SWATZEL: GEORGETOWN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FAILING

By Scott Harper
The Georgetown Times- April 7, 2010

GEORGETOWN, S.C. — A key Republican leader says the county school district is failing to provide adequate financial information on its Web site and needs to be more open with taxpayers.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Ray Cleary says he “dropped the ball” when voting in favor of a controversial State House bill that would allow the school board to use borrowed construction money for operating expenses.

“I am at fault and it will not happen again,” Cleary said.

Easier access

The key Republican, Tom Swatzel, Georgetown County GOP chairman — on behalf of the party — sent a letter to School Board Chairman Jim Dumm seeking easier access to the district's budget, expenditures and board meeting information via the school district's Web site.

"In investigating why school board members believe they should be above the law against deficit spending found in our state constitution, we found that they don't post on their Web site even the most basic financial information for public scrutiny — a complete school district budget, an annual financial statement and audit, or even an online check register," Swatzel said.

"Taxpayers are entitled to easier, faster, and more complete access to this important budget information, especially when board members and Reps. Miller and Anderson are trying to do an end run around the state constitution's prohibition on deficit spending by any unit of government in South Carolina.”

Swatzel said the board currently posts online “a partial district budget that's misleading in that federal revenues, capital expenditures, fund balances, and debt service are missing from the document.”

He also said the district — like the City of Georgetown — should post an online check register “so the public can scrutinize in detail how the school district spends money each month.”

Swatzel also asked the board to post online prior to a board meeting all decision documents that will be used for that meeting.

"It's only fair that the public be given the same opportunity as board members to review these materials prior to a meeting," Swatzel said.

More documentation

Dumm said Tuesday he would also like to see more of the documentation mentioned by Swatzel online.

“I have no problem with any of that,” Dumm said, adding he plans to speak with Superintendent Dr. Randy Dozier next week about how difficult it will be to add the information to the Web site.

The school board is the only local government body to televise its monthly meetings. Swatzel said that is good but “that's not a substitute for providing taxpayers with online access to basic school district financial information.”

OK’d without reading

In voting for the controversial state House bill, Cleary, a Republican, admitted Tuesday he OK'd the bill - sponsored by Rep. Vida Miller and supported by Rep. Carl Anderson — both Democrats — without reading the document.

The senator from Murrells Inlet, a practicing dentist, said it was on a Thursday afternoon when Sen. Yancey McGill approached him with the bill.

Cleary said he thought the bill was giving the school board permission to keep a sizable amount of money in reserves.

He was about to leave to attend a class that is required to keep his dentist license when he was presented with the bill.

“I believe in Home Rule and I have no problem with school boards keeping reserves, if that is the board's decision,” Cleary said in explaining why he agreed to the bill.

When he returned home three days later and read a news article about the bill, he realized it wasn't about money in reserves, it was about the use of borrowed money to pay salaries and other expenses.

“I didn't read the bill. I need to be whipped. I beg forgiveness,” Cleary said.

He said he is opposed to using borrowed money in the general fund. For one reason, he said, it could hurt the district when it attempts to get loans in the future.

According to Miller and Dumm, the bill was the idea of four board members who discussed the measure with Miller and Anderson during a visit to Columbia last month.

Cleary said he also “has heartburn” with the fact the matter was not discussed and approved by the full school board, just the four who made the trip to Columbia.

The bill is now awaiting action by Gov. Mark Sanford.

“I am 99 percent sure he will veto it,” Cleary said.

If Miller and Anderson vote to override the veto, Cleary said he will vote to uphold the governor's decision.

“I want the school board to take a formal vote on this,” Cleary said. Otherwise, he will not agree to overriding a veto and the bill will die.

Dumm said last week the way Republicans have characterized the bill makes it sound as if the district is about to borrow new funds to make ends meet.

He explained the money will always be left over construction funds after a project is complete. There are times, he said, when a project is completed for less than the amount anticipated.

It would be that money that would be used in the general fund, he said, not new borrowed money.

Some have asked if this new funding method would tempt future board members to “pad” project costs so there will be a balance to draw from once a project is complete.

Dumm said that cannot happen because all the projects are placed up for bids and the bid documents are public information.

Vote boosts SC and Georgetown County GOP outlook

As this article from The State newspaper shows, Republican voters turned out in numbers that overwhelmed the Democrat turnout for last week's primary elections- again documenting the strength of the GOP with voters in South Carolina.

In Georgetown County the GOP attracted the overwhelming majority of primary voters with the appeal of the party's conservative platform of lower taxes and limited government- almost 60% of the primary voters in the county voted Republican.

And for the first time in history the Republicans captured a majority on County Council with Austin Beard's impressive victory in the County Council District- 5 special election on June 10th.

The State- Sunday, June 15, 2008
Vote boosts S.C. GOP outlook

By Wayne Washington

S.C. Republicans say turnout in Tuesday's primary shows party's hold on the state

Democrats, excited about the high turnout in their presidential primary earlier this year, are hoping South Carolina can be put into play in November's general election.

