Some have confused the right to have an abortion with the desire to have an abortion.
Let me put that nonsense to rest.
I have never met a woman who desired an abortion. Abortions are painful, if not always physically, then emotionally. Women do not take, and have not ever, taken this decision lightly.
It is absurd and bizarre to suggest that women look forward to having an abortion so that they can get on with their irresponsible sex lives.
That is one myth that those who spew hatred and call it Christianity have spread. They call themselves "pro-life."
In fact, those lawmakers who are on the front lines against abortion have risen to greater heights of tyranny over women by working lately to outlaw access to birth control.
Many of them claim that they "pray" on it. I would say the word is "prey."
Because to deny a woman ready access to birth control insures a greater likelihood of pregnancy, poverty and subjugation to those in power.
Here's the irony. Those same lawmakers who claim to value life are the ones who are in the forefront of legislating cuts to aid for women and families in need. They have and will continue to cut access to health care, food stamps, child care and education. They will tirelessly work to allow employers the "freedom" to cut wages, increase hours and reduce or remove benefits.
And when they talk about the need for these cuts, suddenly the argument is one of the national debt, no longer about the value of life.
Those who value life in fact work to insure good education and living wages, health care and housing. Teens who have known their family's financial security and have had access to a good education tend to want to work towards a good future for themselves. They are less likely to get pregnant if they have real and accurate information about sex and birth control. And if they make a tragic mistake and find themselves pregnant, and are surrounded by a caring environment, they are more likely to make the right choice.
And that's what women deserve, and what our daughters deserve: the right to make the right choice.
When we vote this November, we have women who are running for office that understand the real moral arguments surrounding the abortion issue. And they will fight, here in South Carolina and in Congress, to assure women the quality of life that will encourage them to make good choices, and the right to do so.
At the Tempel Town Hall, I heard that Tim Scott had also refused to debate his opponent, Bobbie Rose. When I called his campaign office to confirm this, there was no one there, so I left a message. I figured they must all be out meeting with Scott's constituents, you know, to let us know what he's done for us over the past two years, and what we would like him to tackle should he get re-elected. And after all, we know Scott's not in the halls of Congress, as they have just "completed" the shortest work year the House has ever scheduled themselves. But to be safe, I also sent out an email, asking if this rumor was true.
Surprisingly, I did not get a reply. So let's assume that Tim Scott really does not plan on debating Bobbie Rose. It's my opinion that, since his hero Jim DeMint faced all those jeers at his first debate back in 2004 when he said unwed mothers should not be allowed to teach, and Sarah Palin had to field all those unfair questions by Katie Couric just four years ago, many of the radical right have opted to be selective about where and with whom they meet.
I may be wrong.
It may be that Tim Scott is busy doing the People's business.
So let's see what Tim Scott has been up to.
Well, he spoke at the Republican National Convention.
A black man who came up from poverty in South Carolina, he obviously had an important story to tell. They gave him two minutes.
Way back in April he received the Thomas Jefferson Award. This is awarded by the International Distributors Foodservice Association. They honor representatives who fight for "free enterprise". They do this by analyzing the votes of members of Congress. You might want to take a peak at the scores for 2009-2010.
At the very same time, Scott received the Defender of Economic Freedom Award from the Club for Growth. You know these guys; they're the ones who give big dollar support to folks like Tim Scott to cut taxes and regulation, in other words, "defend economic freedom."
Okay, so that was April. What's he done lately? Well, as I reported on a few weeks ago, Tim Scott was smiling at the cameras as he received the Standing Up for Seniors Award from the little known but warm-and-fuzzy-sounding fake-grass-roots group RetireSafe.
It's safe to say that there are people that know where Tim Scott is at all times. They are not us. Tim Scott reports to those who stand to make lots more money by assuring that he votes against the interest of the average worker, student, or senior. And then they give him awards for doing it.
They own PAC's, SuperPACS and those other fund-raising groups that are just known by their numbers, that are all ways of allowing big monied interests to give huge amounts to candidates without having to tell anyone who they are.
