SCHotline Press Releases

Mt. Pleasant, SC – Today, prominent Charleston, SC area leaders announced their support for Governor Mitt Romney as he moves forward with his exploratory process. Among the community activists joining Governor Romney at Coen Capital were former Governor James B. Edwards, former Congressman Tommy Hartnett, and RNC Committeewoman Cindy Costa.

“I am honored to have the support of these community leaders,” said Governor Romney. “Each has been actively involved in politics, and their backing and encouragement will help guarantee the long-term success of our efforts in South Carolina. By coming together today, these men and women have joined others from across the nation who have heard our optimistic message for the future and are motivated to go forward.”

Charleston Community Leaders Supporting Governor Romney:

Former Governor James B. Edwards – First elected to public office in 1972, Edwards served as a Senator from Charleston County and became the state’s Governor in 1974. He served as Secretary of Energy under President Reagan until 1982 when he became President of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He served as MUSC’s president for seventeen years. Dr. Edwards is an accomplished oral surgeon.

Ann Edwards – Former first lady of South Carolina and a retired nurse. The Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair in Nursing, the first and only endowed chair of nursing in South Carolina, is named in honor of Mrs. Edwards for her contributions to both nursing and the state.

Former Congressman Tommy Hartnett – From 1981-1987, Hartnett represented Charleston in the U.S. Congress. Prior to his election, Hartnett served as a member of the South Carolina State House of Representatives and the South Carolina State Senate. Before entering public service, Hartnett was president of Hartnett Realty Co. and is a military veteran. He has been a delegate to Republican National Conventions since 1980. He served as DeMint for Senate Finance Co-Chairman.

Cindy Costa – Since 1996, Costa has served as an RNC National Committeewoman from South Carolina. Costa is business manager of the Southeastern Facial Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery Center. She has long been active in South Carolina Republican politics. Costa is currently Chairman of the South Carolina Winning Women Excellence in Public Service Series.

Henry Fishburne – Represents Charleston City Council District 1 and has served on the City Council since 1999. He is a real estate investor and developer.

Dick Coen – President of Coen & Densmore, Inc., a Charleston Investment Management Firm.

Richard H. Coen – President of Coen Capital LLC, a real estate development firm in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Larry Richter – Mt. Pleasant attorney, former South Carolina State Senator and Circuit Court Judge.

Wayland Moody – Berkeley County Executive Committeeman.

Ricky Horne – Navy veteran and owner of a residential building firm.

Paul Hogan – Georgetown County Republican Party Chairman.

Bill Hewitt – Chairman and Interim CEO of Polymer Group Inc., DeMint for Senate Finance Co-Chairman, Sanford for Governor Finance Co-Chairman.

Laura Hewitt – Chair of the Storm Eye Institute of the Medical University of South Carolina.

John Rivers – President of Rivers Enterprises, a real estate, property management, and asset management company.

Joseph Murray – Colleton County Republican Party member.

Gene Zurlo – Managing Director of the Zurlo Investment Trust, a private investor in real estate and healthcare start up companies.

Contact:  Vince Moore, Director of News & Media Relations, 864-294-3107

U.S. CONGRESSMAN BOB INGLIS TO
SPEAK AT FURMAN UNIVERSITY FEB. 1

Inglis will speak on “ROE vs. WADE”

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Bob Inglis, who represents South Carolina’s Fourth
District in the U.S. House of Representatives, will speak on the Furman
University campus Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in Room 101 of John E. Johns
Hall.

His lecture, “Life and Why it Matters: Utilitarianism and Roe v. Wade,” is
free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

Jan. 22 was the 34th anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court
decision that legalized abortion.  Inglis’ appearance on campus is
sponsored by Furman’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow.

Inglis has represented the Fourth District since 2004, as well as from
1993 to 1998.  A native of Bluffton, he graduated from Duke University and
the University of Virginia School of Law.  During his six-year hiatus from
public office, Inglis practiced commercial real estate and corporate law
with Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, P.C.

In Congress, Inglis serves on the Science & Technology committee and as
the ranking member of the Energy & Environment subcommittee.  He also
serves on the Foreign Affairs and Education & Labor committees.  He has
previously served on the Judiciary and Education & Workforce committees,
and chaired the Research subcommittee of the Science committee during the
109th Congress.  He also co-chairs the House Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
Caucus.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at
864-294-3107.

