While her administration has been a parade of major missteps, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley has certainly done her best to assume the role of South Carolina’s No. 1 cheerleader.
Every job announcement is a “celebration” (often accompanied with uplifting theme music), and Haley’s giddy social media feeds are replete with references to her boundless “excitement” for her job.
Not only that, the governor has taken to task those who aren’t on board with her “Up With People” rhetoric.
“Times are good and what I want people to understand is – when we talk about South Carolina, now we talk about it with a sense of pride,” Haley said earlier this year in Rock Hill, S.C. “It’s important and it’s the responsibility of every person in the state to do it because you never know when you are standing next to someone that’s thinking about moving a business here. So if you talk about how challenged we are, if you talk about the things that maybe aren’t right yet – you might be keeping a company from coming here.”
Hmmmmm-kay.
Fast forward to this Thursday, when Haley delivered a speech to the Lexington, S.C. Rotary Club in which she reiterated her support for a law that would permit the state to drug test recipients of unemployment benefits (a.k.a. what passes for employment “reform” in this state).
“I so want drug testing. I so want it,” Haley told the crowd.
Okay … we’ve heard that sense of urgency coming from Haley before, but that doesn’t change the fact that drug testing is an insignificant reform in light of the ongoing financial mess at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (which has been doing a piss poor job of administersing jobless benefits in South Carolina for years). It’s also a very costly reform.
But drug references do grab headlines and rile up intellectually incurious conservatives, which is why Haley keeps making them. Of course Haley was about to make an even bigger headline … albeit a damaging one that flies squarely in the face of her previous exhortations to sell the greatness of South Carolina.
By way of justifying her position on drug testing Haley offered up an anecdote to the crowd regarding the Savannah River Site (SRS), the U.S. Department of Energy complex located along the South Carolina-Georgia border.
“Down on River Site, they were hiring a few hundred people, and when we sat down and talked to them – this was back before the campaign – when we sat down and talked to them, they said of everybody they interviewed, half of them failed a drug test, and of the half that was left, of that 50 percent, the other half couldn’t read and write properly,” Haley said.
Ummm … what?
Half of South Carolina’s workforce is high? And the other half is illiterate?
“That’s what we have in South Carolina,” Haley added, underscoring her point. “We don’t have an unemployment problem. We have an education and poverty problem.”
Okay … but if that’s true, then why has Haley abandoned her prior support for universal tax credits and individual income tax relief – a pair of proven reforms that would boost academic achievement and permit the private sector to create jobs in our state? Seems like endorsing those plans would do much more for South Carolina’s competitiveness than Haley’s command economic boondoggling and underwhelming education agenda (the latter of which she hasn’t even lifted a finger on since winning election last November).
Given our prior commentary on the subject, we’re not going to argue with Haley’s contention that South Carolinians are dumb. That’s just what happens when a corrupt “one size fits all” taxpayer-funded monopoly is tasked with enforcing “accountability” rather than letting the free market do it.
But what about Haley’s specific claims regarding the Savannah River Site? Where did she get that information from? And is drug use in the Palmetto state really so “chronic?”
Prepare to be amazed (editor’s note: sarcasm) but Haley was once again talking completely out of her ass.
“”Half the people who applied for a job last year or year 2009 did not fail the drug test,” an SRS spokesman told The Huffington Post. “At the peak of hiring under the Recovery Act we had less than 1 percent of those hired test positive.”
Not only that, the spokesman added that SRS only performs drug tests on people that it actually hires – not job applicants.
Surely Haley had a quick retort to this statement, though … right? Perhaps a fact-filled rejoinder from a local employment agency … or at the very least the name of a credible official at SRS who provided her with this information?
Again, prepare to be amazed (editor’s note: sarcasm) - but Haley offered up absolutely nothing by way of supporting her claims. In fact, according to The Huffington Post, “a spokesman for Gov. Haley did not respond to requests for comment.”
