 25 best conservative movies of the last 25 years, which are described as great movies that offer compelling messages about freedom, families, patriotism, traditions, and more. Its not a list it would have occurred to me to compile, since I dont think in those left-vs.-right terms. And in some cases NR has to put an odd spin on them to...

The blessing of a potential candidate

By BRAD WARTHENEditorial Page EditorOn a brilliant, warm February afternoon, I was holed up in a darkened booth in an Irish-themed pub talking local politics. Not exactly James Joyce’s “Ivy Day in the Committee Room,” but a reasonable Columbia facsimile. Jack Van Loan was holding court at his “office” in a booth at Delaney’s in Five Points — files and organizer on the table before him next to his coffee, his briefcase opened on a nearby bench. From such locations Jack makes and takes his multiple calls getting ready for the big St. Patrick’s Day event March 14, and talks...

'That stupid ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX!'

I just retreated up the stairs to my home office -- one of the rooms my kids have moved out of over the years -- because my wife was yelling about struggling to figure out that stupid alternative minimum tax. She was telling me that if I wanted to do something useful, I could do something about that.Mind you, this is about five minutes after we were having a conversation about how people are always coming to her with things they want ME to do something about, like the editorial page editor is in charge of the world or something....

My band's playlist

You know that event over the weekend I mentioned attending back here? It was a fund-raiser for Hand Middle School over at Gallery 701. And while a lot of folks did come up and converse with me about newspaper business, our dialogue was somewhat constrained by the fact that it was hard to talk over the sound of the band.The band was a group of local lawyers who call themselves The Sugardaddys, as in the candy. That, of course, is not nearly as cool a name as what one of the band members told me they thought about calling themselves,...

WashTimes picks on SC schoolgirl

More than one friend has brought to my attention this piece from Salon, taking up the cudgels for a schoolgirl here in South Carolina:Friday February 27, 2009 06:11 EST Criticizing TySheoma Bethea I thought it would come from Michelle Malkin or Rush Limbaugh, but Malkin is too busy planning her anti-tax tea parties while Rush gets ready for his close-up at the Conservative Political Action Committee this weekend (which is a collection of nuts so nutty even Sarah Palin stayed away).No, it was the conservative Washington Times that cast the first stone at TySheoma Bethea, the Dillon, S.C., teenager who...

Sunday preview: Ivy Day in the Committee Room (5 Points version)

Old Jack raked the cinders together with a piece of cardboard and spread them judiciously over the whitening dome of coals. When the dome was thinly covered his face lapsed into darkness but, as he set himself to fan the fire again, his crouching shadow ascended the opposite wall and his face slowly re-emerged into light.... -- from Ivy Day in the Committee Room, by James JoyceIn the middle of a brilliant, unusually warm February afternoon (Thursday), I was holed up in an Irish-themed pub talking local politics. Jack Van Loan was holding court at his office in a booth...

Much ado about photo ID

The photo ID bill that caused such a flap in the House yesterday is one of those classic issues that partisans make a HUGE deal over, and which seems to me entirely undeserving of the fuss.The way I see it is this: Its ridiculous for Democrats to act like this is some kind of insupportable burden on voting, even to the point of walking out to dramatize their profound concern. Why shouldnt you have to make the kind of basic demonstration of your identity that you have to make for pretty much any other kind of transaction? Its ridiculous for...

McCain to go to bat for McMaster (as well he should)

The Hill reports that John McCain is going to be raising funds for Attorney General Henry McMasters (yet undeclared) bid for governor in 2010:Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is hitting the fundraising circuit to return the favor to a local Republican who proved a key supporter in the 2008 primaries.McCain and many of his top advisers will throw a fundraising reception on behalf of Henry McMaster, the South Carolina attorney general who backed McCain during his run for president in 2008.The events host committee includes McCain loyalists like one-time senior advisors Charlie Black, former campaign manager Rick Davis and former Republican...

Rocky Mountain News to shut down

You know, I can hardly post something about the troubles in the news biz for yall before something comes along and tops it. I tried to give yall a roundup back in this post earlier today, and now this:The Rocky Mountain News publishes its last paper tomorrow. Rich Boehne, chief executive officer of Rocky-owner Scripps, broke the news to the staff at noon today, ending nearly three months of speculation over the papers future. People are in grief, Editor John Temple said at a news conference later. Boehne told staffers that the Rocky was the victim of a terrible economy...

GOP dark horse steps forward

This just came to my attention, and in keeping with my efforts to begin chronicling the 2010 gubernatorial election (because the sooner we can get a new governor, the better), I share it with you:{BC-SC-Governor-Nelsen, 2nd Ld-Writethru,0320}{Furman professor plans GOP bid for SC governor}{Eds: UPDATES with quotes, details from Nelsen, Bauer. ADDS byline.}{By JIM DAVENPORT}={Associated Press Writer}= COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A Furman University political science professor announced plans Thursday to be the first GOP candidate to formally enter the 2010 race for South Carolina governor. Brent Nelsen says hell file paperwork Friday to set up his Nelsen for Governor...