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Dear Fellow College Republicans,

It has been my pleasure to serve as the Co-Chairman of the University of South Carolina College Republicans over the past year. We have had an historic election, winning all but one election and taking back the Treasurer’s Office, an office that has been dominated by a Democrat for most of the last 40 years. The reelection of Governor Sanford further solidified the GOP as the dominant party in our great state.

The College Republicans remain the premier grassroots activists here in South Carolina. Our chapter alone turned out hundreds of volunteers this past cycle, and remains one of the largest chapters in the southeast. They will be in good hands with new Chairman George Parrish leading the group up to the 2008 election, where the GOP will retake Congress and send another conservative Republican to the White House.

I am leaving with one concern. Recently, a group of College Republicans publicly endorsed Senator John McCain’s bid for the Presidency. I attended the meeting with Senator McCain that was organized and came away impressed with him. According to Article IX, Section 2 of the CRCSC Constitution, however, no CRCSC member is permitted to endorse any candidate prior to the Republican Primary. Officers of the College Republicans are not permitted to endorse candidates for any office prior to the primary; therefore I am calling for the immediate resignation of the following officers:

State Chairman Vic Bailey
State Executive Director Josh Dix
State Treasurer Alex Lewis
State Communications Director Joey Turner

It is unfortunate that this situation occurred, but I feel that the right thing must be done.

Best Regards,

Bob Jackman
Outgoing Co-Chairman
USC College Republicans.

Here’s your personal copy of the McCain News From the Palmetto State! Inside you’ll find breaking news from the campaign trail and ways you can get involved with McCain 2008 – The Exploratory Committee. If you would prefer not to receive this email-newsletter, then simply hit reply and type “Remove” in the subject line.

Thank you,

John McCain 2008 – The Exploratory Committee

McCain News From the Palmetto State
From the Spartanburg Herald-Journal – Johnson ready to back McCain
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain has added one of Spartanburg’s biggest hitters to his lineup.

George Dean Johnson is set to climb aboard McCain’s South Carolina juggernaut, the Herald-Journal has learned. The official announcement could come as early as today. (To read the whole story, click here.)

From the Myrtle Beach Sun News – Bachus to serve as southeast co-chairman of McCain Committee
U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama will serve as Southeast co-chairman of U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential exploratory committee, the Arizona Republican announced Thursday. (To read the whole story, click here.)

From the Myrtle Beach Sun News – McCain suggests Iraqi Government meet benchmarks
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the most stalwart supporters of the war in Iraq, said Thursday that he might propose that the Iraqi government meet certain benchmarks for the United States to continue its engagement. (To read the whole story, click here.)

From National Review – The Tragic Courage of John McCain
“…as poll-conscious Republicans flee from Bush, John McCain is steadfast, and the very picture of courageous political leadership.” (To read the whole story, click here.)

From the Blogosphere
From SC Chaser – Zogby from N.H.
McCain leads Giuliani 26% to 20%! (To view the poll, click here.)

From SC Chaser – McCain Adds Two More to Staff
Josh Robinson and Blake Montgomery join the McCain team. (To read the whole story, click here.)

John McCain – In His Own Words
“Until the government and its coalition allies can protect the population, the Iraqi people will increasingly turn to extra-governmental forces, especially Sunni and Shiite militias, for protection. Only when the government has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force will its authority have meaning, and only when its authority has meaning can political activity have the results we seek.” (Sen. John McCain, “Send More Troops,” The Washington Post, 1/7/07)

Mr. President, about a month ago I met a bright young West Point graduate in Iraq named Brian Freeman. He was a bright, passionate young man who felt deeply about what was happening in Iraq. He said to me, “Senator, it’s nuts over here. Soldiers are being asked to do work we’re not trained to do. I’m doing work that the State Department people are far more prepared to do in fostering democracy, but they’re not allowed to come off the bases because it’s too dangerous here. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Mr. President, Captain Brian Freeman was killed in Iraq last Saturday.

I spoke earlier this week about what a unique and courageous young man Brian was and how we all extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Charlotte, to his two young children, and to his parents and in-laws.

