"The Confederate Flag debate continues to hold our state back," he said. " We are not going to compete in a 21st Century economy by prolonging 19th Century arguments."

The flag debate has been on the back-burner for nearly a decade after the flag was removed from the Statehouse dome and placed in front of the building. Some have argued that the move, which was pitched as a compromise, placed the flag in an even more prominent spot. The flag was first placed on the Statehouse in 1963 in the midst of the Civil Rights movement.

But the flag resolution is a novel accessory for a larger jobs-creation pitch. McLeod is also calling for an impartial analysis of state jobs data, middle-class tax relief, improved training resources (particularly in rural areas), and a focus on green jobs.

While we may or may not agree with the actions of some things on the list, there are significant deeds here which we may not be aware of and may need to weigh before making a personal assessment.

The author is Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University who was once a writer for the New York Times.

Professor Watson writes:

Hi friends,

I am always being asked to grade Obama's presidency. In place of offering him a grade, I put together a list of his accomplishments thus far. I think you would agree that it is very impressive. His first six months have been even more active than FDRs or LBJs the two standards for such assessments. Yet, there is little media attention given to much of what he has done. Of late, the media is focusing almost exclusively on Obama's critics, without holding them responsible for the uncivil, unconstructive tone of their disagreements or without holding the previous administration responsible for getting us in such a deep hole. The misinformation and venom that now passes for political reporting and civic debate is beyond description.
As such, there is a need to set the record straight. What most impresses me is the fact that Obama has accomplished so much not from a heavy-handed or top-down approach but from a style that has institutionalized efforts to reach across the aisle, encourage vigorous debate, and utilize town halls and panels of experts in the policy-making process. Beyond the accomplishments, the process is good for democracy and our democratic processes have been battered and bruised in recent years.
Let me know if I missed anything in the list (surely I did).
Robert

1.Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending

2. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices

3. Instituted enforcements for equal pay for women

4. Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

5. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover A.F.B.

6. Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information

7. Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover A.F.B.; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier's family

8. The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act

9. Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible

10. Limits on lobbyist's access to the White House

11. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration

12. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date

13. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan

14. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research

15. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research

16. New federal funding for science and research labs

17. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards

18. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect

19. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools

20. New funds for school construction

21. The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out

22. US Auto industry rescue plan

23. Housing rescue plan

24. $789 billion economic stimulus plan

25. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying

26. US financial and banking rescue plan

27. The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed

28. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards

29. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops

30.The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010

31. Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols

32. Re-engaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic

33. Re-engaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions

34. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office

35. Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job

36. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast

37. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles

38. Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales

39. Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government

40. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children

41. Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program

42. Instituted a new policy on Cuba , allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones

43. Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions

44. Expanding vaccination programs

45. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters

46. Closed offshore tax safe havens

47. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals

48. Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back

49. Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry's predatory practices

50. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources

51. Lower drug costs for seniors

52. Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings

53. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel

54. Improved housing for military personnel

55. Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses

56. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals

57. Increasing student loans

58. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program

59. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; re-engaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy

60. Established a new cyber security office

61. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.

62. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts

63. Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness

64. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient

65. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced

66. Improving benefits for veterans

67. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration

68. Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud

69. The FDA is now regulating tobacco

70. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules

71. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports

72. Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons

73. Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive

74. Making more loans available to small businesses

75. Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare

76. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court

77. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans

78. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000

79. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel

80. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan

81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan

82. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans

83. Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production

84. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters

85. Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket

86. Held first Seder in White House

87. Attempting to reform the nation's healthcare system which is the most expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health insurance and millions more under insured

88. Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform

89. Has announced his intention to push for energy reform

90. Has announced his intention to push for education reform

Oh, and he built a swing set for the girls outside the Oval Office!

b
Robert P. Watson, Ph.D.Coordinator of American Studies
Lynn University

Regarding hate crimes legislation, South Carolina Baptists said such legislation "could effectively kill" freedom of speech by "criminalizing any verbal opposition to homosexuals and/or their lifestyle." The resolution calls on Congress to repeal the recently passed legislation and (calls) on Americans "to avoid acts of hatred and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons."

If anyone wants to know why conservative Christians have a tough time selling their morals to the world, this is a prize example.

Avoid? Really? Why not call on Americans to end acts of hatred and violence toward LGBT people? What about calling on Americans to deplore acts of hatred and violence toward LGBT persons? Is it because there is some list of unavoidable acts of hatred and violence the rest of us aren't aware of?

It's one part sc

With deepest regret, as editor of SoVo, I have to tell you that we arrived at the office to learn that our parent company, Window Media, has shut down. While the 20 years of SoVo have come to an end, our civil rights movement is only beginning. I am personally grateful to all of the staff, and to all of you who have had the courage to share your stories. It has been the honor of my life to help you tell them.