But if Tuesday's primary results are any indication, the Palmetto State is as red as ever.

On a hot day when the state's senior U.S. senator, Lindsey Graham, and three U.S. House members all faced primary challenges, Republicans swamped Democrats at the polls.

Graham and his opponent, retired dentist Buddy Witherspoon, got a combined 278,625 votes - almost twice the number of votes two Democrats on the ballot received.

In the U.S. House races, Republican candidates combined to out-poll their Democratic counterparts by even more gaping margins.

Republicans were quick to see the results as a testament to their hold on the state.

"Republican candidates won primary elections ... by staying true to the principles of our party, limited government, lower taxes and traditional values," said S.C. Republican Party chairman Katon Dawson. "Even with the excitement surrounding the Democratic presidential primary, Republicans in South Carolina have out-recruited the Democrats, out-fundraised the Democrats, and we will out-work the Democrats this fall."

Dawson even took a shot at the presumptive Democratic nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who won the primary here in January.

"Democrats nominated candidates for office in South Carolina up and down the ballot who are long on rhetoric and short on substance, just like their presidential nominee, Barack Obama, the most liberal member of the United States Senate," Dawson said.

Dawson's remarks indicate Republicans believe Obama will not be a boon to other Democrats on the ballot this fall and could actually be a drag on their prospects. That's precisely what state Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, predicted when he chose to support U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in the presidential primary.

But other Democrats and political experts believe McCain will have to compete to win South Carolina this fall.

They cite the current environment, where gas prices are painfully high, the nation's most visible Republican, President Bush, is unpopular and the economy is troubled.

And then there is the excitement Obama's campaign generated here earlier this year when he spoke to large, overflow crowds at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and at Williams-Brice Stadium and spurred the registration of thousands of new voters.

The excitement of January has not waned.

"I'm getting people knocking on our door, looking to go to work for Obama," said Carol Fowler, chairwoman of the S.C. Democratic Party. "If Obama never comes east of the Mississippi River, we will have a strong Obama campaign here."

Republican presidential candidates have had little trouble carrying South Carolina.

Jimmy Carter, from neighboring Georgia, was the last Democrat to win the state, in 1976.

For seven straight presidential elections, Republicans have been able to assume victory in South Carolina and focus their time and resources in other, more competitive states.

But Blease Graham, political science professor at USC, believes McCain won't have that luxury this fall. He, like Fowler, believes the large gaps in voting between Republicans and Democrats in last week's primary are more of a reflection of what was at stake.

"As much as anything, it shows the distinction between a presidential office and a state office," Graham said. "It's entirely possible that Obama will do better."

Fowler, an Obama supporter, said putting those excited new supporters to work registering new voters will be key. That new voters did not come out to support other candidates in the primary does not mean they won't flood the polls for Obama this fall.

"People don't go out and vote just because it's election day," Fowler said. "They vote because they know of a candidate or they know of a particular issue."

Obama, unlike past Democratic nominees, is expected to have far more money to spend than his Republican rival.

That money can be used on advertising and on campaign staffers, even in states where he merely wants to force McCain to use his own, more limited, resources.

"There is the potential for Obama to mount a 50-state campaign," Graham said. "If there is enough excitement, it could drain the resources (of McCain), and it could make the race here competitive."

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, the Springdale Republican who crushed his primary opponent Tuesday while receiving almost twice as many votes as his opponents combined, said McCain and Graham will be a buoy to GOP office-seekers this fall.

"I look forward to being on the ticket with Lindsey Graham, and I also believe Sen. McCain will be very strong in this state," Wilson said.

Graham said he also believes McCain will have success in South Carolina his fall but that all won't be lost for Democrats.

"I just have a feeling that McCain will probably win this state, but it will be closer than it's been in recent years and there will be a lot of enthusiasm for Democrats," he said.

Sanford Needs Kelso, says GOP Chairman

County GOP News
April 28, 2008

The article below from last week's Pawleys Island Coastal Observer highlights liberal Democrat Vida Miller's extremely poor record of supporting Governor Mark Sanford's ongoing efforts to cut wasteful spending from the state budget- a budget that has grown a whopping 41% over the last three years.

The South Carolina Club for Growth, "a group of citizens dedicated to expanding the prosperity of working families through the Reagan Doctrine of lower taxes, smaller government and strong free enterprise," compiled a "Lard List" of the 50 most egregious "pork" projects contained within the 2007 state budget.

Vida Miller supported all 50 of the pork barrel projects, giving her according to the Club for Growth, "the worst record in the House."

Click here to see an overview of the Lard List spending projects.

The Club for Growth also does annual voting scorecards for House and Senate members. With 100 being the top score, Miller earned only a 7.61 ("F") in 2005-2006 and just a 3 ("F") in 2007.

Click here to see House and Senate members' voting records in support of Governor Sanford's budget vetoes and their scorecards.


