My Name is Fred...

It’s about a lot more than just locking up all the bad guys…

2010-04-28T21:30:00.012-04:00

As Cheif Legal Officer, the Attorney General:

(1) Represents and advises the State, its agencies, political subdivision, and its officials in legal matters when the State is a party to a legal action, either as plaintiff or defendant;

(2) Is responsible for employing and supervising those attorneys who represent the State, as well as, overseeing the State’s litigation and effectuating South Carolina’s legal policy;

(3) Issues official legal opinions upon request by constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly, and certain state and local officials;

As Securities Commissioner, the Attorney General:

(1) Oversees the registration of all persons engaged in the sale of securities in the State of South Carolina; investigates allegations of fraud or other violations of securities laws and takes appropriate enforcement action; and provides information on securities laws and practices.

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U.S. state pension funds have $1 trillion shortfall: Pew

(Reuters) - U.S. states face a total shortfall of at least $1 trillion in their funds for employees' pensions and retirement benefits, and their financial problems are quickly mounting, according to a report released by the Pew Center on the States on Thursday.

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South Carolinas Attorney General has to oversee this stuff to make sure those Goldman Sachs dudes from Wall Street are not taking advantage of us hard working Sandlappers.

Unlike all the competition in the race – Leighton Lord has been dealing with these guys for years. He understands how law, business and government are interconnected.

South Carolina needs a great lawyer, not another politician looking to score points with frivolous prosecution and policy based on opinion polls.

…that’s what I said.

My favorite Meat Loaf Song

2010-03-18T20:02:00.004-04:00

I'm so tired of the argument that the Attorney General is the state's top cop, so the AG needs prosecution experience. The Attorney General's office has three roles: Securities Commissioner, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Criminal Prosecutor.

My favorite Meatloaf song is "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad."

After reading articles like this one straight out of the Bolchoz camp (The Greenville News - "AG's race deserves attention now") and similar rants from Wilson supporters, I wonder how they are going to sell "One Out of Three Ain't Bad."

...that's what I said.

Wii Workout - Day 2

2010-02-11T08:34:00.001-05:00

30 minutes this morning - still can't break the 21 point mark on the 3-point shootout.

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-11T00:51:00.001-05:00

Wii Workout - Day 1

2010-02-10T21:39:00.007-05:00

Wii is the coolest video game system I've played in long time. At least since the ColecoVision I discovered on a sleepover at Tommy Tenyson's in 1982. That baseball was sweet.

Anyhow, this Wii Resorts game I got for Christmas is very nice. So, I've decided to see if I can use it to get back in shape. Games like the 3 point shootout, ping pong, and cycling can really get the heart rate up.

I started out tonight with 15 minutes of basketball. My heart rate spiked at about 170, so not bad. It's pretty sad how winded I got. Hopefully, the thought of playing a game will help me get up and get moving in the morning and jump start my workouts.

I've gotten so lazy in the past two years. After nearly getting back down to my college weight of 185 (hit 186.2), I've packed on a pound a month for the past 21 months.

Let's see how long it takes me to work it off.

...that's what I said.

Palin Never had Mr. Dale

2010-02-09T21:45:00.002-05:00

When I was in the 9th grade, Mr. Clark Dale taught freshmen science. He wasn't much of a teacher. Calling the role took about 15 minutes each day.

He wrote the same notes on the overhead projector, assigned the same homework, and gave the same tests to his 2nd and 4th period classes. Lunch was after 3rd period. Over tater tots one day, some friends shared the answers to a pop quiz. I wrote them down on my hand.

Mr. Dale had a eye for young girls, so when Kim Seagers got busted and ratted on me. I got a zero. He said he was gonna call my parents, but never did.

I thought about that today when I read about Sarah Palin getting caught with "several words scribbled seventh-grade-style on her left palm" while rallying the other ignorant rednecks who now call themselves the Tea Party.

...that's what I said.

About Modern Family

2010-02-03T23:24:00.005-05:00

This show might be the next great American sitcom. If they can keep delivering this kind of dialogue.

Daughter: Dad, what's Jagermeister?

Dad: Um, well - you know how in a fairy tale, there's always a potion that makes the princess fall asleep and all the guys start kissing her. It's like that except you don't wake up in a castle, you wake up in a frat house with a bad reputation.