Sheesh … and they say blogs pull things out of thin air.
Look, we’re libertarians who support the legalization of marijuana and other drugs. Always have, always will. And we oppose the perpetual extension of unemployment benefits – even to sober people – on the grounds that it incentivizes joblessness. Finally, while it’s one thing to permit the state to deny benefits in the event an employee fails an employer-administered drug test – it’s another thing entirely to ask the federal government to pay for the tests.
We just can’t afford that, people.
Of course this story isn’t about the merits of drug testing the unemployed, it’s about a governor who has consistently chided the press for making negative comments about South Carolina announcing to the world that half of our workers are stoned and the other half can’t read.
Way to sell the greatness of South Carolina, governor.
***
By Old Bike Dude September 10, 2011 at 10:08 am
If corporate tax breaks create jobs then why isn’t our country at 0% unemployment? Oh and Nim is both stoned and illiterate. Don’t blame me I voted American.
By Rascal September 10, 2011 at 10:33 am
Nikki’s reporter story is already on MSNBC. Is this one next?
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 10:40 am
Yup, called SC citizens druggies and idiots. If is wasn’t for Palin’s tea party hug, Nikki would be unemployed & getting drug tested.
By rwwllms September 10, 2011 at 10:42 am
Surely she knows by now that everything she says will be fact checked and scrutinized by the press.
So why does she keep saying these idiotic and childish things? Does her staff not coach her and warn her about things to say and not say?
Oh, wait, that’s right, she has an inexperienced and overpaid very young staff that just as idiotic as she is.
By BigT September 10, 2011 at 10:44 am
Hmmm: FITS has come out against Voter ID…and now he opposes removing drug users from public welfare…
And this STUPID Some Beech actually bills this site as Conservative leaning…
Leftists don’t care about a LIAR…as long as he marches in line w/ their fantasies…but the rest of us are not that stupid…
PS: How is Haley selling our “Greatness” Doesn’t FITS continually tell us what an ARMPIT SC is..???
Don’t Lie and you won’t have to explain one lie to cover the other…
FITS would be wise to learn how to be honest about what is…
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 10:54 am
BigT, what?
By Jimboob September 10, 2011 at 10:55 am
I read the comment above and when I checked what idiot wrote it I wasn’t surprised to see bigt’s name. 50% isn’t less than 1%…. but maybe you are part of the 50%letter that can’t read.
By Susan September 10, 2011 at 10:55 am
It is Nikki Haley who is the liar. The people who still support her are the ones who will believe that the Savannnah River Site drug tests every person who has ever sent a resume or filled out an application. This is a great example of “intellectually incurious”, which must apply also to our Governor.
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 11:13 am
Nikki says she fired Darla Moore because of lack of communication.
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 11:14 am
Nikki says she dissed Huntsman because she is no longer “feeling him.”
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 11:15 am
Nikki says she supports Lancaster because he is next in line.
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 11:17 am
Nikki says she made two deals, that were already cooking years ago.
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 11:19 am
Huffpost & MSNBC are wiping the floor with Nikki’s ass.
By Teapartier September 10, 2011 at 11:26 am
Haley will have a primary challenger in 2014 — someone who comes at her from the right. And she will lose. The only question is: who will it be?
By Perry Mason September 10, 2011 at 11:29 am
Nikki will be lucky to see 2012.
By Mrs. Ethel Krabitz September 10, 2011 at 11:37 am
BigT, i read your post and I’m just wondering….have you applied at SRS lately and been turned down? Cause your post makes you sound high as a kite! Made no sense whatsoever.
And Nimroda, thank you so very much for another opportunity to mock your incompetence.
By Cid September 10, 2011 at 11:51 am
They ought drug test:
Every member of Haleys staff including her
Every member of the General Assembly
Rush Limbaugh an admitted addict
Good God!
What kind of goofy childish statement is
“I so want it”
Want candy too Nikki?