Politics: District 108
Sanford Needs Kelso, says GOP Chairman

By Charles Swenson
Coastal Observer- April 24, 2008

Electing a Republican in House District 108 will give the party control over key appointments to local boards and provide another vote to help Gov. Mark Sanford's efforts to cut government spending, the chairman of the Georgetown County GOP told party members this week.

"It's a really important race," the chairman, Tom Swatzel, said.

Jill Kelso of Murrells Inlet is running to replace the incumbent Democrat, Vida Miller.

Miller chairs the county's state legislative delegation, which includes Republicans Sen. Ray Cleary and two Democrats, Sen. Yancey McGill of Kingstree and Rep. Carl Anderson of Georgetown.

If elected, "Jill and Sen. Cleary would control the delegation because of weighted voting. We would have control over these appointments," Swatzel said.

The delegation nominates members of the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District board and appoints members of the County Transportation Committee and Election Commission, among others.

"Everything we can do here is controlled by the General Assembly," Swatzel, a former County Council member, said.

He told party members he wants to get more information out about Miller's voting record on state spending. He cited figures compiled by the S.C. Club for Growth, a group that supports tax cuts and spending cuts, that show Miller rarely votes to sustain Sanford's budget vetoes.

"We need to give him some help up there," Swatzel said. "Vida Miller is not helping. Admittedly some of our Republicans are not helping."

Of 407 vetoes between 2004 and 2007, Miller only voted to sustain eight, according to Swatzel. She earned an F on the Club of Growth's legislative scorecard last year. So did 71 of the other 124 members of the House. Of the 46 members of the Senate, 32 received F's on the club's scorecard, including Cleary, who is unopposed for a second term.

Miller, reached by phone in Columbia, said the estimate of her votes sounded accurate, and that most of Sanford's vetoes are overturned.

"I vote with the Republican Party," Miller said. "The governor does not have the support of his party to sustain the vetoes."

That's at odds with the support Sanford, a former congressman from the 1st District, has on Waccamaw Neck. He won 70 percent of the vote in 2006, Swatzel said.

"If you support Mark Sanford, you've got to support Jill Kelso," Swatzel told party members.

He drew chuckles from the audience as he read from the list of items that Sanford has vetoed, like a pottery degree program at Piedmont Technical College, a museum in Florence, cultural centers and several festivals. Actually, the festivals were funded through a $35.3 million competitive grants program that the governor opposes, Swatzel said.

He cited earmarks in the appropriations bill that passed the House this year: $1.5 million for the Center for Ethical Leadership in Spartanburg, $850,000 for a fishing tournament in Greenville, and $500,000 to "dredge mud from a lake."

All three were sponsored by GOP House members, according to legislative records. The bass tournament funds were added to the budget by the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

The "mud" in the lake is silt that has formed around the intake for the water supply for the city of Laurens.

"These are specific projects that our constituents have asked us to support," Miller said.

She pointed out that she has voted to override vetoes of funding for the Waccamaw Higher Education Center of Coastal Carolina University in Litchfield, beach renourishment, and the McClellanville Arts Council.

To sustain the vetoes "I think is contrary to what your constituents want you to do," Miller said.

But Swatzel said local Republicans need to stand up for fiscal responsibility. "We need to work hard to change this if we believe in lower taxes and limited spending," he said.

Kelso said afterward that "Gov. Sanford's in the right arena as far as limiting spending."

She believes the support he won from area voters is a mandate to do that.

But Kelso said she can't commit to supporting every budget item Sanford vetoes. Of the Waccamaw Higher Education Center, she noted, "Coastal Carolina always gets the short end of the stick."

Kelso said she would like more attention paid to putting a satellite campus of the university in Georgetown County.

Swatzel says Republicans have shot at winning

By Scott Harper
Georgtown Times- April, 4, 2008

Firing up the female Republican base -- that was the goal of Georgetown County Republican Party Chairman Tom Swatzel when he spoke to the Georgetown County Republican Club at a luncheon in Litchfield Thursday.

"We need more help at the precinct level," Swatzel said, encouraging the two dozen women in attendance to volunteer to help the GOP candidates this year.

"Walk through your neighborhoods and introduce (the candidates) to your neighbors," Swatzel suggested. "Write letters to the editors about how you think things should be. We need to get our message out."

Swatzel reminded the gathering the Republicans will have a primary on June 10 in the Georgetown County Sheriff's race between incumbent Lane Cribb and newcomer Jay High. There also will be a primary for the House of Representatives District 1 between incumbent Henry Brown and newcomers Katherine Jenerette and Paul Norris.

Republican Lindsey Graham faces Buddy Witherspoon on the June 10 GOP Primary ballot.

Swatzel said the Georgetown County Council special election for District 5 is important because this could be the year that Republicans gain a majority of council seats.

He said he feels Republicans "have a good shot" of winning that seat that has been held by Democrat Sel Hemingway who had to resign when he was hired as the new county administrator.

Swatzel also took a few minutes to talk about the importance of helping Jill Kelso defeat Democrat Vida Miller for the S.C. House 108 Seat.

