Lindsey Graham Endorses Hollywood Democrat for Congress

Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint working at cross-purposes.

While South Carolina's esteemed junior Senator, Jim DeMint, has a national reputation for ensuring more conservatives are elected to the United States Congress; the state's rogue senior Senator has been busy too.  In characteristic fashion, Lindsey Graham, joined by his comrade John McCain, has endorsed Hollywood Democrat Howard Berman for Congress.  

Senator Graham will face, please God, a difficult primary challenge in 2014.  

We hope Senator Graham's Hollywood friends, the national media,  and all those liberals who support his calling his constituents "racists," those who support Graham's proposed amnesty for illegal aliens, the nationalization of US banks, massive new taxes under cap and trade legislation, Graham's proposed fingerprinting and imposition of ID cards for law-abiding Americans, and all those who delighted in Graham providing the key committee vote ensuring the appointment of Marxists to the US Supreme Court, will return the favor and endorse Graham in his primary.  In fact, just for a short time in 2014, y'all should come to South Carolina and let us know just how much Senator Graham means to you. 

A Grand Old Party in Panic

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Whittaker Chambers said that "the great failing of American conservatives is they do not retrieve their wounded."

 

He had it right, as Todd Akin can testify.

 

In an interview that aired last Sunday, Akin, the Republican candidate for Senate in Missouri, was asked whether he opposed abortions for women who had been raped. Akin's reply:

 

"From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. ... If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down ... .

 

"But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."

 

As no rape is "legitimate," this was a colossal gaffe.

 

If You Like Lindsey Grahamnesty, You'll Love Congressional Nominee Tom Rice!

Graham staffers populate SC Congressional Nominee's Campaign

“Republican” seventh congressional district nominee Tom Rice is convinced that his recent win over former S.C. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer was all about people’s evolving ideologies.  Specifically Rice believes that the Tea Party movement in South Carolina is kaput – and that voters in the Palmetto State are ready to embrace more “moderate” Republicans.

That’s why Rice has decided to hire numerous operatives affiliated with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (RINO-SC) to run his general election campaign against Democrat Gloria Tinubu.

Read the rest of this entry at FITSNews >> 

Lindsey Graham Tells New York Times He Has 'Crossed the Rubicon,' Wants Increased Federal Taxes

John Kerry knows a useful idiot when he sees one.

The Worst Republican Senator, South Carolina's own Lindsey Graham, has told U.S. News & World Report that he is "OK" with increased federal taxes as long as they are used for the ever more voracious military-industrial complex.  According to the news magazine, Lindsey told "the New York Times he has 'crossed the Rubicon' on his party's long-held opposition to higher federal taxes."

He so loves to endear himself to the folks at the New York Times.

As we have said before, words cannot convey the contempt we have for this treacherous individual who refuses to represent the people who elected him, and who seizes every opportunity to collaborate with those standing against all that most South Carolinians believe. 

His betrayal is so massive, perhaps South Carolinians have trouble grasping its enormity, or perhaps we just need to be reminded:

• He has called his constituents "racists." 
• He supports amnesty for illegal aliens. 
• He has expressed support for the nationalization of US banks.
• His previous support for massive increases in federal taxes was under the guise of cap and trade legislation.
• He advocates the fingerprinting and imposition of ID cards for law-abiding Americans.
• He opposed efforts to make English the official U.S. language.
• His was the key vote ensuring the appointment of Marxists to the US Supreme Court.
• He supports the endless, undeclared wars that have bankrupted the United States and wants even more federal taxing and spending to pay for them.

 In 2014 South Carolinians will have the opportunity to replace this treacherous snake.  It's not too soon to begin working toward that goal.

When Lindsey Graham Speaks ...

When Lindsey Graham says of a Medicare reform plan inspired by John Kerry, “Trust me, it’s a good deal,” and “We designed it. I can assure you, you will like it.” -- we say, "lock the barn door and thank heavens this Senator's contract runs out in two years."

Lindsey Graham: Obama's Useful Idiot or Partner in Treason?