By BigT September 10, 2011 at 12:10 pm
FITS, in his Desperate attempt to turn Haley into the Devil, is so convoluted, it’s hard to follow. This idiot is all over the road…
So maybe I did mis-understand…
But most of the FITS’ cheerleaders would hate Haley no matter what. If he really wanted to be effective at turning those who voted for her, against her…he would be a little more reasonable in his attacks…
I can see she is totally in over her head. And I think she’ll lose in a GOP Primary (probably to Loftis if the Romeny endorsement is not too damaging)…He has made mistakes except that one…
But FITS presenting himself as a Bigger idiot, and more corrupt, than Haley, will just make a certain number of people defend her, no matter what. Because they do not want be aligned with someone like him…
By Ken E. September 10, 2011 at 12:23 pm
“BigT, in his Desperate attempt to turn FITS into a liberal, is so convoluted, it’s hard to follow. This idiot is all over the road…”
Fixed
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 12:25 pm
BigT – What?
By BigT September 10, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Why does FITS promote this site as Right or Conservative leaning…then, he comes out here as a Dope-Bong-Loving Libertarian…
The problem w/ irresponsible Libertarians, is that they think that it’s “cool” to let people suck off of the system, and get high while doing it…
But if you can get some spaced-out pothead to wake his clueless ass up by drug-testing, you’ve done the ignornt Slob a favor…(and fewer democrats, and FITS moderates, will get elected, too)
You certainly should not be giving government-related funds to subsidize such deleterious behavior…
It’s not enough to Live-and-Let-Live. These Dumbass Libertarians claim to be fiscal Conservatives, while Demanding we spend money to help people weaken themselves, and the system even more…
So the question is: Is FITS just an imbecile or a Liar???
By Carol September 10, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Nikki is getting ripped because of a WSJ article. She said Boeing is lucky, because the SC work force the best and strongest in the nation.
By Mary September 10, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Now Nikki says the SC work force is stupid, poor, and full of druggies.
By Carol September 10, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Nikki, did you tell France about our stupid, poor, druggies?
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 1:04 pm
BigT- WTF?
By Dingle Berries September 10, 2011 at 1:10 pm
MSNBC mentioned Balog’s editorial, Darla Moore, Two Sex Affairs.
By Dingle Berries September 10, 2011 at 1:12 pm
MSNBC will later talk about SC’s stupid, poor, druggies. Thanks, Nikki.
By Crazy Stuff September 10, 2011 at 1:15 pm
How did we go from best & strongest, to stupid, poor, and drugged out?
By Crazy Stuff September 10, 2011 at 1:16 pm
When does she talk next? I want a front row seat. She is absolutely amazing.
By Nikki's Twitter September 10, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Get Excited. SC’s workforce of stupid, poor druggies is awesome.
By SCDOT Contractors September 10, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Sorry Nikki, all checks bounced. No cash no pool. Make France fill the pool.
By SCDOT September 10, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Nikki, thanks again for the luxury food & digs in Lexington, Ky.
By BigT September 10, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Again: The point is: FITS Damns South Carolina as the worst of the worst because Jon Stewert and Stephen Colbert tell him that. And all he want s to do is be like his pop culture Idiols..
So now FITS is going to Bash her for doing the same thing she does????…
It’s hard to hear a Lair accuse someone else of being as Corrupt as he is….It’s Classic Liberal…
And God Knows, the last thing we need, the lest thing this state needs, is MORE liberal Media…or more corruption or Liars in the media…
By eggaday September 10, 2011 at 1:43 pm
who owns the drug testing company?????
what are the connections?
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 1:53 pm
BigT-???
By Nikki's Twitter September 10, 2011 at 1:57 pm
SC’s workforce is great, but not allowed in my house or near my children.
By Nikki's Twitter September 10, 2011 at 2:00 pm
My husband went to thousands of business meetings in France & Germany.
