An insult to monkeys

I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.
- Mark Twain in Eruption

There is a quote by Plato that I recently saw that says anyone who thinks he is too smart to engage in politics will be punished by being govern by those who are dumber. How can this ever humble country boy hope to have a rational argument with one of the most brilliant minds in human history. Except that here in South Carolina it appears that battle was lost long ago and the best hope, at least from my perspective, would be to hunker down and take cover from the shit that our wise and intelligent leaders are stirring up exponentially.

Waking up this afternoon I began cruising the internet to get some idea of what I events I might have missed the last several hours. Much to my expected regret I did not win millions in the lotto, an alien starship did not arrive in Earth orbit, and there is still nothing on the market to magically return hair to my balding head. However, on a much more expected note South Carolina politicians are once again doing their best to earn a segment on The Daily Show or provide fodder for the the last night comedians.

Bauer wants another constitutional convention

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, one of four Republicans running for governor, said he's spearheading a national effort to have a second constitutional convention to fight health care reform.

Bauer was a guest of Fox News' "On the Record" with Greta Van Sustren Monday when he said he's been talking to lieutenant governors and state legislatures across the nation about the idea of holding a constitutional convention.

Bauer said lawsuits will not work to block federal health care. S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, who is also running for governor, is one of 13 states attorneys general seeking to block health care reform in federal court.

"I'm told that they will not work and that this is our only possibility of stopping this," Bauer said.

The lieutenant governor said 34 states -- or two-thirds -- would have to agree to holding a constitutional convention.

He said he's sure he can get to 34 states because Bauer said health care reform is unpopular.

"This is a battle -- I can't think of a battle more important than stopping what's happening in Washington right now," Bauer said.

For those not familiar with South Carolina politics Bauer is thought of so poorly even in Republican circles that when there was talk of Governor Sandford as a possible Republican VP pick in the last election a certain amount of panic ensued when it was realized he could be running the state. The idea of someone like him taking part in any Constitutional convention should scare the living shit out of people.

Never fear though, the Appalachian Trailer walker himself is still courageously fighting all forms of evil taxes, even on cigarettes.
Sanford still wants tax cut with cigarette tax hike

Gov. Mark Sanford said today that a recently-enacted federal health insurance law will not change his position on raising the state cigarette tax.
Sanford has opposed any cigarette tax increase that did not include an equivalent tax cut. The Senate is likely to begin debating raising the tax by 50 cents per pack this week.
At seven cents per pack, South Carolina's cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation.
The federal health care law is projected to cost the state $914 million by 2020, but Sanford said he would not support setting aside additional cigarette tax revenue to fund the mandated expanded coverage for low-income residents.
"We're still at the same spot we were," Sanford said. His office had previously said the governor would reevaluate his position due to the health care law.
Sanford's veto has been a key roadblock for lawmakers supporting a cigarette tax increase. A majority of lawmakers support raising the tax, but the House failed to gather the two-thirds support to overturn a 2008 veto.

All thing considered Twain is still overestimating humans on this matter. Our reasoning power is about equal to a common slime.