About MikeHello, my name is Michael Cone and I am seeking the South Carolina Democratic Party's nomination to run for the United States Senate against Lindsey Graham on November 4, 2008.
I am a lifelong resident of South Carolina. I was born in Charleston at the Old Naval Hospital on the grounds of the Charleston Naval Base on October 7, 1969 to Joseph S. Cone, LCDR, USN (ret.) and the former Elizabeth H. Wallace. My parents raised me and my younger brother in Mount Pleasant. I attended public school in Mount Pleasant graduating from Wando High School in 1987, where I lettered in varsity soccer. I attended The Citadel on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Upon graduation in 1991, I was commissioned in the Navy and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet in San Diego, California. After the Navy I returned home to South Carolina where I studied Accounting at the College of Charleston and then law at the University of South Carolina. Upon graduating from law school in 2000, I went to work as law clerk for the Honorable Paul E. Short, Jr., a circuit court judge at the time. After a year of education from behind the bench, I entered private practice and have been serving the people of South Carolina ever since. I am a lifelong Democrat, a yellow dog Democrat. My grandfather on my mother's side was the Honorable O. T. Wallace, a former Clerk-of-Court, State Senator, and Master-in-Equity from Charleston County. He was called Mr. Democrat. My uncle, Dr. Charles Wallace, Sr., was a long time member of the Charleston County council. My uncle Bob Wallace is a former solicitor for Charleston County. So I am not new to or unfamiliar with politics. I believe that all people are born equal, endowed by God with certain unalienable rights, and those rights are limited only to the extent that they would interfere with the equal rights of others. This is the first and most fundamental of American values. I believe that the sovereign power of the United States rests in the hands of its people, and that the people create our government to exercise those sovereign powers through representatives in three separate but equal branches of government. The guiding light for interpreting the Constitution is the language of the document itself, beginning with the Preamble. More fundamental American values are enshrined in the Amendments to the Constitution but they are by no means the extent of God's Gift of unalienable rights nor the American values reflecting those rights. I believe in the innate goodness of America and its people. Together we are capable of doing great good, lifting all of mankind. That does not mean we do not have flaws, for nothing of man is perfect. We do not need to hide from or deny our flaws, but recognize them and mark them so that we may avoid them in the future. I recognize that this wonderful country we have built is a beacon of hope for desperate souls yearning for freedom. I also recognize that the greatness of this country depends upon our mutual respect for the laws of this country which allow us to live free and prosperous along side of our fellow citizens. Those wishing to join us must respect our laws that allow us to achieve our greatness; however, we should not be completely intolerant and blind to the needs of our fellow citizens of the world. I believe inequality will permeate our society for so long as opportunity remains unequal. It is the people's responsibility, in light of the American values we all share, to work together to ensure that all children have access to the same opportunities no matter the circumstances of their birth and to provide assistance to those in need. However, as Americans, we need not concern ourselves with nor judge the activities of our neighbors. Telephone: 843-849-5593 Email: mike@mjcone.com Mail: 890 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Bldg 2 Ste C Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 |