By cosmoteller September 10, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Harfartleon and the dems are going to have a hayday in 2012…Nikki and her administration, like Sanford, have once again made the hard working and honest citizens of SC the focus of national media embarressment….It is shameful.. what we/I voted for.. I am so sorry……….ask questions..demand answers.
By Pierre September 10, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Nikki, why are SC men stupid, poor and drugged? You liked my cock, right?
By Francoise September 10, 2011 at 2:25 pm
MSNBC says Nikki has had many men, but she didn’t seem experienced to me.
By Pierre September 10, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Maybe SC men are stupid, poor, and limp dicked because of all the drugs?
By Cid September 10, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Remember T isn’t REALLY for Haley but….
Who the Hell you kidding slug
You would vote for damned two eyed duck if it had the term
“REPUBLICAN
After it!
By Francoise September 10, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Ducks have two eyes, are you a SC stupid, poor, an drugged person?
By Pierre September 10, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Look at the first cuckold, he was playing pocketpool in the limos.
By professor September 10, 2011 at 3:18 pm
At least I didn’t cheat my way through college. I was also not a bed hopper. Call me boring.
By Jake September 10, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Fits it’s hard to argue that SC is filled with dumbasses. There are lots, dumbasses who voted for her, endorsed her, voted for Sanford and worked for that dumbass. Hard to keep up with them all
By Media Whiz September 10, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Foxnews is blistering Haley over France, Dudley, and Apology. So far over 1,500 comments slamming her about everything. Whew, Godfrey is gonna need some Double Stuffed Oreos.
By Old Bike Dude September 10, 2011 at 4:04 pm
T you fucking moron! Libertarians have always been known as republicans who spark up. You should try it. You could become a more mellow asshole.
By professor September 10, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Hello, Raj Mantena, hello!!!
By professor September 10, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Doesn’t Raj stay in touch? Believe so. Oh, and Mr. Soura, let’s not forget about you.
By Ed September 10, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Big T was who Nikki was talking about…apparently. He is one or other…or both, but from his posts I cannot tell.
By Just another Joe September 10, 2011 at 5:37 pm
In the whole state of Florida just 2% of all applying for unemployment flunked the drug test. Was it worth all the money and effort to weed out just a lousy 2%. Personally I believe it would be more worth well to drug test everyone in SC who has a voter’s card. Look at all the stupid, lying idiots we keep on electing to office.
By Perry Mason September 10, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Yup, Foxnews has over 2,250 comments, all Nickster related.
By Consequences September 10, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Sanford has his debacle, now his protege Haley is following suit. He’s buried. He might as well remain on the farm and raise ostrich.
By Roberts September 10, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Fucking Sanford has to ride the subway now, no more limos.
By Fake T September 10, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Just another Joe:
Florida tested welfare recipients for drugs, not the unemployed. Though Florida’s practice is an equaly stupid waste of money, unlike Nikki’s plan, it does not violate federal law.
I do not understand why everyone gets so upset with Nikki. By now we should understand that she just runs her mouth on subjects she doesn’t understand. Remember she in neither an attorney, a CPA, a successful small business owner, a brain surgeon, or an astronant. So when she panders to her audience by making outrageous statements on proposed legislation, just keep in mind that Glenn McConnell won’t let her do most of what she proposes.
As for embarrassing us, we South Carolinians are—at least from a statistical standpoint –uneducated, illiterate, fat, VD ridden, unmarried, likely to die at a young age, violent, ugly, mean, irrational, and likely to spend more money attending Clemson football games than visiting the dentist. Nikki did not bring about this situation, nor is being the butt of jokes a new experience for South Carolina. So relax and enjoy all that money that will be flowing into the State to influence the outcome of the First in the South Primary.
South Carolina, where Fucking Liars can be Governor and everyone is an Expert on Everything.
By That Boz Guy @ The Beach September 10, 2011 at 8:37 pm
It’s it amazing that it took Sanford all those years to fuck up only about a fraction as much as Haley has in less than one?