"Right now there are three Democrats and one Republican on the local Legislative Delegation. They make a lot of decisions and appointments to boards and commissions. It's important that we get Sen. Ray Cleary some help on the Delegation," Swatzel said.

He said Kelso, unlike Miller, will vote to uphold Gov. Mark Sanford's vetoes on wasteful budget items.

He said Sanford is very popular on the Waccamaw Neck where he received 70-percent of the vote in 2006.

"He is very good at going through the budget and looking for wasteful spending and I say good for him," Swatzel said. "Vida Miller hurts Mark Sanford because her voting record of upholding his vetoes is zero. We need to help Governor Sanford by electing Jill Kelso."

Swatzel also repeated his disappointment that the Georgetown County School Board elections will now be nonpartisan.

He said he was surprised the Georgetown County Democratic Party did not join the local GOP in calling for the elections to remain partisan.

"This leads me to conclude that they do not feel they are relevant in this election. I know we are relevant and we will make a difference," Swatzel said.

GOP Repeats Call for Partisan School Board Election

By Scott Harper- Georgetown Times, March 12, 2008

As they did during last week’s school board meeting, the Georgetown County Republican Party is once again urging the Justice Department and Legislative Delegation to keep the elections partisan.

Now, County Republican Party Chairman Tom Swatzel is asking Jamie Sanderson, the county’s Democratic Party chairman, to join him in this request.

The Georgetown County School Board passed a resolution last week calling for board elections to go from partisan, at-large contests to nonpartisan, district elections using the same boundaries as Georgetown County Council. Under this plan – which must be approved by the Justice Department and the Legislative Delegation – two board members would still be elected at large.

Swatzel, in a press release, said he sent a letter to Sanderson “taking the Democrats to task for their ‘silence’” concerning the proposed change to nonpartisan elections.

"While the county Republican Party has both written a letter to the county legislative delegation, which was released to the media, and had a spokesman appear before the school board to publicly voice our opposition to nonpartisan elections, the Democrat Party has simply done nothing," Swatzel wrote. "I respectfully call on the county Democrat Party to stand with the Republican Party in our support for higher voter turnout, particularly for low income and minority voters, and for helping candidates of lesser means run for office, by publicly opposing nonpartisan county school board elections before it is too late," he said.

Swatzel says national studies indicate nonpartisan local elections tend to result in lower voter turnout, particularly among low income voters. He also said nonpartisan favor affluent candidates who have access to financial resources to fund.

Swatzel notes this has been tried before. In 1994, the Justice Department opposed legislation for the District to change to nonpartisan elections. That decision was made by the Justice Department, Swatzel said, “because of its potential detrimental effect on minority voters.”

So far, the Georgetown Times has not received a response from the Democratic Party.

County GOP News- February 11, 2008

The following opinion piece by South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson was posted yesterday on The Palmetto Scoop website.

Chairman Dawson does an excellent job of drawing a bright line as to the important fundamental differences between what SC Republicans stand for versus the SC Democrats, and reminding Republicans that "If we continue to hold fast to our principles - limited government, lower taxes and traditional values - we win."


Differences matter: Why South Carolina Republicans will be successful in 2008

By Katon Dawson

It has truly been an honor to serve as Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party for the last six years. We have held steadfast to time-honored ideals, and we have worked tirelessly to elect leaders who have used these ideals as positive governing principles. The South Carolina Republican Party has been successful - and will be even more successful this year - because we are unabashedly conservative.

Our Party platform starkly contrasts the platform of the South Carolina Democrat Party on every issue that is important to the voters in our state.

We have unapologetically defended the traditional values our country was founded on. We have affirmed our state Party platform's unequivocal position that life is the first inalienable right, and all human life, born and unborn, has intrinsic worth. We "believe that the unborn and the newborn child have a fundamental right to life which must not be infringed." (Page 6, SCGOP Platform) By contrast, Democrats passed a resolution supporting "a woman's right to reproductive choice and the freedom to make decisions concerning her health." (2007 SCDP State Convention Resolution #32) We have worked hard to successfully elect two South Carolina Republicans to the U.S. Senate for the first time since Reconstruction - U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint. They have teamed up with President George W. Bush to appoint and confirm conservative judges to the bench and stand firmly against the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion.

We have strengthened our families and communities by voting overwhelmingly in 2006 to prohibit same sex marriage. Conservatives led that fight by working hard to accomplish that goal.

Democrats continue to justify the excesses of big-government in Washington and Columbia even though voters have clearly taken a stand against this corrupt status quo. South Carolina Democrats are on the record in support of surplus state revenue being spent on government programs before it's returned to the taxpayers. (2007 SCDP State Convention Resolution #4, www.scdp.org/actioncenter)

But we are proud of Governor Mark Sanford and our Republican legislative leadership in Columbia who embody our state Party platform that calls for "sound fiscal management that provides effective and efficient government with a minimum amount of taxation." (Page 13, SCGOP Platform) They continue to fight for limited government that is a responsible steward of our tax dollars - slashing income taxes and property taxes and eliminating the sales tax on groceries. We are going to fight hard to elect a Republican to the White House in 2008 who will work with our South Carolina Republicans in Congress to make the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent because the meaningful relief delivered to millions of hardworking South Carolinians strengthened our economy.

