Public Safety director Boykin Rose put a scare into Corrections director Jon Ozmint at Gov. Mark Sanford's Cabinet meeting last week.

In discussing goals for the coming year, Rose jokingly mentioned how he was going to say cracking down on criminals was a goal, but he knew Ozmint's prisons were already full.

That got a charge out of Ozmint.

"No-o-o-o-o," Ozmint said, "we don't need any more. I'm all in favor of not solving crime. Mystery unsolved."

COMEDIAN, HEAL THYSELF

State Sen. John Kuhn, a freshman legislator from Charleston, has been the subject of a few raised eyebrows lately.

He got in trouble with pretty much everyone in Horry County when he said that Myrtle Beach got all the tourists that Charleston didn't want. Later, he made a speech about the good old days of the Senate, when men like John C. Calhoun ran the place.

And he took the floor last week to rail against his Republican colleagues -- apparently they had been griping to him about taking the floor too often.

But at least Kuhn can laugh at himself.

State Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, asked him for his e-mail address last week so he could send him some digital photos.

Said Kuhn:

"It's JRK@scsenate.org‘.‘.‘. so it's 'Jerk.'"

IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL UNCLE VERNE SINGS

The Buzz gets a little bleary-eyed these days, as the budget stretches into its third week in the Senate and the points-of-order rulings are getting more and more complex (read: boring!).

So we'd like to thank state Sen. Verne Smith, R-Greenville, for waking us up and making us laugh.

Smith was frustrated with his colleagues' squabbling last week. So he picked up his mike and sang a little song he wrote a long time ago:

Love one another‘.‘.‘.

Be sweet and be kind‘.‘.‘.

Because if you don't‘.‘.‘.

I'll smack your behind.

The Buzz seconds that motion and moves for an immediate roll call vote.