But today I want to go further. Mr. President, today I am here to say enough is enough. We must do everything possible to ensure that the tragedy of Brian Freeman doesn’t continue to be replicated over and over again. That is why we must say no to the decision by the President of the United States to send thousands more of our brave men and women in uniform to the streets of Baghdad to risk their lives for a plan which just “doesn’t make any sense.”

I, as one Senator, intend to speak out loudly against this ill-conceived policy. But more than just speak out, I intend at every available opportunity to get the Senate of the United States on record against the President’s specific decision to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq, and against the continuation of our failed military strategy in Iraq.

This administration’s Iraq policy has been a total failure, and this “escalation” or “surge” of 21,500 more Americans will not work. We all know it. Generals Powell, Abizaid and Casey know it. The British and the rest of our allies know it. Nearly every expert who has come before the Foreign Relations Committee in the past two weeks of hearings knows it. Most importantly, two-thirds of the American public flat-out oppose it, according to a recent Newsweek poll.

As my good friend from Nebraska, Senator Hagel, so eloquently and passionately said, “we owe the military and their families a policy worthy of their sacrifices…and I don’t believe we have that policy today.” I couldn’t agree more.

We have lost over 3,000 brave men and women. More than 20,000 American troops have been grievously injured. According to many estimates, several hundred thousand Iraqi civilians have been killed and maimed. And now estimates suggest that this war will end up costing the American people over $1.2 trillion dollars.

We have stretched our military to a breaking point. As Congressman Murtha testified before the Foreign Relations Committee:

“At the beginning of the Iraq war, 80 percent of ALL Army units and almost 100 percent of active combat units were rated at the highest state of readiness. Today, virtually all of our active-duty combat units at home and ALL of our guard units are at the lowest state of readiness, primarily due to equipment shortages resulting from repeated and extended deployments to Iraq.”

Mr. President, I strongly believe that we must demonstrate to the American public that we share their deep concerns and doubts about the President’s proposed plans to escalate our involvement in Iraq.

We must demonstrate that we are prepared to lead on this issue – not simply sit back, fearful of taking positions most of us believe are in the interests of our country.

Earlier this week I offered an amendment in the Foreign Relations Committee to the Biden-Hagel-Levin resolution. My amendment called for capping the number of troops in Iraq, and required the President to seek a new authorization from Congress prior to any future troop increases. An authorization I would vigorously oppose.

My amendment was not about setting a floor, as some have suggested—it was about the exact opposite. It was about the first step in fundamentally altering the status quo in Iraq and forcing the President to listen to the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton Study Group to fundamentally change our mission in Iraq and begin the phased redeployment of US combat troops.

It was also about preventing more troops from being put in harm’s way for a flawed tactic to a failed strategy.

Although my amendment failed, I voted in support of the Biden-Hagel-Levin resolution. But I believe Mr. President that it is absolutely essential that the final resolution that the Senate adopts next week be one with more clarity than is currently to be found in the words of the Biden-Hagel-Levin Resolution or the competing Warner-Collins Resolution which was introduced earlier this week by our distinguished colleague Senator Warner.

But regardless of how effective I and others are in bringing more clarity to the resolution thru the amendment process, we need to also take at some point in the very near further concrete legislative action like I attempted to do in the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday but which will not be possible in the context of the concurrent resolution we will consider next week.

Why? Because let’s face the facts. The President of the United States has already said that he will ignore Congress when it comes to his recent proposals on Iraq.

The Vice-President has recently said that the non-binding resolution passed by this co-equal branch of government “won’t stop us.” Mr. Cheney went on to say that “I think it would be detrimental from the standpoint of the troops.”

Refereeing civil war is detrimental from the stand point of the troops.

Surging into the streets of Baghdad with no clear mission is detrimental to our troops.

Sending Americans into combat with insufficient body armor is detrimental to our troops.
But stopping the President from sending more young men and women to Baghdad is most certainly not detrimental to our troops.

Mr. President, two-thirds of the American public AND two-thirds of our troops oppose a surge, according to recent polls by Newsweek and the Military Times.

But it isn’t public opinion polls that shape my conclusions that our policies in Iraq are terribly flawed, it is the facts on the ground, which I learned about first-hand in my three trips to Iraq, as well as the judgments of former and current military and foreign policy experts.

What is it going to take to make this administration change course?

