Another Republican Pledge of Other Allegiance

To be a Republican candidate for public office in Laurens County, South Carolina, you have to be the "right kind" of Republican.

To be considered for Republican nomination, a candidate must:

. . . promise they did not have premarital sex, will be faithful to their spouses and will not watch porn while also fighting to protect gun rights.

• Oppose abortion, in any circumstances

• Endorse the ideas of balanced state and federal budgets

• Hold a high regard for U.S. sovereignty and be committed to peace through "strength in foreign policy"

• Not favor any government action to allow civil unions by same-sex couples . . .

See, Laurens County GOP OKs 'purity' pledge.

Since the pledge came under scrutiny, even by the South Carolina Republican Party, Laurens County Republicans have backed-off a bit, insisting that no candidate is required to sign the pledge.

What is at issue here is not whether or not a candidate is required to sign a pledge (which seems to be treasonous, in my not so humble opinion), but the fact that the pledge and its promotion exist at all.

I thought the only pledge one must take to be a candidate for public office in the United States is the Pledge of Allegiance; and I am not even certain that is legally required. I do know that the Constitution does not place any requirement to sign a purity pledge, and it does prohibit a religious test.

The Constitution states:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

See, Article VI, paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution


Now, this Republican purity pledge is not specifically "religious" in content; but is deeply rooted in new-fangled ideas the right-wing promulgates about religion. I think this does amount to a religious test, and should be specifically outlawed.

The rise in right-wing prerequisites of candidates signing pledges to a private political organization is frightening, and I think unconstitutional. Any group presenting such a pledge and any candidate that signs such a pledge should be tried for treason.

Laurens County Republican requiring candidates to sign pledge, pass interview

SC County GOP: If You've Had Pre-Marital Sex, You Can’t Be A Republican

Does Being Greene Require Planting?

by Dick Mac

Alvin Greene won the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat from South Carolina.

He says he used his own funds to run his campaign.

Until his decisive victory, he was completely unknown.

He has no visible means of support, lives with his elderly mother, and when he was arrested recently he signed a document acknowledging that he was indigent, and required the services of a public defender.

He had no advertising, no noticeable campaign, no campaign committee. His victory boggles the minds of many.

Democratic Party activists and elected officials are suggesting that he is a plant. They believe that Republican Party operatives found him, knew they could destroy him in the general election, and funded his campaign. Is it sour grapes about their mainstream candidate losing, or is there any truth to that notion?

He is a lifelong Democrat, and a man of few words. In this video, a very gentle Keith Olberman interviews the candidate:



Is Greene a plant?

Who’s Alvin Greene? State Asks After Vote

Hillary's Connection To Obama's Slumlord Neighbor

Barack Obama won South Carolina in a landslide.

Since Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination, I am supporting John Edwards. Although Edwards placed third in South Carolina, I think it is most important that Hillary Clinton lost so handily.

My favorite side story leading up to the South Carolina primary was Clinton accusing Obama of having dealings with a slumlord (see, Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake), followed by a blogger publishing a picture of Clinton and her husband posing with the same slumlord (see, Hillary's Slumlord Returns to Haunt Her).

Clinton and her husband really lowered the bar in the weeks leading up to the South Carolina primary. Her husband should be ashamed of himself for stooping so low. I know the United States Presidency has been stripped of all its dignity since the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, but President Clinton has no business slinging mud the way he has been. I always thought President Clinton might work to restore some dignity to the office, but he is unable to find any dignity.

Congratulations to Barack Obama.

Continued good luck to John Edwards.

And not enough embarrassing things can happen to the Clinton campaign.



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