Latest Editorials

Wise energy-efficiency upgrade

Thursday, Aug. 28, 12 00 a.m.
Charleston's architectural heritage is a local treasure that transcends financial measure. Making city-owned historic buildings energy efficient, however, is an expensive endeavor. Still, the price paid for such improvements can be a prudent use of public money.

High cost of Medicare fraud

Thursday, Aug. 28, 12 00 a.m.
It is hard to say whether American taxpayers should be madder at the con artists who use fake addresses and stolen identifies to defraud the government or at the government managers who let them get away with it. But one thing is clear: the public treasury draws thieves the way honey draws flies, and the government has a hard time fighting them off. Keep that in mind the next time a politician proposes a new public program.

Venezuela's would-be dictator

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 12 00 a.m.
When Hugo Chavez lost a referendum to make himself president for life, it appeared that the dictatorial president of Venezuela had been thwarted in his efforts to turn the oil-rich South American nation into a Cuban-style totalitarian state.

Nuclear surge needs waste plan

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 12 00 a.m.
The bipartisan support of nuclear power expressed last week by Rep. James Clyburn and Sen. Lindsey Graham should be an indication of real movement toward a new national energy policy. In comments at a Charleston conference, both acknowledged the state's long background in nuclear power.

The unlucky 'Other Edwards'

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 12 00 a.m.
What's in a name? In the plausible opinion of a former potential running mate for Barack Obama, a tough political break. Last week, numerous media outlets reported that Texas Rep. Chet Edwards, relatively unknown to voters outside his state despite nearly nine terms in the House, had made Sen. Obama's vice-presidential final four along with Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, the eventual selection.

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Commentary

Carriage animals' health protections greatly improved

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 12 00 a.m.
When summer comes to Charleston and the temperatures climb, residents and tourists alike are rightfully concerned about Charleston's carriage animals. A recent article in The Post and Courier raised concerns about the temperature in which the animals work.

If not VP, what's next in Sanford's future?

Sunday, Aug. 24, 12 00 a.m.
Now that Gov. Mark Sanford isn't even a long shot for John McCain's running mate, what's next for the maverick politician who has demonstrated a far better rapport with the voters than the Legislature?

It's a madcap way to pick a president

Friday, Aug. 22, 12 00 a.m.
For the first time in years, I miss no longer reporting from the Democratic and Republican national conventions. The Charleston papers sent me to eight of these quadrennial gatherings of political bigwigs in the 1976-88 period. Being younger and less cynical then, I found them to be both entertaining and sobering. (No, perhaps "sobering" is not the right word.)

Drilling, conservation can coexist

Monday, Aug. 18, 12 00 a.m.
With the Internet's powerful circulation and some eager conservative radio programs, Jim Edwards' message is being heard all over the country and all over Capitol Hill. Dr. Edwards' commentary seemed to put the energy crisis in precisely the correct context, a cautionary message every working American and members of Congress must understand: energy can no longer be a political game; energy is a bread-and-butter public policy issue that challenges every American family.

Letters to the editor create a powerful citizens' forum

Sunday, Aug. 17, 12 00 a.m.
In a May 7 letter to the editor Tracey Phillips described herself as distraught. Who wouldn't be? During a brief beach trip to Sullivan's Island, she'd lost three years of dissertation preparation and coursework on a tiny flash drive attached to her key ring.

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