Gives Obama the Right to Ignore Sixth Amendment, Jail American Citizens Without Trial

From The New American

By Joe Wolverton, II

President Barack Obama signed a law on New Year's Eve granting himself absolute power to indefinitely detain American citizens suspected (by him) of being "belligerents." He promises he won't use it, however. 

On December 31, 2011, with the President's signing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the writ of habeas corpus — a civil right so fundamental to Anglo-American common law history that it predates the Magna Carta — is voidable upon the command of the President of the United States. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel is also revocable at his will.

The United States, as Senator Lindsey Graham declared during floor debate in the Senate, is now a theatre in the War on Terror and Americans "can be detained indefinitely ... and when you say to the interrogator, 'I want my lawyer,' the interrogator will say, 'You don't have a right to a lawyer because you're a military threat.'"

Don't worry, though. Although the President now wields this enormous power, he adamantly denies that he will ever "authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens." That guarantee is all that stands between American citizens and life in prison on arbitrary charges of conspiring to commit or committing acts belligerent to the homeland.

The Masquerader, He’ll Lie and Doesn’t Care

Cross-posted with SC Hotline

By Paul Gable

One month before the Republican presidential candidates will be in Myrtle Beach for an important debate, Newt Gingrich has opened a double digit lead over his closest challenger Mitt Romney in South Carolina voter polls.

In a recent NBC News/Wall St. Journal poll, Gingrich holds a 40 percent to 23 percent lead over Romney while a recent Reuters poll had Gingrich leading 28 percent to 18 percent. Yet, even with Gingrich leading, the same polls show Romney as the man most capable of defeating President Obama in November.

Gingrich is a conundrum for Republican voters. Often hailed as a visionary by supporters, Gingrich seems to leave a trail of broken dreams wherever he goes.

Couple Indicted for Illegal Donations to Graham

Campaign denies knowledge of illegal donations funneled from German businessman.

From Taylors-Wade Hampton Patch

By Adam Crisp

A Mount Pleasant business owner faces a multi-count federal indictment for a scheme to donate thousands of dollars in illegal campaign money to the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.

Federal authorities allege in April indictments that were unsealed Monday that Jian-Yun “John” Dong took more than $30,000 from a German national and funneled the money through illegal sources from 2007-09 to support Graham’s re-election campaign.

Why Are We Baiting the Bear?

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Is the Senate trying to reignite the Cold War?

If so, it is going about it the right way.

Before departing for a five-week vacation, the Senate voted to declare Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be provinces of Georgia illegally occupied by Russian troops who must get out and return to Russia.

McConnell, DeMint Meet About Plum Senate Finance Panel Post

From The Hill

By Alexander Bolton

In a sign of the growing power of conservatives within the Senate Republican Conference, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) held a rare meeting with Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Monday evening.

The topic: an opening on the most powerful committee in the Senate, the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Lindsey Graham: The Little Metrosexual That Could

Words cannot convey the contempt we have for the senior Senator who refuses to represent South Carolina in the United States Senate; but the following piece comes closer than anything we have read.

From American Thinker

By Stuart Schwartz

The fussy, fastidious, and pampered senator from South Carolina just keeps chugging along supremely impressed with the face looking out from the mirror in his posh Senate office and his status as the Beltway insiders' favorite Republican.  "I'm [...] at the front of the line" for Barack Obama on Capitol Hill, he brags to the New York Times, which describes his "delight" in letting "people know" how important he is.  After all, he is Lindsey Graham and he is Washington, nestled among the Beltway's palace courtiers like a flea on a Carolina Dog.  And, in the battle raging for the future and soul of the nation, it is well to remember he is everything that is wrong with the Republican Party in Washington; indeed, he is everything that is wrong with both parties.

He is Lindsey Graham and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy is his role model.  Sure, he admired the Massachusetts liberal's "energy and passion" but it was his "practicality" that most impressed Graham.  Kennedy made sure that Graham got the cover he needed to vote his way while keeping the folks back home happy.  Say one thing in Washington and another for those not as smart and not as "important."  Sure, he is known as a "hypocrite" back home and behind in the polls.  And yes, they say he's in trouble in 2014 when next up for reelection, but -- well, they'll forget about it.  After all, they're in South Carolina and he's in Washington.  He's important, and they're not.  He learned that from Ted Kennedy, master; and now he is Lindsay Graham, grasshopper.

