Democrat Doozie, A Bad Investment, Green Policies And Pension Fund Raids

*The Dems pick a doozie in S.C. With all the news pouring in from various state primaries you might have missed one of the weirdest. It seems that an unemployed veteran, with no visible means of support, somehow came up with the $10,400 filing fee in South Carolina and won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate there. Alvin Greene, who did zero campaigning, was recently booked on felony obscenity charges. It doesn’t look as though Republican incumbent Jim DeMint need worry very much.

*Big Labor’s bad investment. Meanwhile, down in Arkansas, Big Labor spent more than $10 million in a failed effort to defeat incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic run-off there. Seems the unions are mad at the lady because she refuses to support “card check,” which would eliminate secret ballots in a vote for unionization. Happily, that’s $10 million the unions won’t have to spend on elections this November that might really matter.

*That’s telling them, John. John Myers, one of my favorite Personal Liberty columnists, had a great article last week explaining how environmental extremists are responsible for the Gulf oil disaster. “To the Greens I have six words regarding the catastrophe,” he wrote. “Your President, your policies, your fault.” In case you missed his very compelling piece, click here.

*Only politicians could get away with this deal. You probably already know that public pension funds are facing all sorts of problems around the country. In California the unfunded liabilities have passed $500 billion. Things aren’t quite as desperate in New York where Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders came up with an incredible deal to patch over the problems. Seems they are going to raise the $6 billion they owe the state pension fund by borrowing the money from… are you ready for this?… the state pension fund. You see, unlike the Administration, they can’t just print the money they need.

–Chip Wood