Tag: Supporter

COLUMBIA — When Sam Fogle returned from Iraq after getting hit by a roadside bomb, he suffered from severe brain injuries and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. He said it could do the same for many veterans like him. “I love my state,” Fogle testified Thursday about the Statehouse’s medical marijuana effort. “I don’t want to move out of my state to get the choices others have.” Then there’s Mark Keel, the chief of South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Division. A longtime opponent of legalizing medical marijuana, Keel said he continues to believe that legalizing medical marijuana could lead to a spike in traffic fatalities and other dangerous outcomes, and he said S.C. should maintain its historic independent streak by declining to follow dozens of other states that have legalized medicinal use of the drug. “South Carolina doesn’t have to be like the other 33 states that’s decided to go down that road and conduct social experiments on their citizens,” Keel said. “If you vote yes for this bill... be prepared to open a Pandora’s box of unintended consequences.” The disagreements, reiterated many times in different forms over hours of public testimony Thursday to the Senate’s Medical Affairs Committee, highlighted the ongoing stalemate over whether South Carolina should become the latest state to allow for medical use of cannabis to treat chronic pain, epilepsy and other debilitating conditions. With little to no chance of passing this year, supporters hope the ongoing pressure on the issue can help build momentum heading into the second year of the legislative session in 2020. Many of those who testified have already pleaded with the committee to rule one way or another for years. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, suggested that a continued “wait and see” approach to the chance of federal Food and Drug Administration approval may no longer be tenable.

Andrew Harnik/AP/REX/Shutterstock During the 2016 elections, many Hillary Clinton supporters felt harassed by supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sanders is trying to get in front of that before the 2020 race heats up by sending an email urging his fans to “engage respectfully” with his Democratic opponents. “As we engage with our opponents in the Democratic primary, we will forcefully present our views and defend ourselves against misrepresentations,” Sanders wrote. I want to be clear that I condemn bullying and harassment of any kind and in any space.” Sanders emphasized that he plans to take the opposite tact to President Donald Trump, who revels in name-calling and specious attacks. “The president we are running against is a pathological liar, a racist, a xenophobe, a sexist, a bully and a religious bigot. His goal is to win political points by dividing up the American people. That is why we need to do exactly the opposite?brings our people together. But his supporters did not heed his calls and the convention was interrupted numerous times by followers of Sanders, at times booing at Clinton delegates and chanting “Bernie.” In his email about 2020, Sanders emphasized that only a united front will have a chance to beat Trump. To do so, we will ultimately have to unite with those who today are our opponents for the Democratic nomination. We won’t always agree with them, but I expect those who speak on behalf of my campaign to always engage respectfully. I am committed to making this nominating process a fair, issues-focused campaign and am asking you for the same,” he concluded.

As Tim Allen gears up to debut “Last Man Standing” Season 7 on a new network, questions about his personal politics have come front and center. In a recent interview, after months of vague political questions, the star clarified his stance on President Trump. “Politically I’m kind of an anarchist if you see my stand-up. I’m for responsible government that actually does what we pay them to do,” the 65-year-old star said. “I’ve worked different jobs and I’ve had a colorful past and I pay a lot in taxes. Whatever political party is for more responsible use of our money — that’s all I meant.” Despite never officially endorsing Donald Trump, many of Allen’s detractors label him as a staunch supporter. My perception is 'let’s see what he gets done.' Let’s stop banging on the pilot’s door and trying to pull the guy out of his seat while he’s still flying. There’s this smoke and smelly food but over here he just fixed a pothole.” Allen went on to stress that despite how politicized a show like “Last Man Standing” has become in a post-”Roseanne” TV climate, those tuning into Season 7 on Fox will not be viewing a show about politics. "Last Man Standing" premieres Sept. 28 on Fox.

A supporter of President Trump claims that Mike Ness, lead singer of the rock band Social Distortion, spat on him and repeatedly punched him in the head after he protested Ness's criticism of the president at a concert. “I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs.” “I pretty much said, 'I paid for your music, not your politics.' I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs.” - Tim Hildebrand, supporter of President Trump But Ness didn’t seem to take kindly to Hildebrand’s nonverbal expression. Cellphone video appears to show the lead singer motioning toward a fan in the crowd, before removing his guitar and jumping off stage. Hildebrand, a Republican, said Ness took “his guitar off, jumps off the stage and proceeds to punch me multiple times in the head.” He told the station that the singer spat in his face and that the two argued before Ness attacked him, resulting in two black eyes, a busted lip and a concussion. “I wasn’t able to defend myself because people in the crowd were holding me back,” he said. Sacramento police said they were investigating the incident, the station reported. Hildebrand told the New York Times that he wasn’t the only fan to express displeasure with Ness’ political statements during the concert, as others walked out and yelled expletives toward the stage. Benjamin Brown is a reporter for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @bdbrown473.

On Friday afternoon, Taylor Swift published an Instagram post that took many people by surprise: A logo for this weekend’s “March for Our Lives,” the student-led rally urging Congress to take action on gun control and stop mass shootings. “No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship,” the pop superstar wrote in the caption. “I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform. But Swift’s statement is significant, simply because she’s one of the most powerful celebrities on the planet, with many millions of followers – and typically, she avoids saying or doing anything remotely political. Last January, Swift’s tweet about the Women’s March (“So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I’m proud to be a woman today, and every day.”) also became controversial; many criticized her for not attending the event, even though she uses feminism to promote her brand. Swift has made a concerted effort over the past two years to stay out of the public eye, so when she does break her silence on a topic, it’s clear that she really wants people to pay attention.