ATTEMPTED CENSORSHIP … AND A STARTLING ADMISSION FROM THIS WEBSITE’S FOUNDING EDITOR
An effort by S.C. Senator Larry Martin (RINO-Pickens) to censor legitimate criticism of his liberal voting record has failed in the South Carolina Upstate – raising the temperature of an already heated State Senate race between the 30-year incumbent and his petition challenger, former [...]
High Drama In Larry Martin Race
SC Lawmakers Failed To Disclose Pension Payments
ELECTED OFFICIALS DEFY TRANSPARENCY
Numerous South Carolina state lawmakers failed to disclose their participation in a shady pension fund that enabled them to draw retirement benefits even though they had not yet retired. In fact, of the twenty-eight legislators who were taking payments from this fund – only seven reported doing so on their statements of [...]
Pickens County Debate
LARRY MARTIN, REX RICE WILL FACE THE VOTERS
By Nancy Yates || S.C. Sen. Larry Martin (RINO-Pickens) will debate former S.C. House member Rex Rice later this month in what’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting State Senate races of 2012.
Martin – a well-known name in Palmetto politics – has represented Pickens County [...]
So Here’s “The Ad”
LIBER-TEA’S UPSTATE TELEVISION SPOT HAS PALMETTO POLITICOS BUZZING
There’s quite a bit of chatter in the South Carolina Upstate these days over a television advertisement produced by our founding editor’s Liber-TEA group.
The Liber-TEA spot – which has been blanketing the airwaves – informs Upstate residents of the bad spending habits of S.C. Sen. Larry Martin (RINO-Pickens), a [...]
Incumbent SC Senators In Trouble?
KNOTTS, MARTIN AND SETZLER COULD ALL FALL IN NOVEMBER
Three incumbent South Carolina State Senators with lengthy records of opposing the taxpayers are in real trouble this election cycle, according to internal polling data shared with FITS.
And that’s despite the fact that all three of these politicians are facing off against petition candidates … a result [...]
SC Petition Signature Counts
FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE AT HOME
As we reported previously, four individuals appear to have collected enough signatures to earn a spot on the November 2012 ballot as petition candidates for the South Carolina State Senate.
In fact, all four of these candidates appear to have cleared the threshold with room to spare.
Official word isn’t expected until [...]
SC Petition Candidates Rise Up
NUMEROUS INCUMBENTS WILL FACE CHALLENGERS
We’ve expended a great deal of ink criticizing the efforts of limited government advocates this election cycle – and deservedly so. Abandoned by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and her “movement,” the South Carolina’s Tea Party fell flat on its face in 2012 – with predictable consequences for Palmetto State taxpayers.
Exhibit A? [...]
Pickens Petition Effort Gaining Steam
REX RICE COULD BECOME FIRST PETITION CANDIDATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO WIND UP ON 2012 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT
Former S.C. Rep. Rex Rice may have been booted from the 2012 primary ballot (on a technicality, it’s worth noting), but widespread opposition to incumbent “Republican” Senator Larry Martin is fueling what appears to be a successful petition [...]
The Cigarette Tax Vote: Who Broke Their Pledges?
By FITSNews || With no accompanying reform and no corresponding tax relief, South Carolina’s “Republican-controlled” General Assembly has voted to raise the state’s cigarette tax by fifty cents per pack – overriding S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of the legislation last week.
It was a boneheaded move for several reasons.
First, the “revenue” generated by the tax [...]
Grimaud Should Have Challenged Wilson
By FITSNews || We’ve got nothing against GOP Third Congressional Candidate Joe Grimaud. He’s a former fighter pilot and a successful businessman, and he has the right to run for Congress anywhere in South Carolina that he chooses.
As it happens, Grimaud lives in the Second Congressional District, which is “represented” by U.S. Rep. Addison [...]
The Cigarette Tax: Burning Through GOP Credibility?
By FITSNews || In his push to get the S.C. House of Representatives to pass a cigarette tax hike this year, Speaker Bobby Harrell’s number one selling point to Republican members was that GOP voters in the Palmetto State “overwhelmingly” supported the tax hike.
But do they?
After all, this is the sort of claim we’ve heard [...]
“Cyber Crime” Allegations Rock SC Third District Race
By FITSNews || The race for South Carolina’s Third Congressional District took a decidedly accusatory tone when the campaign of S.C. Rep. Rex Rice accused unknown persons “apparently associated with the Jeff Duncan for Congress Campaign” of hacking into private campaign email accounts and stealing confidential information.
“Through means unknown to the Rice Campaign, the Duncan [...]
