SHADY LAWMAKER PROMOTES “MILITARY INTEGRITY” BILL
Over the last few months, this website has methodically exposed S.C. Rep. Stephen Goldfinch (RINO-Georgetown) as a politician with some serious ethical issues (most notably involvement in illegal stem cell operations and treasure hunting scams). Goldfinch has already been indicted for his role in the stem cell debacle – and has been accused of peddling his influence in the treasure hunting fiasco.
Of course this is “Republican-controlled” South Carolina – where no politician is ever held accountable for their actions.
So after some clever spinning (and a hall pass from the state’s mainstream media), Goldfinch is back to doing what “Republicans” in South Carolina do best – ignoring long-overdue free market reforms in favor of meaningless feel-good legislation.
Which of course gets him all sorts of positive press from the legacy media …
Take Goldfinch’s legislation aimed at criminalizing lies told about military service.
According to The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper this “epidemic” must be stopped – and only Goldfinch’s “S.C. Military Service Integrity and Preservation Act” can stop it.
Passed unanimously by the S.C. House earlier this year, Goldfinch’s bill cleared a Senate subcommittee last month and has, according to The State, “strong support” on the Senate judiciary committee. In other words it has a date with S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s signature any day now …
Last year the federal government passed a similar law, the so-called “stolen valor” act – which prescribes fines of up to $1,000 and jail time of up to a year.
Wait … so there’s a federal law already on the books criminalizing the very sort of behavior addressed by Goldfinch’s law?
Yes …
What a joke.
First of all (as we’ve noted on multiple prior occasions) “military service” is no longer the heroic sacrifice it once was. That’s because individuals who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces are no longer “fighting for our freedoms,” they are invariably engaging in special interest-driven interventionist foreign policy that has zero compelling national interest.
Not to mention the fact they are swearing allegiance to a government that spies on its people … a policy enthusiastically championed by liberal U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Speaking of Graham, we have one final question regarding Goldfinch’s bill: If it passes, does that mean Graham can be charged retroactively for the lies he told about his own military service?
Oh right … this is South Carolina, where elected officials are above the laws they pass for everyone else (even ridiculous ones like Goldfinch’s).
71 comments
All aboard the pander train! If it wasn’t for pols the stupid people wouldn’t have as much control as they do.
Nikki was okay until that house fell on her.
Wonder if they’ll ever consider an Anti Fake-Journalist Bill???….Hahahaha…
I’m sure you’ll be the first to know.
I thought you, and the F*#king Dumb@$$#$ like you, say there is NO way I’m a journalist, fake or any kind…Didn’t you????…Are you now eating your words???…
Remember: Obama says: Never admit you’re a liar…no matter how obvious…
Sometimes your responses are so idiotic and devoid of an actual argument, all I can do is laugh.
Most ignorant MoterF*#kers, like you, are speechless a lot. Its the sign of your ignorance…
It’s why so many of you simply regurgitate what I write as if you had thought of it yourself…hoping no one will notice…
Keyboard kusses a lot too.
Does anyone else see a problem with that first sentence?
Yeah: I see that it makes you look like a Dumb@$$….
GT misspelled “motor”?
Not if Rupert Murdock has anything to say about it.
Too Bad SCOTUS has already ruled this law is Unconstitutional in 2012 in US v Alvarez. Why are we wasting time and money on this that SCOTUS has already shot down.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005
Same reason we waste time on things like nullification. Just pandering for the sake of pandering.
Because Republicans are morons.
Didn’t Lindsey claim to be a Gulf War veteran?
Like he claims he’s not gay?
By definition, Lindsey is a veteran – if you want to attack him go after his politics.
And his battle station was the dependents office at Shaw Air Force Base, correct?
Split that hair.
He’s still a opportunistic,war-monger(as long as he ain’t getting shot at).
Technically, yes, but calling oneself a “Gulf War Vet” conjures up a very different image than what he actually was….
Let TBG be perfectly clear… any former or future claims to being, or having been, an Admiral In The Swiss Navy are/were an innocent attempt at humor or an attempt to score wid da ladies.