Our conservative Republican leaders have also fought Democrats to make South Carolina business friendly and prosperous. The South Carolina Republican Party actively engaged the General Assembly on two of the most significant business issues in recent years: tort reform and workers' compensation reform. The Party spent financial resources and political capital to help get these important reforms passed, which had been blocked by Democrat state senators. Additionally, South Carolina Republicans "strongly support private property rights and just compensation" for property owners if government takes their land. (Page 6, SCGOP Platform) Meanwhile, South Carolina Democrats passed a resolution opposing fair and reasonable compensation for property owners if government takes their land. (2007 SCDP State Convention Resolution #19, www.scdp.org/actioncenter)

Most importantly, we have embraced the challenge of defending our very way of life in a battle with radical Islamic extremists who would kill every one of us. Since September 12, 2001, there has not been a terrorist attack on American soil. We have remained safe at home thanks to the decisive conservative leadership of our Republican officeholders using the resources of our military, intelligence services and law enforcement to capture and kill terrorists around the world.

These Republican leaders know that our freedom is at stake and reject the cynical politicization of the War on Terror by Democrats like Jim Clyburn who has said Democrats win if America loses in Iraq. Winning the war on terror may be politically inconvenient for Jim Clyburn, but losing the war on terror is incomprehensible for those who fight and die defending freedom.

If we continue to hold fast to our principles - limited government, lower taxes and traditional values - we win. We not only win the support of our fellow Republicans; we win the support of independents and reasonable Democrats.

Republicans across the country sure could learn a lesson from South Carolina.

Katon Dawson is the Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.He was first elected in 2002 and is the fifth longest-serving state chairman in the nation.

_________________

The issue of changing the Georgetown County school board elections from partisan to nonpartisan has recently come up.

Numerous national studies have shown that nonpartisan local elections tend to result in lower voter turnout, particularly among low income voters, than partisan elections, and favor affluent candidates, who have access to financial resources to fund campaigns in the absence of political party assistance and support.

A recent Newsweek article by Sharon Begely discusses how voters make decisions on which candidate to support and highlights the importance of political parties in the decision making process with the following statement:

"The fact that people have what is euphemistically called cognitive-processing limitations-most cannot or will not learn about and remember candidates' records or positions-means voters must substitute something else for that missing knowledge. What that something is has become a heated topic among scientists who study decision-making, and, of course, campaign strategists and pollsters. Some answers are clear, however. In general elections, a large fraction of voters use political party as that substitute, says psychologist Drew Westen of Emory University; some 60 percent typically choose a candidate solely or largely by party affiliation."

The Georgetown County Republican Party is opposed to nonpartisan county school board elections.

Republican Clubs Hold Rally

From the Georgetown Times- January 18, 2008
By Clayton Stairs

If you are undecided about which candidate to support for the upcoming “Grand Old Party” (GOP) primary election on Saturday, you are not alone.

More than 200 local Republicans packed the Tara Theatre at the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort Wednesday evening at the Grand Strand Presidential Primary Rally, many to receive some last minute guidance during the event. It was organized by the Waccamaw Neck Republican Club (WNRC) and the South Strand Republican Club.

Surrogates spoke on behalf of six of the seven GOP presidential hopefuls: Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain. Unfortunately, former S.C. Governor David Beasley, who was scheduled to speak on behalf of Mike Huckabee, was unable to attend.

“No matter which candidate you support, you and I have to make a decision on Saturday,” said WNRC President Jim Jerow of Litchfield during the meeting. “Saying you support one candidate or another doesn’t mean a thing until you vote.”

Howard Ward of Pawleys Island, who is vice-chair of the WNRC and treasurer with the Georgetown County Republican Party, agrees. He says that he is encouraging everyone he knows to vote.

“I am even going to pick up some people on Saturday morning and take them to the polls,” Ward said. “I want everybody to get out there and vote.” He says all of the candidates have “great leadership abilities.”

“We’ve got the best slate of Republican candidates we’ve ever had and there are enough variations to step up and make a decision,” Ward said. “It is important to voice your opinion on these candidates. The worst thing is to complain about who won when you had a chance to vote and you didn’t.”

Each of the surrogates for the six candidates running for the Republican ticket made good points to consider for those who are still undecided.

Ron Paul
Chris Panos, a political consultant who worked with the staff of President Ronald Reagan and worked on 31 successful campaigns, spoke for Ron Paul. He stated that illegal immigration is one of the biggest topics of concern for Paul.

“We are being invaded and no one is doing anything about it,” Panos said. “These people are taxing our schools, our hospitals and our services. We can’t tiptoe through the tulips.”

He also pointed out that Paul has received more money from the U.S. military than any other candidate running for president.