It’s going to take a Congress that doesn’t allow the blank checks for the last five years to continue. It’s going to take a Congress that has the courage to stand up and clearly say that we will not support more troops or the current failed policy.
And if the President refuses to listen, it is going to take a Congress that is prepared to legislatively force the President to change its disastrous Iraq policy.

And so, next week I will begin the process of attempting to make it crystal clear in the language of whatever concurrent resolution we adopt that this Congress is opposed to more troops, opposed to a policy that makes our troops who remain referees in a civil war, and in favor of a changed policy which begins the process of the phased redeployment of our troops which last year the Congress had anticipated would begin in 2006.

Now there are those who say that we shouldn’t try to tinker with the wording of the Biden-Hagel resolution because it is a delicate compromise and to propose anything more forceful would be politically divisive. That Congress ought to speak with one voice.

To them I say, I believe in consensus. I believe in bi-partisanship. My twenty-five year record in this body has amply demonstrated that.

But when the quest for consensus paralyzes this body and prevents us from taking real action to stop the senseless death of our troops, I refuse to stay silent.

There are those who say that opposing the surge betrays our troops. I say to them what truly betrays our troops is sending them into a civil war that they cannot and should not have to stop.

Of course, stopping the escalation of US forces is only the first step as part of a broader plan to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home.

There must also be a meaningful de-escalation of US combat activities in Iraq.
We must begin redeploying US forces away from urban areas where the sectarian conflict is greatest, to enclaves within Iraq and to elsewhere in the region.

This will enable US forces to concentrate on training Iraqi forces, securing Iraq’s borders, and conducting counterterrorism operations to protect vital US security interests in the region.

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) on Saturday will be a special guest on Fox News’ Weekend Live with Brian Wilson to discuss the impact of 2008 Presidential hopefuls on the 110th Congress.  Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-17) will join Congressman Wilson for the segment.

*TOMORROW*
12:15 p.m. EST

Boston, MA – On Monday and Tuesday, January 29-30, Governor Mitt Romney and his son, Tagg Romney, will travel to South Carolina. Governor Romney will begin his trip by delivering the Keynote Address at the Aiken Rotary Club Meeting in Aiken, SC. The Romneys will then travel to Mt. Pleasant, SC, and hold a press conference to announce key endorsements from leaders in the Charleston, SC area. The following day, Governor Romney and his son will meet with local residents in Columbia, SC. The events listed below will be open to members of the media.

Monday, January 29
12:40 p.m. Governor Romney Keynotes Meeting of the Aiken Rotary Club
Aiken Municipal Conference Center
215 The Alley
Aiken, SC

5:00 p.m. Governor Romney Announces Key Endorsements of Charleston Area Leaders
Coen Capital
100 Church Street
Mt. Pleasant, SC

Tuesday, January 30
8:30 a.m. Governor Romney and Tagg Romney Meet with Area Residents
Lizard’s Thicket
818 Elmwood Avenue
Columbia, SC

*All Times Are Eastern Standard Time

HEALTHY SOUTH CAROLINA CHALLENGE
Office of the First Lady
First Lady, Jenny Sanford

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Curry Hagerty
803-737-4772
healthysc@gov.sc.gov
www.healthysc.gov

This Week’s Healthy SC Challenge Tips
First Family Encourages Healthy Changes in Nutrition, Exercise and Tobacco Use

Columbia, S.C. - January 12, 2007 - The Healthy SC Challenge is the Sanford family’s effort to get all South Carolinians to do just a little more to live a healthier lifestyle. The tips are designed to encourage individuals and communities to live healthier lifestyles in three categories - nutrition, exercise and help to quit smoking. The tips can also be found on the challenge’s website, www.healthysc.gov.