Modern Family - "Moon Landing"

But, perhaps my favorite scene is from episode one.

...that's what I said.

Some thoughts about a new website covering SC politics

2010-01-14T15:10:00.006-05:00

This week, The SC Policy Council unveiled a new website called The Nerve - Where government gets exposed. I've closely followed a series of debut articles about how South Carolina landed the new Boeing facility. The basic gist of the reports is that the Palmetto State has given away too much taxpayer money in order to get the company to build its plant in North Charleston.

Today's item is entitled "Boeing’s 'A' Team: Firm Turned to S.C. Power Brokers." Keep in mind, the article emphatically states that the Boeing deal was completely legal. But, it details how Boeing turned to big-time economic development players to negotiate their deal. Among those named, Leighton Lord, who I support for Attorney General.

I can understand where the reporters at The Nerve are coming from. I would love to live in a world in which state and local governments did not offer tax breaks to lure companies and where Wal-Mart and other retail giants didn't advertise "loss leaders" items in order to get customers in the door only to charge them double for necessities. But, we live in free market. Well, not all that free, but the most free of any that I know of.

So, all of you who are complaining about tax incentives - get over it. They are a reality of 2010.

Saying South Carolina should get rid of incentives is like saying Ray Tanner should stop letting the Gamecock baseball team use metal bats. Yes, the game would be more pure if colleges used wooden bats like they do in the Big Leagues. But, I don't see he NCAA issuing that mandate anytime soon. And, I don't see all 50 state legislatures agreeing on a tax incentives moratorium anytime soon either.

So, let's stick with what's working. The Gamecock baseball team winning in the SEC with "pings" from aluminum bats and the state of South Carolina winning in the economic development game through leadership that understands the law and how to operate within it.

...that's what I said.

SC needs new leaders - let's start with the AG's office...

2010-01-12T14:45:00.007-05:00

The scuttlebutt around South Carolina Attorney General's race these days is all about prosecutorial experience - who has it, who doesn't. But, it should be about a lot more than that.

A state agency the size of the Attorney General's office is a mine field full of explosive personalities. For an candidate to tout some mild success in prosecuting CDV and drug cases is about like me touting my golf game. Sure, that sweet 3rd shot on the par-5 17th felt good, but it didn't do much to help my score.

Putting away petty criminals makes for good headlines and fat to chew on, but it doesn't help South Carolina move forward. It's time for a new approach at the Attorney General's office.

Share this video with a friend via YouTube.

...that's what I said.

About Leighton Lord

2009-12-18T18:44:00.004-05:00

I ran across a blog the other day about the Attorney Generals race in South Carolina. Here's my response.

"Alan Wilson, is not only a proven prosecutor, but a veteran of the Iraq war." I'll give you that he's an Iraq war veteran, but "proven prosecutor"? What source are you citing here? His campaign site? Have you ever seen him prosecute a case? Have you looked at his winning percentage? Word in legal circles is that Alan Wilson is just not a very smart lawyer and as a prosecutor he has the charisma of a drying mud puddle. Yes, he has held down jobs as Assistant Solicitor in Lexington County and Assistant Attorney General. But, all that proves in South Carolina is that the good-ole boy system is alive and well. His dad has been politicking in Lexington for a quarter century now. I find it refreshing that Leighton Lord hasn't been bogged down in the quagmire of Palmetto state politics. That BS has been killing us for years. As a SC native, I look forward to the new kind of leadership Lord could potentially bring. Didn't I read something recently about Boeing building a new plant in North Charleston? I'm pretty sure his law firm played a big part in that (http://www.nexsenpruet.com/news-635.html). It's time for the people of South Carolina to wake up and quit expecting the Attorney General to put away petty drug dealers and wife beaters. Family matters like drug addiction and matters of the heart are tough enough without politicians getting involved. It's time for the people of South Carolina to see the AG as the state's lawyer, not some hell-bent prosecutor out lock up every redneck who is caught with weed or beating his wife. In today's age of complex real estate deals financed by government bonds and economic incentives packages that total in the hundreds of millions of dollars, I want an attorney general who can help South Carolina compete in the global economy with the stroke of a pen - not one who carries a big sword.

... that's what I said.