“I think it is interesting that the military is backing Ron Paul,” Panos said. “That is because he wants to bring the troops back. There is no reason for them to be over there when there are no troops on our borders.”

Paul will also work to eliminate the Federal Reserve, Panos said.

“We have a 14 percent inflation rate now,” he said. “We need to do away with the Federal Reserve and go back to a system based on precious metals.”

Mitt Romney
Susan Chapman of Conway, who is a veteran campaigner and has served as an outreach person for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), spoke on behalf of Mitt Romney during the event. She said as a mother, grandmother and business woman, Romney is the best choice for the highest office in the country.

“When you choose who you would like to be the next president, look at all of the candidates, their values and their thoughts on the issues,” Chapman said. “I believe Mitt Romney has the character and leadership abilities to make America safe at home and abroad.”

She said Romney believes in combating nuclear terrorism and reducing the spiraling cost of healthcare. Other issues she agrees with him on are taking care of illegal immigrants and repairing the national deficit.

“Mitt Romney has run a large business,” she said. “He founded Bane Capital and got many companies that were struggling back on track, including Staples, Dominos, Sealy, Brookstone and Sports Authority among others.”

Duncan Hunter
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier Gen. Terry L. Paul, who is with Cassidy and Associates in defense security in Washington, D.C., spoke for Duncan Hunter. A long-time friend of Hunter’s, Paul stated that Hunter feels that the focus of the issue of illegal immigration should be on containment.

“Duncan Hunter says that the first thing to do is stop the bleeding.” Paul said. “We need to build a fence to make good neighbors. It will be a double-walled fence 20 feet high.”
He said that the illegal immigrants coming across our borders are not just “people wanting to make a living.”

“It is hard to make something right if it started out wrong,” said Paul.
He also pointed out that Hunter served in Vietnam because he wanted to do the right thing, not because he was drafted.

“Duncan Hunter is a good man who is compassionate and is a sportsman,” Paul said. “Don’t take him out of the race because he doesn’t have a lot of money.”

Rudolph Giuliani
Randall Wallace, a Myrtle Beach City Councilman, spoke on behalf of Rudolph Giuliani. He stated that Giuliani has several commitments that he will tackle as president. These include providing access for quality education, preparation for a natural disaster, imposing responsibility in Washington, cut Washington spending, identify all non-citizens and keep the U.S. on the offensive in the War on Terror.

He reminded everyone attending that Giuliani inherited New York, a city that was crime-ridden and bankrupt, and he turned it around. He also handled the tragedy on Sept. 11 and displayed his leadership skills for the world to see.

“America has the wonderful ability to find the right man at the right time, like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan,” Wallace said. “Rudy Giuliani is what our country needs. The right man at the right time has stood up.”

Fred Thompson
Former Virginia Governor George Allen, who also served on both the House and Senate in the U.S. Congress and on the Virginia General Assembly, spoke for Fred Thompson. He says that he is an authentic, consistent conservative and a “100 percent pro-life voter.”

“Fred Thompson wants to reduce taxes and give the death penalty to the death tax,” Allen said.
He added that illegal immigration reform is a top priority for Thompson.

“He will veto any amnesty bill,” Allen said. “Fred Thompson has stood strong for high fences and wide gates. If you pay taxes and work for a living, I welcome you to choose Fred Thompson as the next president of the United States. Thank you for standing strong for freedom.”

John McCain
James Woolsey, former director of central intelligence and head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spoke on behalf of John McCain. He stated that he has known McCain for 30 years, ever since he heard of the man who would not give in to his captors in North Vietnam, even when he was being tortured.

“I met men who fought with him and they said they would follow him anywhere,” Woolsey said. “Every morning, (McCain) would make them drag him shouting and kicking all the way down the corridor to where he was being tortured. Then he would do the same thing as he was being brought back.”

He said McCain did that so the men in neighboring cells would know that he was being tortured, but he was not talking.

Now, Woolsey says, we are in a war again, a war against Islamic radicalism, which is fanaticism rooted in religion. Since we may be fighting this war for years and even decades to come, we need a leader like McCain to show us the bravery and dedication we need to succeed.

“We need a commander-in-chief who understands how to deal with that, how to fight a war for that period of time,” Woolsey said.

Reactions
Marshall Bryant of Litchfield, who attended the rally with his wife, Nina, says they were impressed with the caliber of the speakers, although they were a little disappointed none of the candidates appeared themselves.

“I really think sometimes it is easier to talk about someone else than to talk about themselves,” he said. “We recognize the demands on the candidates and we understand it was necessary for them to make a decision that didn’t include being with us.”

Joanne Quantz, who attended with her husband, Ted, says the speakers were very convincing.
“I learned a few things that I hadn’t known before,” she said. “It was a very worthwhile event.”

Maxine Tache of Pawleys Island agreed. She says that she is most concerned about the judges for the U.S. Supreme Court that the more liberal candidates might choose.

She is planning to vote Saturday and urges anyone else who is voting Republican to get out and vote.

“By all means, get out there and vote,” she said.