Lindsey Graham’s War on Freedom

From The American Conservative

By Jack Hunter

When Florida pastor Terry Jones decided to “send a message” to Muslims by burning a Koran last week, it incited outrage and violence throughout the Arab world. American leaders rightly responded by condemning the senseless and dangerous act. Yet in the end, and despite the pastor’s obvious and irresponsible recklessness, Jones used his free speech and political leaders used theirs. Such is the nature of free expression in a free society.

But one politician’s condemnation of Jones contained a suggested remedy far more dangerous to American freedom than burning the Koran. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham on CBS’ Face the Nation:

Yeah, I wish we could find some way to hold people accountable. Free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war. During World War II you had limits on what you could say if it would inspire the enemy.

Certainly the Founding Fathers considered free speech more than just a mere “great idea” but one of the bedrock principles of our republic, even enshrining it in the first amendment to our Constitution. That Graham would be willing to capitulate to radical Islamists by curtailing this precious freedom is particularly astounding when you consider that the Senator consistently and adamantly opposes curtailing the one policy that unquestionably “inspires the enemy” more than any other. In fact, when it comes to looking out for America’s proper defense and actual security—Lindsey Graham is arguably the most ass-backward politician alive today.

The Lindsey Graham Standard: 'Three Strikes and You're Out'

Calls for General James Clapper's Resignation

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies on Capitol Hill Feb. 10 before the House Intelligence Committee. 

 We don't often agree with Lindsey Graham, but with regard to the befuddled and uninformed so-called Director of National Intelligence, he is right.  Director Clapper should go or be fired.

We would also apply the "Graham Standard" to United States Senators who have called their constituents "racists," who defy public opinion and support amnesty for illegal aliens, who support the nationalization of US banks, who favor massive new taxes under cap and trade legislation, advocate the fingerprinting and imposition of ID cards for law-abiding Americans, and have provided the key committee vote ensuring the appointment of Marxists to the US Supreme Court.  

Don't let the doorknob hit you, Lindsey.

From Fox News

A prominent Republican senator called on Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to resign Thursday after he said Russia and China pose the biggest "mortal threat" to the United States, stunning lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said it's time for Clapper to go after his testimony on Capitol Hill, but the White House said it has the "full faith and confidence" of the director.

Schumer and Graham: Partners in Amnesty

Senator Lindsey Graham "reaching across the aisle" to Senator Charles Schumer

With reports that the worst Republican Senator is teaming up with New York Senator Charles Schumer on a new amnesty bill for illegal immigrants, we have only one question about Lindsey Graham: "who is blackmailing him?"  As the following story indicates, Grahamnesty has destroyed himself in the eyes of South Carolina Republican primary voters.

South Carolina should amend its constitution to allow for recall of the scoundrel canceling out Senator Jim DeMint's votes; fortunately there are many distinguished prospects for his seat in 2014 -- Henry McMaster, Joe Wilson, Bill Connor, among others.  We will enthusiastically support the Republican who has the best chance of defeating him.

PPP Poll: Lindsey Graham Trails Joe Wilson In Possible 2014 Senate Primary

From TPM

By Eric Kleefeld

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has both bad-mouthed and praised the Tea Party movement in the past, isn't up for re-election until 2014. But when that comes, a new survey from Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Graham could be quite vulnerable in his Republican primary -- against Congressman Joe "You Lie" Wilson!

The poll finds that only 42% of the state's Republican primary voters approve of Graham's performance, with 40% disapproving. And in a hypothetical primary against Wilson, who famously shouted out "You lie!" during a speech on health care by President Obama to Congress, it doesn't look good for Graham: Wilson gets 43% of the votes, and Graham gets 41%. The margin of error ±4.1%.

"Lindsey Graham should thank God his next race is not until 2014," writes PPP president Dean Debnam. "He'd be in good shape in November, but at this rate, he'd be lucky to survive that far."

