About ten minutes into Wednesday night's US Senate debate that News Channel 7 sponsored at Furman University, Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride teetered dangerously close into Trent Lott territory when the issue of Democrats blocking President Bush's judicial nominees camp up.

"We really have to stop whining about the filibuster," McBride said in the Republican candidates' debate. "Have we all forgotten the greatest filibuster that's ever been in the history of the Senate was our own senator, Strom Thurmond?"

What Thurmond filibustered against for 24 hours and 18 minutes was the Civil Rights Act of 1957, not move most politicians would praise Thurmond for today.

News Channel 7's Amanda Abbott asked McBride about that after the debate but he refused to address it.

"When it comes to civil rights where do you stand?" she asked.

"That's not the issue," McBride said. "The issue is the filibuster. And I support the right of the filibuster as it is. I don't want to change the rules."

Most voters are concerned about the quality of education in South Carolina and that came up, as well.

But Charlie Condon, a former state attorney general, tried to have it both ways. He first said Washington has no business meddling in education.

"First of all, it should be done locally, parents should be involved, then the state should have the primary responsibility," he said.

However, he added this:

"I do support President Bush with his No Child Left Behind Act. I think accountability standards are good," said Condon.

The fact is, those are Washington standards not South Carolinian.