Democrats in S.C. need to grow up

Memo to the S.C. Democratic Party:

Grow up or shut up.

Here's the latest asinine tactic from the party that wants to upset the juggernaut S.C. Republican Party: They are criticizing Gov. Mark Sanford for handing out gift bags at the National Governor's Association meeting held in Charleston that included items not made in the state. Sanford gave fellow governors three items stamped or embroidered with S.C. themes.

"But, as Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin pointed out Wednesday, all three were made elsewhere: the flip-flops in the Philippines, the towel in Pakistan and the bag in India," according to The (Columbia) State newspaper. How the story made its way onto the front of South Carolina's largest newspaper or in the local section of The Sun News is beyond me. But that's an issue for another day.

The non-S.C. gifts supposedly should be taken as a slap in the face by the state's dwindling manufacturing industry.

"It's incredibly embarrassing to South Carolina workers, to families, and it should be embarrassing to Gov. Sanford," Erwin said at a press conference, presumably with a straight face.

Is this the best the state's Democratic party can do?

Tell me a drug test was administered to Erwin immediately after the press conference. Tell me it came back positive for whatever substances are known to destroy brain cells.

Tell me that for the three months before the November elections we won't be inundated with any more childish rants from S.C. Democrats but rather a focus on substantive issues that better the state.

One thing is clear: Because the Republican Party has been in power for about a decade, they've had more than enough time to prove that they are worthy of the positions of leadership we've granted them. If the state's residents aren't happy with the state of the economy, our laws, police protection, readiness for hurricanes and terrorist attacks, the effectiveness of our public schools and the makeup of our judicial system, blame the Republicans. Ignore the political ads that will flood the airwaves in coming weeks. Focus on what the powerful Republican party has accomplished. If you don't like what you see, vote the bums out.

But if more antics about beachwear are all we can expect from the Democratic leadership, maybe we should ignore all that's wrong and just thank God that the Democrats aren't in power.

ONLINE | For past columns and to read Bailey's blog, go to MyrtleBeachOnline.com.

Contact ISSAC J. BAILEY at ibailey@thesunnews.com or 626-0357.