So I can see why Representative Tim Scott does not want to bother himself with a debate. Obviously, he is very busy. And it's okay that he doesn't need to sell himself to us, because, to be frank, we couldn't afford him.
Monday, October 1
7:00 p.m.
at
Berkeley Electric Co-op
3351 Maybank Highway
Johns Island Here's why it's important --
Carol Tempel needs your support. She needs to have us all stand behind her on Monday, October 1, when she answers questions about the issues that are important to residents of SC House District 115, Charleston, and the entire state.
Her opponent has declined this important invitation to speak, and to hear the concerns of the voters.
So be there, and bring your family, friends and neighbors. This is an opportunity to get to know Carol. And it's an opportunity for those of us who know her, and know how important her candidacy is to us, to show her we're behind her. Carol Temple
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
 Carol Tempel, who is running as a Petition Candidate for SC House 115, wants to hear your opinions. She also wants you to know where she stands on issues like education, jobs, social security, health care, and public safety. That is why she will be appearing at a Candidate Forum on Monday, October 1.
Sadly, her opponent, Peter McCoy, who has held the seat for two years, has turned down the invitation to appear at this event. Perhaps he doesn't think voters need to know where he stands. Maybe he would like to avoid defending his voting record of the past two years.
Apparently, he has excused himself from this event stating that the location, the Berkeley County Electric Co-op at 3351 Maybank Highway on Johns Island is not home to his constituents. In fact, it is just about halfway between the voters on Kiawah and Seabrook Islands and those on James Island -- equally convenient to both.
So Carol has decided to accept the invitation of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women to tell voters about herself.
We need to get out on Monday and show our support for this great candidate. Bring family, friends and neighbors out to meet Carol and hear her views. Let's show her we care about our representation in Columbia as much as she does!
And as for Peter McCoy, let's just assume that he will be represented at this forum, too...
by jodimullenfondell.blogspot.com
Tempel Town Hall Meeting
Monday, October 1, 7 :00 - 8:00 pm
Berkeley County Electric Co-Op
3351 Maybank Highway on Johns Island, SC
next to the fire station
If you haven't yet been introduced to FreedomWorks, it's time. Despite it's patriotic sounding name, FreedomWorks is funded by all those right-wing extremists that believe that no tax is a good tax (unless it goes to big corporations), and that money that you don't work for -- like investment income and inheritance -- is more valuable than money earned through actual hard work.
Here in South Carolina, we have lots of notables on the FreedomWorks roster. The lovely Jim DeMint scored a 91% on FreedomWorks' economic scorecard in 2003; he worked tirelessly to end up with a near-perfect 98% for his 2011 voting record (what on earth could that 2% have represented???). Today, though, he out-DeMint's DeMint, with a just-announced perfect score of 100%. "You-lie" class act Joe Wilson and Tim Scott are also reported by FreedomWorks to be "other winners." On that, I must agree. And that is not a compliment.
Tim Scott believes fervently in what these FreedomWorks folks call "school choice". He himself went to public school in South Carolina, and despite his apparent success, he is at the forefront in dismantling public education. In the illogical twists and turns of the FreedomWorks right-wing mind, he has convinced himself that the key to helping children in poor neighborhoods is for businesses to get involved in school programs, without nasty government intervention -- or dollars -- and this will provide quality education for all.
Yes, you heard him right. Tim Scott actually says he believes we can "think our way out of poverty."
Why would a smart man say something so dumb? Because there really is absolutely no defense for killing public education. Businesses will not equitably fund all neighborhoods. Parents may not know which are the best choices for their children, and even if they know, may not find open seats available, or have the means to transport a child to that school. And, guess what, those good schools are not going to be plentiful, and they aren't going to be cheap.
Honestly? In Tim Scott's America, school choice will exist only for those with the most cash, and the means to investigate, apply for, and then get their kids to the "best schools." When we allow Tim Scott and Jim DeMint, and here in the SC House, folks like Peter McCoy to win their war against funding public schools, we will see even worse discrimination between the rich and poor. Oh, and those who will be getting both taxed and slammed will be the middle class, because how else can you pull off this sleight-of-hand?
