Withers: South Carolina pols use bigotry as compliment

It’s been rough sailing for South Carolina Republicans. The state’s governor was caught in the middle of some extracurricular loving and then wouldn’t keep his trap quiet about it. Representative Joe Wilson was so drunk with Tea Bag spirits he forgot the Capitol Dome is not a frat house. And this week two South Carolina politicians penned an editorial that would have made Archie Bunker swell with pride.
Edwin O. Merwin and James S. Ulmer, South Carolina county Republican chairs, wrote in support of their senator, Jim DeMint. So far so good. They were giving DeMint props for being leery of earmarks. Cool. Nothing wrong with supporting someone who is budget conscious. However, the train ran off the rails when Merwin and Ulmer started their ode to DeMint thus:
“There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves. By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation’s pennies and trying to preserve our country’s wealth and our economy’s viability to give all an opportunity to succeed.”
So to show your DeMint love, you two decide to resort to an ugly stereotype? Really fellas? You thought you were being helpful? If a staff member read it and didn’t tell you to take that paragraph out, please kick her out of your office now. She’s a plant. DeMint ( is he the only Republican in the state who isn’t crazy?) called the editorial “thoughtless and hurtful” and someone informed Merwin and Ulmer it was best to apologize.
To all my Republican brothers and sisters: if you are writing something for public consumption and are not sure if its anti-Semitic, please feel free to send it to me. I’ll check it out and save you all the hassle.



WTF? Just wrong! Mr. Katz: many people here are living in another century. Some, I think, are from another planet.
If we let ‘em secede again, THIS time can we make ‘em PROMISE to STAY gone??!!
As I have said for many years – Lincoln was wrong in 1861.
Is it possible South Carolina might still wish to secede from the Union? We really should ask them ’cause if so, it’s totally cool with me…
These people have such a chip on their shoulder. What is it with South Carolina?
My goodness these people are stupid. What century are they living in?