On the other hand, Graham does lead former Gov. Mark Sanford by a margin of 52%-34%. Unfortunately for Sanford, while he might have a lot of experience campaigning in Buenos Aires and on the Appalachian Trail, those voters likely aren't eligible to participate in South Carolina elections.

How the Stupid Party Gets Its Name

From RedState

By Erick Erickson

Today was another fine example of how the Republican Party gets labeled as the stupid party.

Senator Dick Durbin hinted two days ago that the Senate Democrats would be unified in their opposition to repeal Obamacare except for one or two. In other words, the GOP had the opportunity to get Democrats to jump ship.

But Democrats have signaled that they want to “fix” Obamacare, not repeal it. So the GOP gladly obliged. Without any obstruction, the GOP went along with the Democrats’ changes to the onerous 1099 provision.

You may say that is a good thing, and you would be right. Except that doing this, instead of keeping the pain in place until Obamacare is repealed, makes the pain less and less. And as the pain becomes less and less because Republicans work with Democrats to “fix” Obamacare, it becomes less and less likely that Obamacare will actually get repealed.

No Democrat had to vote for repeal because they knew they’d get a chance to say they were “fixing” Obamacare. And the headline will now be that the GOP and Democrats in the Senate are cooperating on a “fix” instead of repeal.

On top of that, however, is the stupidity — sheer stupidity — of certain Republicans now trying to undermine the litigation against Obamacare. I’m looking at you Senators Lindsey Graham and John Barasso.

Barasso and Graham have proposed to let states opt-out of having the citizens of the several states be placed in the individual mandate.

If states can opt out of the individual mandate, they no longer have grounds to keep up their lawsuit in federal court. Why? Because if they can choose to opt out of the individual mandate, it is no longer a constitutional obstruction to them.

Further, proposing this and other changes to Obamacare gives Justice Anthony Kennedy plausible grounds to say, “Look! Obamacare is severable and it can survive without the individual mandate.”

Tinkering with Obamacare undermines both the lawsuit against Obamacare and the effort for full repeal. It doesn’t take a genius to know that, but it does take the stupid party to ignore it.

DeMint Introduces Obamacare Repeal in Senate

Senator Jim DeMint

Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) introduced legislation today to fully repeal the Democrats’ government health care takeover that President Obama signed into law March 23, 2010. 

Thirty-four Republicans have already cosponsored this bill.

The Senator's news release follows:

“Republicans are standing with the American people who are demanding we repeal this government takeover of health care,” said Senator DeMint. “Repealing ObamaCare is vital to the future of our nation and the health of our people. ObamaCare will raise health costs, reduce choices, ration care, hike taxes, cut jobs, increase the national debt, and put bureaucrats between patients and their doctors. It’s time to start over and implement commonsense solutions that allow Americans to choose affordable plans across state lines, end frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs, and gives equitable tax treatment to those who don’t get insurance from their employer.”

Cosponsors of the repeal bill include Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Dan Coats (R-Indiana), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Ensign (R-Nevada), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John McCain (R-Arizona), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), David Vitter (R-Louisiana), and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).

“Economists have described ObamaCare as ‘fiscally dangerous,’ warning it will create barriers to job growth and increase costs at a time of great economic uncertainty,” said Senator DeMint. “American families and businesses are struggling and it’s our duty to respond quickly to their calls to repeal this bill and push for solutions that will make health care more affordable.”

• Leading Economists project that ObamaCare will add roughly $500 billion in new health care taxes, passing those costs to patients and will raise the federal budget deficit by more than $500 billion over the next 10 years and by nearly $1.5 trillion in the following decade.
• According to the Congressional Budget Office, ObamaCare will increase health care costs to families by $2,100 per year.
• The Heritage Foundation estimates that the economy will lose 670,000 jobs under the new law, many of them in the health care industry.
• An American Action Forum study finds that employers will be forced to drop employer-sponsored health care coverage for as many as 35 million Americans.
• An analysis from HSA Consulting Services concludes the new law restricts the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and reduces the amount of money that can be contributed to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs).
• As of Dec. 3, 2010, 222 waivers from ObamaCare’s annual limit requirements had been granted to businesses, labor unions, and insurers, affecting 1.5 million enrollees.
• On Dec. 13, 2010, a U.S. district court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the government to impose an individual mandate to buy health insurance.