I thought you served in the Cameroon Air Force? Or am I thinking of a different Goldstein?
The” Bubba” served in the Confederate Air Force…
It’s so confusing to figure out exactly where our resident Redneck Indian Jew served honorably.
That’s what happens when the immigration laws aren’t enforced. (Just kidding, TBG, we know you’re on OUR side)
Oy Vey!!
TBG’s Mama’s side of ther family knows all to well of the dangers of immigration, Goyi… Paleface!
TBG’s great, great grandfather, Flying Bull, served honorably with the Lakota Air Force in the Battle of Little Bighorn…..
Yes,TBG, that is impressive, indeed.
Geneological records show that you are a direct descendent of one Jocasta Romaine My-Fur-Soft-as-a-Rabbit (1856 – 1919) who was an enterprising harlot with pioneer gumption and a trick pelvis. She actually ran the best little whorehouse on the Bighorn.
Aside from this, not much else was noteworthy, except perhaps for the fact that she was General Custer’s last
one-night stand.
Trick pelvis?!?! Damn…Diet Mtn Dew on the keyboard again…
Ooh, history reference! Here’s your Custer trivia for the day: What was then-Lieutenant Colonel Custer’s response a few years prior to the Little Big Horn (at the Battle of Washita) when one of his intel/planning captains suggested he beef up his flanks in anticipation that the 7th Cav may encounter more natives than anticipated? “There are not enough Indians in the country to whip the 7th Cavalry!” After all of these years of study, I now know the secret to his hubris – he obviously didn’t factor in the Lakota Air Force…
And he didn’t carry Gatlin guns because they slowed him down.
I still have my Swiss Navy Knife.
By the power vested in me by Goldfinch’s wife, I hereby absolve you and grant you full pardon. Go forth, and sin no more…
“Go forth, and sin no more…”
What the Voice from Heaven boomed out to the Irish Traveler who was struck by a lightning bolt and knocked from his ladder while “painting” the church steeple.
No…
Wait…
That was :
“Repaint, and Thin no more!”
Nevermind.
Easy now, you are talking about my “mansion living neighbors”, three miles up the road.
BELVEDERE, shining LIKE A DIAMOND IN A GOAT’S ASS1111
Just…horrible… You, sir, should be ashamed of yourself. ;-)
These laws are so silly. If someone uses deception to trick you into handing over something, there is already a law to address that: larceny by false pretences. There is no need to add a new law just so you can imprison these pathetic people who like to wear medals they did not earn.
This is just your typical feel-good meaningless bullshit sponsored by an empty shell of a politician.
and they are typically used against the wrong person/people for the wrong reasons – unintended consequences.
I’m pretty sure a law like this was declared unconstitutional as well.
These have been struck down in almost in more than one fed circuit. Maybe next he’ll outlaw women lying about their ages in dark bars…
This is going to raise hell with all the 50 year old, 400 pound,SEAL snipers that hang out at the local gun stores.
Not to worry. The entire State of SC may cave in on itself, but by gawd, good ol Nathan Ballentine took charge & saw to it that USC & Clemson will play football every year, or somebody’s ass is goin’ to jail. — and we continue to reelect them every chance we get.
I’ve got a better idea – instead of all this Goldfinch silliness lets just make it a misdemeanor for a regular citizen to play “whack a mole” with these half wits if it’s a veteran providing the beat down it’s just written off as “standing your ground” .
I have grown genuinely weary of Will’s near-obsessive slam that “military service” (I’m not sure what purpose the quotes serve, either, but I’m sure it’s part of his shtick) is somehow less honorable because we’re not fighting WWII over and over again. Jesus, man, get the fuck over yourself. Pray every day that we never have to fight another war like that, because I’m not entirely sure that we haven’t become too soft to pull it off. Anyway, serving in the military most certainly can be (and usually is) a noble undertaking. The vast majority of our folks join and serve for the right reason- to be there if and when the nation calls. You seem to be a bit confused regarding the fact that soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines don’t have the luxury of picking their battles, the fucking Congress (theoretically) does that. So our service members are not “engaging in special interest interventionist foreign policy,” they are doing what their goddamn bosses (per the Constitution) tell them to do. If the policy sucks (like most of the Iraq effort), they do it. If the policy’s great (like whacking Tali’s in the ‘Stan and killing UBL), they do it. They just fucking do it, and lots of them die because they believe that just being there serves as a valuable deterrent. Bitch all you want about the policies, but for crying out loud drop the crybaby whining about the nature of military service (no quotes required). It has not changed.