 Bobbie Rose has a more reality-based and let me say democratic philosophy about education. She knows that the only way to provide good schools for all is for South Carolina to work with the Federal Government to provide the long-overdue investment in our children. This means that folks like Tim Scott and Jim DeMint will have to pay slightly higher taxes so that all children will have the opportunity they deserve. (Sorry, guys, that's how true "freedom works.")
 And let's not forget how important it is to get real pro-education legislators in Columbia to work with the federal government to distribute our tax dollars equitably and sensibly. Carol Tempel, SC House Petition Candidate, knows first hand how to turn education around in South Carolina. She knows, unlike her opponent Peter McCoy, that slash-and-burn tax cuts will never work."School choice" isn't really about choice. But this election truly is about choice. We can choose those folks that talk about freedom while they curtail ours, or we can elect candidates who will represent us, our families, our children, our future.
 Government didn't just happen, and our government was not imposed on us, and it has been working for us for quite some time. But there are many of us today who believe government should just get out of the way. If we look at the poor employment figures for South Carolina, we can see firsthand the results of cutting back government. We have lost jobs in education and in public health and safety. We have inadequate government funding to build and upgrade roads and schools. Our electrical grid is fragile. We have lost opportunities in developing clean energy and moving ahead with fast and efficient public transportation. When we lose government jobs, when funding is cut for important government projects and even more jobs are lost, the effect ripples throughout our communities. Those lost jobs are individuals who have to struggle to pay for the roof over their heads, and are no longer able to spend money in the community. When that happens to the extent that we have seen over the past years, businesses are forced to cut back, and more jobs are lost. South Carolina House Representative for District 115 Peter McCoy has fought over the past two years to chop and slash government spending, so that big tax savings can go to big business. He does not recognize the damage that those tax cuts do in terms of loss of government jobs and services, and contracts to small businesses to improve our communities. In fact, those tax cuts he brags about actually cost us more in lost services. When will private sector jobs come back? Those jobs will come back when people in the community have the financial security that will allow them to spend and grow their neighbors' small businesses. When those small businesses grow, they hire. Carol Tempel understands the way government jobs fuel our communities, and our businesses. This is why she will fight for smart taxation and spending, so that Charleston and South Carolina can begin to grow again.
Choose
Carol Tempel
South Carolina House 115
Petition Candidate
 Carol Tempel knows what works and what doesn't. She has run a successful small business, and she has been a top school administrator right here in Charleston. Now she wants to put her talents to work for a greater goal -- she wants to change the downward spiral of education, jobs and quality of life in Charleston and in South Carolina.
Her opponent, Peter McCoy, doesn't just follow the Tea Party dictum of cut taxes and services, he doesn't just believe that less government is ALWAYS better government, he has worked in Columbia for nearly two years to cut services to hard working South Carolinians. His latest scheme is to give back $280 to families with school-aged children and tell them, "Good luck finding a quality education with that."
Carol knows that when public education is done right, it is the best value democracy can offer. But when our legislators chop at our education funds year after year, we are left with fewer teachers, larger classes, buildings falling into disrepair, school programs that have fallen behind for want of supplies and technology.
Yet Peter McCoy continues to believe that if we just chop a little more off, the problem will fix itself.
It hasn't happened yet, and it's not going to.
So give your support and your vote to Carol Tempel for South Carolina House #115.