Human Events Names Senator Demint 'The Conservative of the Year'

We cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.  Thank you, Senator DeMint!

“I want to sincerely congratulate Senator DeMint on this award. Fully aware that Human Events cannot give the award to me every year, Human Events has made the only other choice they could make. Tough, courageous, rock-solid and unflinching, Jim DeMint charts the way for all of us in truly historic times.”

— Rush Limbaugh
Conservative of the Year, 2007

From Human Events 
By Erick Erickson

He did not start out a conservative fighter.  He was no warrior when he first arrived on Capitol Hill in 1999.  Jim DeMint had replaced Rep. Bob Inglis in South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.  Inglis had vacated the seat to run a losing race against Senator Ernest Hollins.

DeMint’s tenure started out like that of most freshmen congressmen — anonymous and committed to bringing home the bacon, much like Rep. Inglis who, when Senator DeMint moved up to the Senate, moved back into his old House seat until the tea party movement threw him out in 2010.

Something happened to DeMint though.  In a National Journal article last month, Michael Hirsh fingered the fight over No Child Left Behind, which DeMint originally opposed, but then ultimately supported.

Georgetown GOP's Swatzel Uses Hard-Hitting Mail Campaign to Oust Entrenched Incumbent

Could he do the same to RINO Lindsey Graham?

Georgetown GOP Chairman Tom Swatzel Addresses School Choice Rally at South Carolina State House in 2007.

(This story was not written at the behest of, or with the collaboration or knowledge of Tom Swatzel, the Georgetown Republican Committee, or any other state or local party official. It is based entirely on information provided by political insiders with intimate knowledge of the behind-the-scenes story.)

With Republicans gaining more state legislative seats nationwide than at any time since 1928, it is easy to overlook the gain of a mere 3 state house seats in South Carolina. However, one race in particular – that of South Carolina House District 108 – is a primer on how a clear, bold, uncompromisingly conservative message, coupled with savvy party leadership, can dislodge even the safest, most entrenched incumbent.

Representative Vida Miller, D-Pawleys Island, a local gallery owner, former school board member, and 14-year state House incumbent, was probably confident of an eighth term in Columbia when her only Republican opponent turned out to be Kevin Ryan, a 22 year-old grad student and political neophyte who still lives at home with Mom and Dad.

While Ryan did the things that successful candidates do – spent hours on the phone calling voters and walking door-to-door throughout the district -- political experts in Columbia believe it was a powerful postcard campaign crafted by Georgetown County GOP Chairman Tom Swatzel that defeated Miller, who had represented the district since her opponent was 8 years old.

Despite liberal associations and a decidedly liberal voting record, Miller had passed herself off as a “conservative” Democrat, winning by large margins every two years regardless of how her party fared in state or federal elections. This time, Swatzel was determined to put an end to any misunderstanding about Miller’s record and political leanings. Targeting swing precincts, Swatzel drew striking contrasts between what voters assumed about their state representative and Miller’s extensive voting record.

The Marriage Postcard

The county party's mailing on South Carolina’s Marriage Protection Amendment pointed out that on the 2006 ballot, 77 percent of South Carolinians had supported defining marriage as only between ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN. Yet when the House voted 96 to 3 to put a Marriage Protection Amendment on the ballot in the first place, Miller abstained, and even after voters overwhelmingly supported the measure, including in her own district, Miller abstained again on a 2007 motion to ratify the people's vote.

The double sided postcard included a photo of Miller “with multi-millionaire lesbian Linda Ketner, who bankrolled the campaign against South Carolina’s Marriage Protection Amendment.”

Even though every statement on the card is true, including the characterization of Ketner as an openly lesbian activist, Georgetown County Democrats manufactured as much outrage as they could in response, and predictably, squishy and squeamish “moderates” among the Republican ranks began wringing their hands over Swatzel’s hard-hitting postcard campaign, some even demanding that he cancel mailing the remaining postcards.