Leading Pro-Abortion Group Launches Hillary Clinton Efforts This Week

County GOP News
November 27, 2007

Emily's List, a pro-abortion PAC based in Washington, DC, was in the local news recently when it was revealed that Democrat Rep. Vida Miller- Pawleys Island, has been endorsed twice by and received campaign contributions from the group. The following article from LifeNews.com confirms that Emily's List is going all out to support Hillary Clinton for president.

Leading Pro-Abortion Group Launches Hillary Clinton Efforts This Week

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 19, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-abortion political group is set to launch its primary election efforts for pro-abortion New York Sen. Hillary Clinton this week. As LifeNews.com previously reported, Emily's List plans to spend the next two months organizing abortion advocates on her behalf.

The group will unveil a new web site this week and promote it online via ads on leading search engines and on web sites women view such as those on yoga or health issues.

Emily's List hopes women searching for Thanksgiving information -- putting in keywords such as "turkey," "champagne" or "eggnog" -- will see its Internet ads promoting Clinton.

The group says it's targeting women who are more interested in the goings-on in their own world than the political one.

"We are playing in Iowa as a pro-Hillary group," Emily's List spokeswoman Maren Hesla told Politico. "That is what our focus is on here."

The pro-abortion group and the Clinton campaign will both work over the course of the next few weeks to incorporate new voters into Iowa's caucus system, which saw 125,000 Iowans participate in 2004.

The group intended to weigh in on Super Tuesday -- the name for the slew of contests on February 5 in various primary states -- but the closeness of the Democratic campaign in Iowa and the compact primary schedule forced it to shift its attention to the Midwestern state.

Next month, the Clinton campaign hopes to visit more than 50,000 supporters or potential supporters to train them on the caucus and encourage them to attend and motivate others.

At the same time, Emily's List will start a round of phone calls and mailings on Clinton's behalf to target 125,000 women and double up on efforts the campaign organized.

"It will be substantial and you won't be able to escape it," Helsa previously said of the group's efforts.

Emily's List has chosen to endorse Clinton even though she faces two strongly pro-abortion candidates in John Edwards and Barack Obama in the Democratic Party. The group only endorses women, which partly explains their endorsement of the New York senator.

Biden PAC Contributed To Some Who Endorsed Him

The Trail
Washington Post-Wednesday, October 3, 2007; A06
A QUESTION OF INTENT
Biden PAC Contributed To Some Who Endorsed Him

When Democratic Sen. Joe Biden traveled to Columbia, South Carolina yesterday to announce the latest in a string of endorsements he has received from state lawmakers in early primary and caucus states, two local lawmakers there declared themselves proud and loyal supporters of his presidential bid.

"He will be a great Commander-in-Chief," state Rep. Vida Miller told onlookers.

What was not said was that the two lawmakers endorsing Biden, Miller and state Rep. Jim Battle, had received $500 contributions earlier this year from the Unite Our States Political Action Committee, a leadership PAC Biden controls.

There is a pattern of similar exchanges between Biden's leadership PAC and the early-state political endorsements that dates to the weeks before he announced for president in January. At least nine state legislators in Iowa and South Carolina who have endorsed Biden have also received contributions from his leadership PAC.

Biden advisers said the leadership PAC contributions were not intended to help his presidential bid. "They were intended to support their local campaigns," said Larry Rasky, communications director for Biden for President

Biden's campaign spokeswoman, Marion Steinfels, said the senator used his leadership PAC for the purpose of spreading the word about his Iraq plan. "Sen. Biden has campaigned across the country, and has given to local candidates and state parties. Obviously he also spent a lot of time working with candidates, talking about the Iraq plan, working with folks running for congress."

It's not unusual for members of congress to distribute money to state legislators. And other politicians with presidential ambitions, most notably Mark Warner and John McCain, made extensive contributions from their leadership PACs to state legislative candidates in early states. The difference with Biden is that his contributions continued after he formally announced his bid for the White House.

Michael Toner, a former Federal Election Commission chairman who in 2003 wrote the regulation governing how politicians can use their leadership committees, said it is "very dangerous to be operating a leadership PAC while simultaneously running for president." Toner was formerly chief counsel of the Republican National Committee and now works for GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson.

"Leadership PACs cannot be used to underwrite campaign activities," Toner said. "If you have a pattern where the leadership PAC is making disbursements in early primary states, that's exactly the kind of fact pattern that could invite an FEC investigation. When you have spending from the leadership PAC in early primary states, that is a real red flag."

Don Simon, a campaign finance lawyer who serves as counsel to the group Democracy 21, said he could not speak specifically to Biden's activity, but added that generally the problem with using leadership PAC funds to assist a presidential bid is that it circumvents contribution limits. Someone could donate the maximum amount to both the leadership committee and to the campaign. As a result, if a leadership PAC spends money on behalf of a campaign, it is supposed to be treated as an in-kind contribution, he said.

The only potential concern then for Biden, would be that his leadership committee has doled out more than $10,000 to state legislators in 2007. The legal limit for an in-kind contribution is $5,000.

