Subcommittee to discuss impeachment

  A subcommittee of House lawmakers will hold their first meeting 1 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the possible impeachment of Gov. Mark Sanford. An impeachment resolution, introduced last week by four House lawmakers, seeks to oust Sanford from office for abandoning the state for five days to secretly visit his lover in Argentina. The resolution must pass the subcommittee, then the full Judiciary Committee before making it to the House floor for consideration.

McLeod jobs plan calls for Confederate flag to come down

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod said Thursday, the state should remove the Confederate battle flag from the State House dome because it is hurting the state's recruitment of industry. 

McLeod, a Charleston attorney, unveiled his jobs plan centering on tax cuts, small business assistance and creating so-called "green" jobs.

"The Confederate Flag debate continues to hold our state back. We are not going to compete in a 21^st Century economy by prolonging 19^th Century arguments. It is time for us to send a clear and unambiguous signal to the rest of the country, and the entire world, that South Carolina is better than what people see on the news, and that we are ready to make progress. By agreeing to move past this old argument once and for all, we will be telling the world that South Carolina is ready to lead again, McLeod said.

Click here to read McLeod's jobs plan.

Huckabee endorses Rice for Congress

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has sent out a letter supporting state Rep. Rex Rice's bid for the Congress in the 3rd Congressional District.

Huckabee's letter asks supporters to donate money to Rex' campaign, and touts his positions on social issues, federal spending and taxes.

The two have long been allies, with Rex supporting Huckabee's 2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary bid where the former Arkansas governor finished a close second to U.S. Sen. John McCain.

Quinn says he's running for Lexington State House seat

Former House majority leader Rick Quinn said he will run for the Lexington County House seat being vacated by Rep. Ted Pitts next year.

Quinn was a leading advocate for statewide tax reform, and despite a commission currently studying the tax code and a 2006 statewide property tax relief plan, there is still work needed to improve state tax code."I think I can have an impact," Quinn said.

Clyburn: Charleston brig meant for holding detainees

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat, said Tuesday he doesn't see any point in having a federal Navy brig in North Charleston is it's not used to hold detainees.

Recent media reports have surfaced that the White House may soon send Guantanamo Bay detainees to the state although such a transfer is not a new idea.

Columnist Kathleen Parker to speak at USC

Kathleen Parker, the S.C.-based conservative syndicated columnist, will speak at the University of South Carolina on Nov. 19.

Parker, whose columns appear in The State, has been invited by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications for its Buchheit Family Lecture Series.

Tea Party activists endorse Grooms for governor

State Sen. Larry Grooms has won an early endorsement in his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination from two S.C. "Tea Party" activists.

The campaign announced Tuesday that organizers of the grass-roots, limited government activists had endorsed Grooms."While other Republicans were enjoying the pork and hiding their votes, Senator Grooms was building a caucus of a dozen other true conservatives and getting things done." Anderson Tea Party organizer Jonathon Hill said in a statement.

Tea Party activists endorse Grooms for governor

State Sen. Larry Grooms has won an early endorsement in his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination from S.C. "Tea Party" activists.

The campaign announced Tuesday that organizers of the grass-roots, limited government activists had endorsed Grooms."While other Republicans were enjoying the pork and hiding their votes, Senator Grooms was building a caucus of a dozen other true conservatives and getting things done." Anderson Tea Party organizer Jonathon Hill said in a statement.

Barrett says he's backed bills to close S.C. to terror suspects

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett said he has sponsored three bills preventing the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees from being transferred to South Carolina, after gubernatorial rivals criticized his request they co-sign a letter to President Barack Obama opposing the move.

Obama has said he intends to close Guantanamo Bay, which has some, including Barrett, a Westminster Republican, worried some of the more than 200 terrorism suspects could be housed at a North Charleston naval brig.

Two fellow Republican candidates, Lexington Rep. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Henry McMaster, agreed to sign Barrett's letter but asked why Congress had not done anything to block the transfer.

Haley to Barrett: You can do more than write a letter

Lexington Rep. Nikki Haley, has accepted a gubernatorial rival's appeal to sign a letter opposing the transfer of terrorist suspects to a North Charleston naval prison.

But Haley, a Republican, noted that as a member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett has an opportunity to do more than write letters opposing the transfer -- he can introduce legislation to prevent the transfer.