Swatzel deftly outmaneuvered the outraged Democrats, challenging them in a guest commentary published by local papers to point out anything in the cards that wasn't true -- they couldn't, with former county Democratic chairman Jamie Sanderson even admitting on his blog that "nobody questioned whether (the postcards) were true or not." Swatzel just as effectively bucked up or ignored the hand-wringing Republicans, and the rest of the entire series of postcards made their way as planned, one every three or four days, to voters' mailboxes.

The Gas Tax Postcard

Swatzel recognized that motorists, facing the highest gas prices in several years, would not appreciate Miller's support for higher gas taxes and the resulting increased cost of groceries.

The Pork Postcard

South Carolinians love pork barbecue, cooked low and slow, but pork-barrel spending is quite another thing. The Club for Growth had compiled a list of 50 of the state's most egregious pork projects - tens of millions for local festivals which Columbia politicians have used to buy votes. Swatzel made sure that voters in District 108 knew that "Vida Miller supported all fifty — the worst pork record in the state House!"

Taxpayer-funded Campaign Debit Card Mailing

Swatzel knew that a state reeling from budget deficits, out-of-control spending, and high unemployment would not appreciate Miller's support for taxpayer funded political campaigns. This mailing was sure to sway more than a few voters. This card also featured a photo of Miller and lesbian activist Linda Ketner, but this time with a one-two punch message: it reminded voters once again of Miller's refusal to support the overwhelmingly popular Marriage Protection Amendment, but also pointed out that under Miller's taxpayer-financed campaigns scheme, even a multi-millionaire such as Ketner, an unsuccessful 2008 Congressional candidate, could force taxpayers to finance her future political campaigns, including voters who disagree with her left-wing political ideology.

Liberals for Vida Postcard

National left-wing politicians such as John Edwards, Joe Biden, Howard Dean, and John Kerry, among others, are not particularly popular politicians in South Carolina, but they all have one thing in common: they've all financially supported Vida Miller's political campaigns, and Swatzel made sure that voters in Georgetown County knew it. This card featured photos of all of them and, once again, Ketner, also pointing out how Miller had suported policies in Columbia pushed by the all but openly admitted socialist Obama Administration.

The Pro-Life Postcard

Perhaps the most powerful mailing of all was this card -- targeted only to households identified by the county party's voter identification surveys as being pro-life -- summing up the pro-life position and exposing Vida Miller's record of support for a culture of death and campaign support from national abortion industry PACs.

As you can see from the postcards themselves, it was not just their hard-hitting and factual content that proved effective, but their clever eye-catching and in some cases humorous design and graphics. On a local online forum, former Georgetown mayoral candidate Marty Tennant wrote after receiving one of the cards: "Anyone seen today's mailer? I am now officially shocked. I've never seen this kind of activity. The local party wants to get rid of Vida, and BAD! The person designing them is a genius in my opinion. Let's hope it sticks on Election Day.”

In the last week of the campaign, Swatzel and the Georgetown GOP reinforced its postcard campaign by running this very effective radio ad.

And on election day, it did stick.

Fellow blogger Earle Capps wrote that even in a GOP tsunami election, the result was shocking: "Democratic Rep. Vida Miller had held onto this GOP-leaning district since 1996 through good years and bad, so her upset at the hands of CofC graduate student Republican Kevin Ryan, who carried 52% of the vote, stunned just about everyone."

Besides the obvious -- the election results themselves -- there's even more definitive proof of just how effective Swatzel's postcard campaign was in swaying voters to produce the stunning outcome.

At the end of September, before the postcards were mailed, a candidate preference phone survey was conducted of registered voter households in Georgetown County.

At the end of October, after the postcard campaign, the 680 voters previously I.D.'ed as supporting Miller were resurveyed. (Note that in the interim, the campaign materials circulated by 22-year old GOP challenger Kevin Ryan's campaign focused exclusively on providing voters a strictly positive message about his well-meaning but -- simply because of his age -- somewhat limited qualifications for the office. None of Ryan's material contained any criticism of Miller's voting record, campaign finances, or ideology.)

Of the 376 previously ID'ed Miller supporters who responded the second time:

13% had switched from Miller to Ryan.

45% had moved from Miller to undecided.

Less than half remained committed to Miller!

