Why liberals love the birthers

Donald Trump has joined the "birthers," the odd movement that questions President Barack Obama's Hawaii birth certificate. That's a good way for the celebrity billionaire to sound like he's making a serious run for the Republican presidential nomination, which he says he is considering. It also makes him sound like a secret agent for the Democrats.

Sharing pigskin memories

One spring evening 50 years ago, Buddy Small hit a baseball that his friends and teammates can vividly recall. This home run is a standalone legend. Against Columbia High, at the old Legion Field next to Zemp Stadium, Buddy turned a fast ball into a towering drive that either brushed or cleared the lights in left field. Anything traveling that high and fast should have a stewardess handing out peanuts and Cokes.

Filling in the blanks

WASHINGTON -- In his speech last Monday night to a public thoroughly, and understandably, befuddled about U.S. policy in Libya, President Obama began to fill in some important blanks. The White House would dispute this assessment, but Obama's remarks came unfortunately late. Rallying the public behind "kinetic military action," my favorite new phrase, requires explanations sooner rather than later. This is especially true when it is a kinetic action of choice, not necessity; in ...

Vanilla cities, chocolate suburbs

So you think we Americans know ourselves? New census numbers reveal that a lot of our 20th century racial and ethnic assumptions are overdue for an overhaul.

The path is different for everyone

If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I felt older or younger than I was at the time, I would have definitely said that I felt older. I mean, really, what 15-year-old doesn't think that she or he knows everything?

When it's dark enough you can see the stars

I could tell by my husband's face the news wasn't good. It was a scenario my doctor and I had not discussed. Prior to my surgery, I had only imagined a positive outcome. In fact, I wanted the procedure on my knee done as soon as possible. I thought, "Great. I'll be running again in about three weeks. That's good for me." Then, BAMM! (Funny how life can do that and so quickly!) It ...

Snakes to be released into Wateree

I've covered news for nearly four decades in Kershaw County yet I've never been as shocked as I was upon learning yesterday that the S.C. Department of Wildlife will release more than 10,000 deadly cotton-mouth moccasins into Lake Wateree later this summer.

Buckley's image of Torres up for auction

If you read Chronicle-Independent sports editor Tom Didato's report last week about the various events and fundraisers in Kershaw County for jockey Jorge Torres, it's clear there is widespread compassion and support for the young man whose fate remains hazy.

Snow-White and Rose-Red

NEW YORK -- It would be hard to find two more compelling, formidable women in American public life than South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and fellow South Carolinian and philanthropist Darla Moore.

A needle in a 60-year-old haystack

For many years on an almost daily basis I have visited the South Caroliniana Library to do research. A few months ago a library staff member inquired, "All right, Mr. Teal, what are you researching today?" I responded, "I'm looking for a 'needle in a haystack.'" That literally was true since I planned to scan four years of a newspaper to search for a single fact. Since that time the staff's ...

Two birthdays symbolic of life's mysteries

My birthday and my wife's happen to be only four days apart. Today is mine while hers was Thursday when I took the day off to celebrate by doing what all married couples with children do: run all over creation on errands and medical appointments. Oh, we did stop in at this great bagel place (yum) where we caught up with my mother and one of my sisters, but this ...

Obama's 'Goldilocks' doctrine

Americans can always be counted upon to do the right thing, Winston Churchill is said to have said, after exhausting all of the alternatives. In that spirit, President Obama intervened in Libya after taking his time in figuring out what the right thing is.

Hold the phone

I hate talking on the phone, probably much more than the average person. Sure, I don't mind making a phone call to interview someone while I'm at work. I'm a reporter, and talking on the telephone is a pretty important part of my job. Just don't expect me to call you to just chat after 5 p.m. during the work week or pretty much anytime during the weekend. Text me, email ...

ObamaCare: a grim prognosis

Ever heard a doctor talk about the value of "early detection" with certain medical conditions? The idea, of course, is to catch a disorder before it progresses too far, and serious symptoms start to show. That's when it's harder to cure.

Buckle up for safety, little lady

It's a different era when it comes to child rearing. When I was growing up -- back in the days, as we say -- kids knew what they'd get if they misbehaved, and most often it involved getting whacked on the rear end with a switch of some sort. Even schools allowed spanking back then, and the ultimate fear was being sent to the principal's office, where persistent rumor insisted there was ...

Fredericksburg Township explored

Our grand city of Camden is a beautifully preserved town laid out in an 18th century plan devised by Joseph Kershaw. We are proud of our historic homes and buildings, carefully placed public parks, wide streets, and beautiful trees. So it is easy to forget that this was not the original plan for the "town" that was to develop in this area of South Carolina. The original plan was a part of the "Township ...

What was the IRS thinking?

Well, this is a fine mess.

Are we willing to pay for increased public safety?

Kershaw County public safety is at a crossroads. The sheriff's office is greatly understaffed and deputies are compensated for their mandatory overtime work by an antiquated and grossly unfair payment system. The solicitor's office is working with half the staff it needs to properly prosecute the cases it receives every month and the jail is barely able to keep sufficient staff to meet state standards. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: ...

Benghazi redacted

Gatsby? What Gatsby?

Another view of Plan B

In "Getting it wrong about Plan B," Ruth Marcus ends her column by stating that the debate over the proposed Plan B policy "isn't about the government coming between parents and children or society condoning teen sex. It's about preventing teen pregnancy."

Are you (fill in the blank) enough?

WASHINGTON -- Enough with this "enough" business.

Reflecting on 100 years of success

KershawHealth recently completed a week of celebration commemorating the opening of the Camden Hospital in 1913 and a century of outstanding care. One of the things that struck me during those activities was the incredible amount of community support the hospital has always enjoyed, and the amazing things that strategic thinking and teamwork can accomplish.

What Sanford win says about S.C.

Somehow, the man who walked the Appalachian Trail all the way to Argentina to see his mistress got elected to Congress last Tuesday in a voting outcome that almost defies belief.