Heck, this week, I even said that Inglis, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, was a grown-up compared to his fellow Washington GOPers — Reps. Gresham Barrett, Joe Wilson, and Henry Brown, and Sen. Jim DeMint. (Wilson, Brown, and DeMint all signed Barrett's letter to President Barack Obama, urging the prez to refrain from transferring Gitmo detainees to the Charleston Naval Brig in Hanahan.

I was wrong. Inglis has chosen to sit at the children's table.

For months, Inglis has criticized the tea party movement, calling the movement too anti-government and libertarian for his tastes and citing the teabaggers' anarchic and angry tendencies.

But now Inglis has decided to partner up with gubernatorial candidate Barrett and term-limit hypocrite Jim DeMint in condemning the transfer of Gitmo detainees to the Naval Brig in Hanahan.

And while Barrett is largely jockeying for votes in the governor's race (and attempting to win over the teabaggers that heckled him in Greenville over his pro-TARP vote) and DeMint is trying to retain his position as the foremost anti-government blowhard in the Senate, Inglis is against the transfer of detainees to the Naval Brig for what sounds like a damn good reason — we've already spent $300 million providing these guys with bachelor pads at Gitmo.

In a conference call with DeMint, Barrett, and Ben Fox, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, on Friday, Inglis said, "It's just nuts to not make use of the hundreds of millions of dollars that we've spent to make Guantanamo a top-quality prison facility. It just defies logic that we would close it ..."

He added that such a transfer would "introduce a lot of risk for American citizens by bringing very dangerous people for trial when the very same trial could be had at Guantanamo."

And while all of that may be true, the problem with Gitmo is this: it's a public relations nightmare. Yes, it's not Abu Ghraib, but it's pretty embarrassing, what with all those allegations about detainee abuse and torture.

Inglis' solution to all this: President Obama should invite world leaders to tour Gitmo and show them what a peachy-keen place the detainment center is. Heck, perhaps they'll be so impressed they'll want to buy a time-share. Somehow, I doubt it.

Think of it like this: You've got a 1993 Ford Bronco. You love it. But over the course of the last eight years, you've had to take it to the shop every other month and let's say you're dropping $300 a trip. At what point, do you go, well, it's time to trade in the truck and get a new one? Um, about eight years ago? Exactly.

For more on the whole Naval Brig/Gitmo detainee controversy, check out Robert Behre's article in today's P&C.

Tomorrow, I'll try to post an even more trivial post about Friday's conference call. Of course, that'll all depend on how much beer I drink today. There's a lot of college football to watch today.

Well, this morning, [*] decided it was a good idea to notify Barrett's Twitter followers that they had "just received this disturbing message from @redstate" and then encouraged those followers to sign the petition Barrett has posted at KeepTerroristsOutofSC.com.

The thing is, the RedState writer seems to confuse a show trial with a fair trial. Read on:

Today Barack Obama is going to announce that the terrorist mastermind of September 11th, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be sent to New York City for a criminal trial in a civilian court.

In that trial, the terrorist will get all the rights afforded an American citizen in a criminal trial, including the right to a fair trial, the right to a taxpayer funded attorney, the right to review all the evidence against him, potentially including classified intelligence matters, the right to exclude evidence against him including, potentially, any confession obtained through enhanced interrogation techniques, etc.

At best, this will be a show trial fit not for the American Republic, but a third world kleptocratic totalitarian regime.

Barrett couldn't have employed [*] a moment sooner.

And according to a new video from the McMaster campaign, the AG would take on folks like Wynne, the ACLU, and anybody else who thinks that the separation of church and state should, well, stay a separation.

Even worse, McMaster doesn't seem to mind that any such defense would be a waste of taxpayer money, based on the Wynne case and the recent "I Believe" license plate ruling. He simply wants your vote in the Republican primary.

According to our very own Will Moredock, this is how the Wynne case went down:

In 2001, Wynne, a practicing Wiccan, sued the town of Great Falls over the invocation at the beginning of town council meetings. Wynne asked that the prayers not be delivered "in the name of Jesus Christ" or that alternative faiths be heard at invocation. She offered to lead such a prayer, in her capacity as high priestess of a group of about 35 Wiccans in the area. The Chester County town of 2,100 refused her request, and Wynne went to federal court.

But with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union, she prevailed over the next four years in the U.S. District Court and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The town appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. The council ceased praying in the name of a Christian deity and was even ordered to pay Wynne's legal expenses.

Oh. And in case anybody needs to be reminded: Henry McMaster was, until very recently, a member of a white folks-only country club.