Nominate Moore

Democrats should pick senator to face Sanford

If S.C. Democrats nominate S.C. Sen. Tommy Moore of Aiken County as their candidate for governor Tuesday, they would be setting up a potentially interesting fall campaign. Incumbent Mark Sanford did not hold state elective office before becoming governor. Since then, he has taken an outsider's perspective on governing. Moore, in contrast, has been a legislator for 28 years. The gentleman contends, persuasively, that his knowledge of the General Assembly's ways could make him a more effective governor than Sanford has been.

Moore has a narrower reform agenda than Sanford's top-to-bottom proposals for reinventing S.C. government. But it's a reform agenda that many South Carolinians regard as important. As governor, he would work on three interrelated S.C. problems: too few jobs, uneven results from public education and unequal access to health care. While working on economic development the old-fashioned way - carefully targeted public incentives to employers - Moore also would work on beefing up public education budgets and quality and on getting health care for more South Carolinians, especially children. To finance health care improvements, he would lobby legislators for a cigarette tax increase of at least 40 cents per pack.

His principal Democratic opponent, Mayor Frank Willis of Florence, offers similar prescriptions for what ails South Carolina. But Moore's legislative experience and contacts are an asset. He receives The Sun News' recommendation for the Democratic nomination Tuesday.