That’s a hell of an accomplishment for her!
By Ralph Thomas September 10, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Haley was unemployed when she was elected. Maybe we should give mental evaluations for the unemployed too!
By Mr. Dixie September 11, 2011 at 12:13 am
I know the Tea Party must be proud of her.
By cash September 11, 2011 at 7:53 am
I’m glad my mother is a fine person. Sorry for the kids.
By Media Whiz September 11, 2011 at 8:22 am
Mainstream media is ruthless. The NYDailyNews throws up a butt ugly terrible picture of Nikki, talks about pissing away hundreds of thousands in France, and then goes….
“Haley was elected last year on a platform of being a strong fiscal conservative. She weathered unproven claims from two men of an extramarital affair…..”
It’s about the sex, Nikki, you sexy thing………….
By Media Whiz September 11, 2011 at 8:40 am
NY Magazine
GOP South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley emerged from her last image crisis three months ago — an alleged affair with a political blogger, and another with a lobbyist —
By Media Whiz September 11, 2011 at 9:09 am
A sometimes irreverent look at politics in South Carolina, the state, as Mr. Petrigru noted, too small to be a republic and too large to be an asylum.
The Buzz: Do you suppose she just made it up? (Nahhhhhhhh)
Gov. Nikki Haley thinks she knows what the state’s unemployed are up to. They’re busy doing drugs!
By Goyojimbo September 11, 2011 at 10:35 am
I’m no libertarian (can’t get my that partial birth abortion issue), but Fits is dead right about this drug testing issue. I would much rather see resources that would go towards drug testing to go towards monitoring unemployment benefit recipients job search activity. If an unemployment benefit recipient is not seeking employment, benefits should cease.
But a governor bringing up this issue is predictable, and it simply panders to a portion of the electorate. If you like the idea of drug testing for those who receive unemployment benefits, then you are in luck. I am sure more winning ideas like this are ahead for you and our elected officials reach out for your vote. There is nothing quite as disheartening as the sound of hooves of the bewildered herd.
By Boz Martin September 11, 2011 at 11:48 am
Goyojimbo, I don’t think most libertarians are big proponents of partial birth abortion. Many don’t like abortion at all, but believe it is a matter for individual states to decide – not the federal government.
Nobody, not even Ron Paul, is an absolutely ideologically pure libertarian.
By National Blog September 11, 2011 at 12:09 pm
“Conservative icon Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, just making shit up to justify torturing the unemployed:”
By Goyojimbo September 11, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Boz, if you chrck the platform of the Libertarian Party, I think you will find that it supports choice, on federal or state level.
By Boz Martin September 11, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Goyojimbo, please note that I did not capitalize the word “libertarian”.
It’s all about personal choice. A party cannot dictate to individuals how they should view any given issue. You can capture a lightning bug in a jar, but you can’t capture lightening.
Most libertarians, I believe, are far too libertarian to be Libertarians.
By TV News September 11, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Well, at least Nikki is all over the national media, the tea party darling is getting roasted by foxnews, absolutely unbelievable.
By OhNoNotAgain September 12, 2011 at 10:23 am
Boz wrote:
“it amazing that it took Sanford all those years to fuck up only about a fraction as much as Haley has in less than one?”
I agree with Box. We should applaud Nikki Haley for her extreme efficiency and proficiency in the field of fucking up. Hhe’s done more to fuck up in a year than Sanford did in all his eight. Of course, there’s no pig shit on the State House floor.
Yet.
WTG, Nikki.
By ceilidh10 September 12, 2011 at 11:52 am
Mrs. Haley, I normally stand next to idiots and rednecks with dull to low normal IQs who have failed our schools and are struggling. These people are poor yet vote along with the rich to put nincompoops like you into office.
You, my dear, are playing the harp while Rome burns. Go back to India !
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