The Shot!

This past Saturday, Barack Obama made an unscheduled stop during the day of the South Carolina Primary at the Columbia YMCA. He wasn’t there to try to pick up more votes, but rather to just play a few games of basketball.

Jonathan Yarborough, a former Bush 2000 campaign staffer who went on to work at the White House and manage Gresham Barrett’s Congressional campaign, was at the YMCA working out when he noticed Obama playing a game of three-on-three. Curious to see how well the presidential contender played ball, Yarborough went to the other end of the court to just to shoot around and watch. That’s when Barack said in his deep voice, “I want to play some five-on-five.”

Obama then pointed to Yarborough and asked “Do you want to play?”

(more…)

Chuck Norris is a legend. His endorsement of Mike Huckabee certainly helped him climb rapidly in the polls. But today Mitt Romney is using Norris’ own words against Mike Huckabee. Citing Norris’ column on the popular conservative news website Worldnetdaily.com, Romney uses the action superstar’s past statements to illustrate why Huckabee is soft on crime.

See for yourself:

Looks like Team Romney just successfully landed a roundhouse kick to Mike Huckabee.

[Tim Cameron]  

The Rudy Giuliani Campaign has hired another native South Carolinian to fill a senior position on his campaign. Lori Jones Raad is returning from extended stint in Africa to join the campaign in New York City.

Raad, a native of Anderson, has worked with senior members of Rudy’s staff before. Most recently she worked as Deputy Political Director of the RNC under Mike DuHaime, who is currently serving as Giuliani’s Campaign Manager. In 2000, she worked on the Bush campaign in South Carolina under Heath Thompson, who now serves as Giuliani’s Lead Media Consultant. 

Raad got her start in politics working for Luke Byars on Vann Hipp’s 1994 Congressional Race. She later went on to serve as Bush’s Low-Country Field Representative in 2000. After the 2000 Election, she held several positions within the Bush Administration including stints in the Department of Commerce and the White House Office of Political Affiars. The Shot has sent and inquiry in to the Giuliani Campaign regarding her position, but have not heard anything back at the time of this posting.

Raad’s hire is just another example of how some of the nation’s top political talent hails from the Palmetto State.

Team Rudy Adds Lowcountry and Upstate Field Staff

New York City - The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee today announced additions to its South Carolina campaign. Team Rudy adds Regional Field Directors Sarah Bjorkman and Tim O’Toole to its field staff.

 Bjorkman will focus on organizing the Lowcountry, while O’Toole will be working in the Upstate. They join other field staff working to build a strong grassroots network in communities across the state, grow the volunteer base and communicate Mayor Giuliani’s optimistic message to the voters of South Carolina.

 “Mayor Giuliani’s message of conservative-driven leadership and results-oriented accountability is resonating with South Carolinians,” said Ryan Meerstein, Giuliani’s South Carolina Executive Director. “We’re happy to have Sarah and Tim join our hard-working and dedicated team in South Carolina.”

 Today’s announcement is the first of several upcoming South Carolina staff additions.

 About Rudy’s South Carolina Regional Field Directors:

 Sarah Bjorkman, Lowcountry Field Director
Bjorkman, a native of Charleston, recently graduated from the College of Charleston. She is a graduate of the South Carolina Winning Women Program, a Republican National Committee leadership training program that encourages women at the local, state and national levels to become more active in the political process. Bjorkman also served as an intern for United States Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC).

 Tim O’Toole, Upstate Field Director
O’Toole served as an intern with both the Republican National Committee and former United States Senator Jim Talent (R-MO). He joins the Giuliani Campaign after working as an account coordinator for a public relations firm. O’Toole has a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

[Tim Cameron] 

Out stumping for his candidate, Gov. Mike Huckabee, our former Governor David Beasley took a little time to fill us in on the happenings at the Ames Straw Poll and encourages Iowa residents to come out to vote for his candidate.

I don’t know who I’d rather be questioned by, Brad Warthen or Bud White from L.A. Confidential. I’m going to go ahead and say Brad Warthen mainly because at least he won’t punch in my face to get an answer.

But it still takes a lot of courage to answer Warthen’s questions on camera especially when your candidate is going through a particularly difficult media cycle. B.J. Boling, my former colleauge, mustered up that courage today when he sat down for an on camera interview with Warthen.

Here it is:

Seasoned team brings strong experience and local ties
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Brownback for President campaign today announced its South Carolina Campaign Committee.

“I am thrilled that such a talented group of grassroots organizers and campaign veterans has joined my South Carolina team,” said Brownback. “I look forward to working with my South Carolina Campaign Committee as we gain momentum across the country and in key primary states like South Carolina.”

David Barron, Chairman
Barron is president of the International Conservation Caucus and has been active in politics, business and foreign affairs for 30 years. He was the national chairman of Young Republicans under President Ronald Reagan.

Jim Corbett, Campaign Director
Corbett, an attorney in Columbia, ran for House District 72 in 1996 and has been active in all major South Carolina statewide general elections since Carroll Campbell’s 1986 run for governor. Corbett was involved with the primary and general election campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and served as a delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention and as an alternate delegate to the 2004 convention.

Kevin Bryant of Anderson
Elected to the State Senate in 2004, Bryant led the fight for the ultrasound bill and has consistently pushed for limited government, traditional values and lower taxes. In the 2000 presidential primary, while serving as the chairman of the Anderson County Republican Party, Bryant tripled voter turnout from the 1996 primary.

Ben Carnes of Greenville
Carnes, a recent graduate of North Greenville University with considerable volunteer campaign experience, will serve as Grass Roots Coordinator.

Steve Gajdosik of Charleston
Gajdosik is the president of the Catholic Radio Association.

John Hutcheson of Spartanburg
Hutcheson serves on the board of Bob Jones University.

Doug Jolley of Columbia
Jolley is a former Christian newspaper publisher and owns an insurance agency and a Gamecocks web site.

Lou Neiger of Newberry
Neiger, a certified financial planner, will draw from years of campaign experience to help coordinate and train the growing number of grassroots volunteers for the Brownback campaign.

Richard Peterson of Lexington
Peterson, formerly the first vice chairman of the Lexington County GOP, will use his extensive broadcasting and marketing experience to spread Senator Brownback’s conservative pro-life, pro-growth message of increased freedom and compassionate service. Peterson served at the RNC with longtime friend Lee Atwater.

Clint Rogers of York
Rogers is a political science teacher and plays an active role in his church.

Hal Stevenson of Columbia
Stevenson, a former president of the Palmetto Family Council, coordinated the South Carolina presidential campaigns of Alan Keyes in 1996 and 2000.

Gary Towery of Spartanburg
Towery, previously an executive committeeman of the Spartanburg County GOP, runs an Upstate Catholic radio station.

Jim Ulmer of Orangeburg
Ulmer chairs the Orangeburg County GOP in addition to being a farmer and avid sportsman.