Weekend Trimmings

A healthy skepticism:

[State Sen. Kay] Patterson said he questioned the motives of groups pushing the vouchers - such as South Carolinians for Responsible Government … "Last week these groups are railing against having a black judge on the Supreme Court, and this week they're speaking out in the best interests of poor black children," Patterson said. "I get suspicious of that."

School voucher concept finds few friends in state Senate – Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Different building, ergo different funding:

Some people think CEO does the bidding of SCRG, a voucher-lobbying group widely believed to be bankrolled by out-of-state interests. That’s hardly the case, they said. CEO isn’t funded by SCRG, and purposely located its offices away from that group to make sure people know the difference, the Rev. Davis said.

Black school choice advocates say goal is to save poor black kids, The State

Now I'm just piling on:

Does all of this debate indicate a true concern that our state provide equal opportunity for a quality education or simply the anticipation of successfully establishing a voucher system in South Carolina, a campaign backed in part by out-of-state interests? (What their interest is, no one seems to know. Or, at least, they’re not telling.)

Keep voting vouchers down: Everybody wins with strong public schools, Anderson Independent-Mail

Let’s get this party started:

Cory Burnell, leader of the Christian Exodus, said he is ready to move his family and operations to Anderson…Another two dozen families, he said, anticipate being here by 2008.

Christian Exodus leader to call Anderson home by July, Anderson Independent-Mail

Added to my "places not to go while taking LSD" list:

Hay bales and a 1936 farm truck decorate the lobby, along with an animatronic cow named Bessie that talks about Billy Graham as a young boy. Critics dubbed the animal the "Golden Calf," saying it wasn't appropriate for honoring the evangelist. But Franklin Graham said it was critical to include displays appealing to kids.

Graham's museum, library is dedicated, AP

As long as we’re coming clean, I never read Ethan Frome:

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards misspoke when he said he read a National Intelligence Report before authorizing the war in Iraq, his campaign said…. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, acknowledged this week that she also did not read the full report before voting to authorize the war.

Edwards' campaign says he misspoke about reading Iraq report, AP