Mike ATB, I agree with you on the fits militray slam BUT for just as many legitimate other reasons this is some of the stupidiest useless legislation those iditos could be working on. Both parents officers in the militaty and I was commissioned myself – but how fucking insane that I might get indicted and sentenced for a year for this blog post if – e.g. my dad was a mustang officers and my post led you to believe he started as a 2nd Lt. OR I was acutally in the lowly Coast Guard – which does have officers BUT many people don’t regard as military service and I had falsely led you to believe I was in army/navy/airfoce/or marines? Or if I says “i was a Navy SEAL” and while II did make it past hell week and phase two washed out in the final phase – for example – do taxpayers really need to be footing the bill for me to be in jail for a year???? In-fucking-sane. I dont think this is what our current military folks – God bless’em all – are fighting yo defend.
Sorry – when “I mad keyboard” for 60 seconds without taking a breath I often leave out key points… I absolutely agree with you on the legislation. I’m a combat vet, but I don’t believe we need the government to help us deal with some loser claiming to be something he’s not. The free market handles that all of the time via media exposure, “outing” on any of the websites that have popped up for that purpose, political assassination, or even my favorite old fashioned solution- slapping the poser upside the grape (not that I would advocate violence in any form, naturally). My bad – I *probably* should have mentioned that in the post since that was the point of the article to which I was responding. Dumb, dumb legislation that may actually represent an unconstitutional restriction of protected speech anyway (see my comment below). Thanks for bringing my blood pressure back down…
Mike ATB, thanks for your service – and in my humble opinion – your sanity.
Best post ever.
while I think that “vast majority of our folks join and serve for the right reason” is correct, I think that it is also a bit of a “nostalgic” decision and not rooted in what the current state of Washington DC is…. I would def. serve myself to defend our country… but I would do anything and everything to prevent my sons & daughters to put themselves at harms way in these stupid wars that cannot be won, serve questionable purposes and fiscally bankrupt us…
Will’s right about Goldfinch, though. What a weasel-ass schmuck.
If, according to this bill, lack of integrity correlates to a misdemeanor….can we then assume that a misdemeanor would relate back to lack of integrity….and by extension Goldfinch also lacks integrity (since he is currently charged with at least misdemeanor). The arguments comes down to this….a legislator with no integrity claims publicly that his lack of integrity doesn’t mean much (politically or otherwise, and continues in office) BUT others should be put in prison and fined. Suppose we are heading the right direction towards a great destiny???
Damn, dude…that’s borderline brilliant reasoning, that! He also said that his beef was “No big deal,” and that he’s OK because he “took responsibility” (even as as he blamed everybody but you and me in his preemptive media release).
I do have those involuntary “brilliant” episodes from time to time. Thanks. But from the stories he spread and his own comments (in direct contrast to the filed criminal information), Godlfinch DID NOT take responsibility. I was talking to a federal criminal defense attorney (with extensive knowledge in FDA issues) who too says this Goldfinch guy is lying. No prosecutor will charge a person with crime for another person’s errant behavior. The attorney says Goldfinch personally did exactly what is charged in his criminal information, and not because of someone else. The attorney feels there might be more coming Goldfinch’s way, considering his absconding business partner.
It was definitely smart ball to get out on front of that bomb by announcing his “little problem” on his own terms, but that was Tom Swatzel (his political daddy) talking, not Goldfinch. Tom’s a really bright guy; Goldfinch, not so much. Goldfinch (well, Swatzel) was banking on the fact that most lay persons have little or no experience with the federal criminal courts. Goldfinch was obviously pooched on this thing; US Attorney’s offices don’t waste time indicting people over someone else’s boo boo. I sure hope you’re right, too, that more karma is rolling down the tracks in Goldfinich’s direction. I’m hearing the same thing, but’s it’s all rumor mill.