Healthy Tips
Nutrition
Fill your tummy up before dinner with a plate of raw, fresh veggies (carrots, celery, red bell pepper strips, broccoli, etc.) dipped in hummus.  The “bulk” raw veggies provide from fiber and water makes them very effective appetite suppressants.  When it comes to veggies, you can definitely eat more and weigh less.
- Ann Kulze, MD - Nationally recognized nutrition and wellness expert

Physical Activity
Stretching can improve flexibility at any age and could reverse joint stiffness. Just like exercise, stretching is an important part of being and staying fit. Sign up for that beginner’s yoga class or rent a pilates video at the public library and encourage stretching and exercise of any kind!
- Louis Yuhasz at Louiskids.org and Dan Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., Healthy Living Activities

Tobacco
Telephone counseling is a great resource to help you quit smoking.  People who use telephone counseling stop smoking at twice the rate of those who don’t get this type of help. With guidance from a counselor, quitters can avoid common mistakes that may hurt a quit attempt. Telephone counseling is also more convenient for many people than some other support programs. It doesn’t require transportation or childcare, and it’s available nights and weekends. Counselors may recommend a combination of methods including medicines, local classes, self-help brochures, and/or a network of family and friends. Smokers can get help finding a Quitline in their area by calling ACS at 1-800-ACS-2345.
- American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org

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The Healthy SC Challenge is an outcome-based, cooperative effort aimed at encouraging individuals, communities and organizations across the state to show shared responsibility in developing innovative ways to improve the health of South Carolina’s citizens. For more information about the Healthy SC Challenge, please visit www.healthysc.gov, or call 803-737-4772.

Jeff Duncan, State Representative, Dist. 15
Laurens / Newberry
(864) 833-7700

Rep. Jeff Duncan introduces Resolution naming Monday, January 29th “Milton Friedman Day”

DESIGNATING JANUARY 29, 2007, AS MILTON FRIEDMAN DAY TO HONOR ECONOMIST MILTON FRIEDMAN, WHOSE VISION OF AMERICA HELPED SPREAD THE BENEFITS OF FREE-MARKET ECONOMICS THE WORLD OVER.

Whereas, Milton Friedman’s work has served to advance America’s economy; and

Whereas, in an atmosphere of intense intellectual activity at the University of Chicago’s Economics Department, he began to synthesize his theories of economics, which not only transformed the landscape of economics around the world, but also lent powerful support to the economic, political, and social benefits of a free market and limited government; and

Whereas, he has applied his vision of America to help abolish the draft, create jobs, and advance the course and positive effects of American business; and

Whereas, possessing wisdom ahead of his time, Mr. Friedman proclaimed what we as a nation have since acknowledged to be an important truth: “The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both”; and

Whereas, Mr. Friedman’s work has been validated by an extensive list of honors, such as the Nobel Prize in economics (1976) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1988); and

Whereas, it is appropriate to recognize the work of a man whose influence is felt in the daily lives of nearly every American, a man who to this day champions the power of choice that Americans treasure. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, designate January 29, 2007, as Milton Friedman Day to honor economist Milton Friedman, whose vision of America helped spread the benefits of free-market economics the world over.

For more information, call Jeff Duncan at (864) 833-7700.

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For Immediate Release                                                                                                          Contact: Danny Diaz
Friday, January 26, 2007                                                                                                                   703-418-2008

ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Senator John McCain’s exploratory committee today announced that Spartanburg business leader George Dean Johnson, Jr. will serve on Senator McCain’s finance committee in South Carolina.

Johnson is the chairman of Johnson Development Associates and a former chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  In 2000 and 2004, he served as a pioneer for President George W. Bush’s election efforts.

Johnson said that McCain provides Republicans the best chance for retaining the White House.  “I am confident that Senator McCain’s message of common sense conservatism will continue to resonate with Republicans across South Carolina and across the country,” said Johnson.  “What most impresses me about Senator McCain is that when he gives his word, he keeps it.  And when he makes a decision, he stands by it.  That’s something you don’t find everyday in politics.  Moreover, he comes from a long line of military heroes and he is, in every respect, a true American hero.” 

Prior to chairing Johnson Development Associates, George Dean Johnson, Jr. founded and served as the chief executive officer and director of Extended Stay America.  Additionally, Johnson is the former president of the domestic consumer division of Blockbuster Entertainment.  His more than thirty years of business experience gained Johnson membership to South Carolina’s Business Hall of Fame.

McCain welcomed the addition of Johnson to his growing finance committee in South Carolina.  “This is an exciting addition to our team,” said Senator McCain.  “George Dean, as evidenced by his experience with Fortune 500 companies like Viacom and Duke Energy, is one of the business community’s most sought after and influential leaders.  I am honored and humbled to have his support, and I look forward to working with him in the near future.”