No one has suggested that the state politicians endorsed Biden because of the contribution. Iowa state Rep. Doris Kelley, the recipient of a $500 contribution from his PAC, told the Associated Press she opted to endorse Biden not out of obligation but because after sorting through all the candidates, he was her top choice. "If I chose to go with another candidate, I'm sure that there would be financial support there, but I truly believe that those decisions are based on each individuals' opinion of who will make the best president," she said.

Meredith McGehee, the policy director at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, said that the perception that is created by leadership PACs is that they are "political slush funds" used to "buy favor." "When you see someone using a leadership PAC this way, where there is a financial reward for an endorsement, it makes the public roll their eyes," McGehee said. "The public cynicism is well earned."
--Matthew Mosk

Politics: GOP straw poll

'Fred Heads' propel Thompson to victory

BY JACKIE BROACH
Pawleys Island -COASTAL OBSERVER- August 2, 2007

The landslide victory of Fred Thompson at the Georgetown County Republican Party’s first ever presidential straw poll was met with zealous cheers and applause Saturday by the swarm of “Fred Heads” who turned out to show their support.

Thompson won the poll with 102 votes. Second place went to Ron Paul, who had 40 votes, followed closely by Mitt Romney with 37.

The only presidential candidate to attend the event in person was Greenville businessman Dan Gilbert, who garnered one vote.

The event was attended by about 250 people, and 223 participated in the poll. It raised $3,000-$4,000 for the local party.

“For our first ever straw poll, I am pleased with the turnout,” said Tom Swatzel, the county GOP chairman. “It was an enthusiastic crowd that was the essence of grassroots politics at its best.”

According to registration logs, just over half of those who attended the event were county residents. Swatzel said the poll was intended to gauge opinions of not just county Republicans, but voters on a regional and state basis as well. He believes it did that effectively.

Thompson supporters made a bulk purchase of 100 tickets before the event. Swatzel congratulated the former senator and his committee for their efforts. “It’s clear his supporters are well organized and motivated,” Swatzel said.

Paul’s campaign planned to have 300 supporters from across the state attend, but only 50 or 60 turned out, and not all of those participated in the polling, Swatzel said.

Thompson was represented at the poll by U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, who gave an enthusiastic speech that received a standing ovation.

Paul, Romney, Sam Brownback and Duncan Hunter also had representatives at the event. All of the presidential campaigns recognized on the state GOP’s Web site, plus Thompson, who has not announced his candidacy, were invited to participate.

“I was disappointed to see so many candidates didn’t have representatives. I think they missed an opportunity,” said Hagley resident Bill Boone, who attended the poll with his wife, Ann. “I’m disappointed that they didn’t think enough about the Republican Party in Georgetown County to come out, but those who did come did a great job,” he said.

The Boones said they attended to get more information about the candidates, but they weren’t swayed from their original choice.

“We came in backing Thompson and we’re leaving backing Thompson,” Ann said. The couple said they thought the attendance was good for a first-time event and would like to see it become a tradition. “There was also a pretty good age span and that’s important,” Bill said. “A lot of times with these things it’s all gray heads or no heads.”

Many of those who came said they came in search of more information about the candidates and their platforms. Among them were County Council Member Ron Charlton and former council member David Hood. Council member Glen O’Connell attended to represent the Romney campaign.

Linda Butler-Johnson, a past president of the state Federation for Republican Women, came from Charleston and said it was well worth the trip. She’s been to several other events this year to hear candidates speak, but said you can never have too much information. “I liked just about everything I heard today,” Butler-Johnson said.

Georgetown County School Board Member Elery Little and his wife, Eloyce, were also seeking more information and trying to show support for the county party. “I think some good points were made,” Elery said.

Surfside Beach resident Nancy Childs said the information she received at the event changed her mind about who she plans to vote for. She didn’t name any names, but said she’d come in supporting one candidate, and was persuaded by what she heard about another. “I just wish more of the candidates would have shown up, or at least sent representatives,” she said, “but it was still worth the trip down.” This was Childs’ first straw poll.

The event was also a first for Florence nurse Susanne Owens, who visited her family while in town. “I came in not knowing exactly who was running and what for,” she said. “I wanted to get some ideas about the candidates and what they stand for.” She found what she was looking for, she said, and though the information she received didn’t help her choose a candidate to back, it did help her eliminate several and narrow her selection to three.

One thing several attendees commented on was the sense of fellowship the event at Waccamaw High School created.

Ticket holders were treated to a barbecue lunch before they packed the auditorium for speeches and the polling.

As Swatzel welcomed those who piled in to vote, he called the straw poll a chance for likely voters to compare candidates and what they stand for to the county and state GOP platforms to see how they measure up to Republican ideals.

“One of these candidates must be the next president of the United States, because the alternatives are not good,” Swatzel said. “The alternatives are Hillary, Obama and the other Democrats, and you can rest assured they will increase your taxes and weaken the war in Iraq, and we cannot let that happen.”