One of Dr.Dammai’s company webpages (the donate page) has lot of information about all this (FITS shared the link before). Combined with what FITS has been reporting as the true story behind all this….looks like there is certainly more to come. To me the most interesting is the “latest update” section of the page….and yet surprisingly nothing in the media about it at all (still searching for any press releases etc). Looks like Dr.Dammai won his case after all (other than the ‘mislabeling’), what do you think about this?? That is certainly an interesting twist in the plot already.
You obviously have done a better job than I at keeping up with this story; I’ve been pretty slammed at all four jobs lately, but things are leveling out a bit so maybe I can poop around a bit. Again, the media control piece has much more to do with Swatzel- that’s his bread and butter. Plus, The Sun News (our crappy-ass daily paper here) shit the bed a long time ago. They used to do a little investigative journalism here and there, but now they’re pretty much a newsletter for the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Myrtle Beach, and a few other Redneck Riviera money groups. I hope you’re right on this thing. Goldfinch is in real need of some karma (and a piping hot mug of shut the fuck up).
Tom Swatzel works the same pattern…..remember the Dave Joliff case (for magistrate) where Swatzel’s used FOIA to smear Joliff’s character. Smear the other person’s reputation…that’s Swatzel’s bread and butter MO….and Goldfinch is doing exactly that with Dr.Dammai. You are spot on on this, didn’t think about that connection. But the kicker is this is not a political game…nor a game of words…these numb nuts need to realize, at some point, that this is a federal criminal case.
True. The Joliff thing was pretty easy (Cleary fat-fingered that thing and mangled it to pieces, and Joliff was a real tool). You’re right; this is an entirely different ball game. Goldfinch’s pompous as is already walking around talking about he’ll “take” Cleary’s seat when he decides to retire, and that his law partner will then “take” Goldfinch’s House seat. What a pompous, entitled jackass. He and his goldigger wife are so blinded by ambition that they can’t see straight…
Aaaah….Goldfinch strikes again! I was wondering where this golden boy disappeared after causing all that wreckage over thanksgiving and Christmas. His idiocy was bound to resurface at some point…cant keep that impulse hidden for too long. And…given his re-election efforts…we will see more such entertainment. Unfortunately, this square head thinks he is doing a great job deserving of a re-election.
As sad a day as it may be if they re-elect this asshat, the South end folks deserve what they get if they do so. We really do get the government we deserve, I guess.
LOL, I agree. Goldfinch already announced his re-election campaign. Hope there is still a vestige of common sense in the republican party leadership to take a closer look at Goldfinch’s past before betting on him for this seat. His federal criminal case is still ongoing, it appears, and the media has been largely quite about the case details (except for FITSnews) and current status. Its only a matter of time until something explodes in the news about Goldfinch, especially with elections approaching.
What about falsely claiming heroics in some exotic foreign military? Say Legionnaire, or “stirring up trouble on the Chinese border” with the SAS.
Confederate hero medals are precious to me. I earned them. Nobody can take them.
Dahn Cave.
goldfinch, with the wife everyone wants to clobber. why’d she marry such a weasel.
Really?! In your experience, how many weasely little boys spending their daddy’s money marry ugly fat women? She doesn’t do that much for me; I’d only hit it to piss Goldfinch off…
He must be hung like a mule.
I would doubt that (admittedly this is pure conjecture based upon his lack of a chin and generally girly affect). It’s the checkbook…
Does this bill make it a crime to lie about some one else’s militray service e.g. my dad won the CMH – when he ‘just’ got two navy crosses – wow this bill is absurd.
I want to know how the First Gentleman became a Captain. Does anybody out there know his military record? Curious.
I once saw it explained on this board. If I remember right he was appointed by NIMRATA.
His service history was selling clothes in the in-laws emporium.