I realize that the Republican citizens of South Carolina have only four choices today, so results have to be counted as “of these four, which do you like?” rather than “who’s your ideal Presidential candidate?” If I were one of them I’d abstain. None of the guys running seems to have the best interests of the country as I define them in mind at all. I think we should be concerned about unemployed Americans; Gingrich wants to fire more of them and replace with them with schoolkids. Mitt “Corporations are people too” seems to want to give companies the franchise. Santorum wants to turn the clock back to the 17th century, or at the least back to before women got the right to vote. Ron Paul wants to go back on the gold standard.

Meanwhile, the state that’s holding the primary wants to force unemployed people to take drug tests and then, if they haven’t found work in five months, take volunteer jobs to help local municipalities whose budgets have been cut due to lack of support from the state.

A Senate panel advanced bills Tuesday that would require people laid off in South Carolina to pass a drug test to receive unemployment benefits, then volunteer 16 hours weekly with a charity or public agency to keep receiving a check.

Though the panel heard testimony that both proposals would likely conflict with federal law, its chairman, Sen. Kevin Bryant, said afterward that doesn’t matter.

“It’s time to start pushing back,” said Bryant, R-Anderson. “I can’t base how I vote on a bill on what some activist, liberal judge is going to do.”

Why didn’t we just let South Carolina secede and be done with it back in 1861?