Carol Tempel
Petition Candidate
SC House 115
 Hillary told us that "it takes a village", but for quite a few years now we have been hearing that all it takes is the wealthy, or as they call themselves, the job creators. But, in fact, they haven't been creating a whole lot of jobs, and when they have, they haven't done it alone. And Elizabeth Warren was the first in a long time to say it: "Nobody got rich on his own." And while the likes of Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Scott Brown and Tim Scott continue to vote for those with the deep pockets that are paying for those votes, women like Elizabeth Warren and Bobbie Rose are begging to differ. Fact is, the reason trickle down will never work, the reason tax cuts for the wealthy will not work, is that capitalism doesn't work if people can't afford to buy your product. Unfortunately, that one percent doesn't care. They don't care because their money is safe in offshore accounts, stacked in huge piles where they can come count it whenever they want, like Scrooge McDuck
Yes, Warren is right when she says the game is rigged. And along with dynamic women like Bobbie Rose, she will fight for a living wage for all of us, and will partner government with those businesses which will move us forward, through good and ethical hiring practices as well as industry that will promote 21st century needs for a clean environment and fuel efficiency. She will fight for the quality of our education, as well as the safety of our schools and roads. When Elizabeth Warren and Bobbie Rose vote on financial matters, they will not be voting so that the rich get richer. They will not be voting with a mind to pinching pennies on the middle class so that their wealthy constituents can stack up more profit. They will be voting with the understanding that, for America to succeed, we must all succeed. In many ways, America is still stuck in the 20th Century. We need women with vision like Elizabeth Warren and Bobbie Rose in the US Congress to move this country -- and the people who live in it -- forward.
 It's not even close to Halloween but South Carolina's Representative in Congress, Tim Scott, is sending out those scary emails. After letting us know that he wouldn't be allowed (because of those nasty Democrat regulations) to communicate with us before the election, he proceeds to show us exactly why such a rule, even convoluted as he describes it, exists.The most important message Scott can send out at this time is to, for God's sake, stop those Democrats from getting away with the tax hikes that are going to send us "over the fiscal cliff" at the end of the year.
Well, Bobbie Rose is not afraid of Tim Scott's scary stories. She knows that it was the Bush tax cuts that "sent us over the cliff" as far as the deficit is concerned, and that it will take job security to bring economic health back to the small businesses here in South Carolina. Good and necessary government jobs don't just improve our children's education, but put teachers back on the payroll and off the unemployment rolls. When teachers are back to work, they are able to spend money in their communities. When small businesses increase earnings, they grow, and when they grow, they hire.
We can move forward, with Federal programs to increase fuel efficiency, to create businesses that innovate and strengthen our environment, rather than continue to support the old dirty fuel corporate interests that get Tim Scott's votes. Scott would have us believe that regulation is a dirty word, when in fact, keeping our towns and waterways clean and safe through smart regulation is what is really good for business, and for the people of South Carolina.
So those tax hikes that Tim Scott wants us to run from in horror are actually the fuel that the high earners need to give back to create those good government jobs. That will begin to create the upward spiral that has been stalled by Tea Party fanatics like Scott.
Bobbie Rose is the woman who will fight to get the government working for us again. Teachers, police, firefighters, roads and bridges, schools, power grids, public transportation; this is what we need here in South Carolina to get us growing again.
We need to say no to the message of fearmongering that Representative Tim Scott sends us, and we need to let Bobbie Rose truly bring jobs back to South Carolina.
Visit Bobbie at: bobbierose.us and find out how you can help!
It may well be that Peter McCoy, that cute young lawyer who narrowly beat Anne Peterson Hutto in 2010, thanks to a third party candidate, seems to be a bit worried about the upcoming election.Why do I say that? Because he has called his opponent, Carol Tempel, his "extreme left opponent."I don't think so. Carol represents moderate, sensible views on education, jobs, taxation, and women's rights.It seems to me that someone who wants to drain the already depleted state education budget in order to offer a big $280 tax deduction to apply to private school tuition is the real extremist.McCoy also is in favor of further cutting the budget when it comes to jobs -- that's right, jobs like teachers, policemen, and firefighters.Meanwhile, he throws his support behind privatizing services like schools. You know what that means, right? It means paying a private company more money to do a job less efficiently than good government can do.Carol believes that good public education has always been within our grasp, but it will take our representatives in Columbia working for the people, and not corporate interests, to create a policy that taxes wisely, and spends just as wisely -- less waste, more spent on the ground, in the schools, on the streets.
If you believe more money should go to prisons than public schools, Peter McCoy is your guy. If you want to see our schools shine, then throw your support behind Carol Tempel.
As for calling Carol his "extreme left opponent", it's not just fear talking, it's that Same Old Song.
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