Given that in political races featuring a long-time, well-known incumbent, self-professed "undecideds" really mean they're no longer comfortable voting for the incumbent, these results indicate Swatzel's dramatic success in persuading even those previously identified as definitely supporting Miller to vote against the Democratic incumbent.

In his last election cycle as GOP county chair, Tom Swatzel proved himself again to be one of the most savvy and effective political leaders in the state of South Carolina. He was a Shrine Bowl football standout, licensed U.S. Merchant Marine officer, and respected longtime marina and deep sea sportfishing business owner in Murrells Inlet before entering electoral politics for the first time in 1994, when he became the first Republican elected to Georgetown County office since Reconstruction, winning 62 percent of the vote to oust a two-term incumbent Democratic county councilman. He helped other Republicans win office thereafter, and when he honored a self-imposed term limits pledge after two terms on county council, he helped his longtime business partner win the seat to replace him. By 2008, under Swatzel's chairmanship, the county GOP captured a majority on the county council for the first time in history.

He is a prominent statewide leader in the School Choice movement, having served for five years as chairman of South Carolinians for Responsible Government, a statewide organization dedicated to improving public education and parental choice by financially empowering Palmetto State parents, including low-income and minorities, to be able to choose the best and safest schools for their children.

He was just renominated by the governor and reappointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to a second term on the federal South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, which earlier this year -- over Swatzel's objections -- unveiled a plan to ban fishing of certain fish populations off the coasts of N.C., S.C., Georgia, and Florida. Swatzel is credited by some observers as having literally saved South Carolina's coastal fishing, tourist, and restaurant industries after he successfully orchestrated a grassroots, political, and media campaign demanding that South Carolina be removed from the federal fishing ban. He authored resolutions adopted by both the General Assembly and numerous city and county councils along the coast objecting to the ban, then remarkably succeeded in shepherding through the fisheries council itself a motion to exempt South Carolina, and South Carolina only.

Unfortunately for the Georgetown GOP, and after having ousted Miller, one of the top goals he outlined when he agreed to serve as chairman four years ago, Swatzel this week will announce that he'll once again honor a self-imposed term limits pledge and won't run for reelection as county chairman. Having sold his sport-fishing business, it's expected he'll announce the launch of a political campaign, public relations, lobbying, and consulting firm to, at least for a while, make a living doing what he's previously done effectively as a volunteer.

However, given his proven ability to produce public policy results and win voter support with clear, hard-hitting, fact-based campaigns, we can't think of a better challenger to take on South Carolina's rogue RINO Senator Lindsey Grahamnesty in the 2014 GOP primary.

We relish the thought of what Tom Swatzel, the Georgetown giantslayer, might do with an incumbent who has called South Carolinians "racists" for opposing amnesty for illegal aliens, and who has supported the nationalization of US banks, massive new taxes under cap and trade legislation, the fingerprinting and imposition of ID cards for law-abiding Americans, and the appointment of Marxist lesbians to the US Supreme Court.

What might he do you ask? Just ask Vida Miller.

Alvin Greene Considering Run Against Lindsey Graham in 2014

Alvin Greene - "Couldn't Be Worse Than Lindsey Graham"

Alvin Greene, who received nearly 28% of the vote in his race for U.S. Senate against Jim DeMint, has told The Daily Caller that he is mulling a possible run against Lindsey Graham in 2014. “I would have run against Graham three years ago if I wasn’t in the military,” Greene said.

For the record, we believe it is highly unlikely that Lindsey Graham will ever again be the nominee of the South Carolina Republican Party for the United States Senate. But in the event that South Carolina Republicans are foolish enough to nominate their rogue Senator for a third term, we will enthusiastically back Greene. Even he couldn't be worse than Lindsey Graham.

Lindsey Graham, Lonely Cap-and-Trade Crusader

Obama's Three Stooges

The New Yorker has the story about how South Carolina's rogue Senator, Lindsey Graham, conspired to impose staggering new taxes on the American people through cap-and-trade legislation and cripple the US economy. And National Journal reports that Graham only abandoned his quest when he could not interest a single Republican Senator in his socialist plot, not even his mentor, John McCain.