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Posted noon, Saturday, Aug. 30

Tony Beam tells Greenville County GOP Women:
Bible tells believers to be involved in public arena

The Bible calls on believers to be involved in the public arena, Dr. Tony Beam told the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club at its Aug. 28 luncheon at the Poinsett Club.
Dr. Beam referred to a passage in John 17 where Jesus tells his disciples he is sending them into the world as his Father sent him in to the world.
Dr. Beam was followed with speeches by Rebecca Steen of Gov. Mark Sanford’s office; Rick Freeman, candidate for House District 25; and Julie Hershey, a member of the SC Education Oversight Committee.
Dr. Beam, director of the Christian Worldview Center at North Greenville University, and host of a talk show on Christian Talk 660, said that evangelicals as a group have a role to play in the public arena.
We live in a constitutional republic, Dr. Beam said, where we the people get to make the decisions about our government. Everyone who has an opinion should be allowed to firmly express their opinion.
Dr. Beam said that in the 2004 elections the Democrats began to realize that values voters essentially gave George Bush a second term and increased Republican majorities in the House and the Senate.
The Democrats began to morph into a form of evangelical Christianity, and they began hiring political consultants to teach them the language of Zion while they continued to put forth the policies of Babylon. It has worked to some degree, he said, but most evangelicals are still within the Republican Party.
Some evangelicals are uncomfortable with Sen. John McCain, and Beam admitted he was not a huge McCain supporter at first, but as McCain has come to define himself on the campaign trail, he has done a much better job connecting with people of faith.
(Dr. Beam’s comments came the day before Sen. McCain announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be his running mate, and Gov. Palin has proven to be popular with evangelicals.)
When people tell him they cannot vote for John McCain, Dr. Beam tells them to vote against Barack Obama, because they should not have any problem with that when they look at the things he would like to do with America.
McCain’s appearance with Sen. Obama hosted by Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in California “was a huge home run” for McCain, and it was “a three strikes and you’re out for Barack Obama.”
Dr. Beam referred to the speech by former President Bill Clinton at the Democratic Convention, where Clinton said that the world was more impressed with the power of America’s example than it was with the example of America’s power.
Dr. Beam replied: “I wonder if the people who were liberated from Auschwitz would agree with that. If we had simply set back during World War II and said, Look at our example of freedom and had not been willing to go forward and defend freedom with the power of the United States, would they have been as satisfied with the results?”
Dr. Beam said we should not be ashamed when people refer to us as conservatives and espouse core values. “I hope all of us will embrace those values as Republicans and take a strong stand. Work hard for John McCain and all the Republican candidates this fall, and let’s make sure we don’t wake up with the world leaning toward Barack Obama the day after the election.
Rebecca Steen: Governor’s Office
Rebecca Steen, outreach adviser for Gov. Mark Sanford, works with county organizations and other groups to aid in the Governor’s long-fought battle against government waste and pork-barrel spending.
Steen listed successes working with the General Assembly in the past year: DUI and immigration reform and small business access to health care.
Steen also cited a few negatives: the General Assembly passed a budget with a $28 million deficit in Corrections and Education.
With gas prices increasing, it is getting harder to bus children to school, she said, and we must be sure to supply enough money here.
At the same, the Competitive Grants Fund is set to spend $100,000 to bring German politicians to vacation in Myrtle Beach.
“We see this as a huge problem, and we want to encourage you to contact your legislators and ask them to come back and prioritize this budget.”
Rick Freeman: SC House candidate
Rick Freeman, candidate for South Carolina House of Representatives District 25, addressed the club. He is running against Democratic incumbent Karl Allen.
Freeman owns Hawk’s Bay Developers, a construction company. He entered the political field because of frustration with South Carolina’s inability to eliminate property taxes, difficulty prosecuting DUI offenders and continued support for the right to life.
Julie Hershey: Education Oversight Committee
Julie Hershey, a member of the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club and a former member of the Greenville County School Board, was appointed by Gov. Sanford to serve on the 18-member South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC). Members are appointed by either the Governor or the Legislature.
The committee brings accountability to the state’s educational system and will among other things look at performance testing for students, and instructional and testing technology, Mrs. Hershey said.

Posted 1:50 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 21

Dr. Tony Beam leads slate of speakers at Aug. 28 meeting

We are privileged to have Dr. Tony Beam as our featured guest speaker for our August luncheon.
Dr. Beam is the vice president for Student Services and Christian Worldview at North Greenville University. He is a member of the board of directors of the Palmetto Family Council.
Dr. Beam is the host Monday through Friday on ChristianTalk 660 for “Christian Worldview Today” and a columnist for ChristianPost.com, Crosswalk.com and The Times Examiner. (Our own associate member, Bob Dill, is the editor of The Times Examiner).
In the April 9 edition of The Times Examiner, Dr. Beam wrote a column titled “Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ Program, Now Part of Bush Legacy.” A quote from this column is as follows: “Somewhere, Ronald Reagan is smiling. The legacy of freedom which began with Reagan’s vision to win the Cold War is alive and well in President Bush. History will link them together and reward them for their strong stands against the tide of appeasers and naysayers who always stand against the idea of peace through strength.”
Dr. Beam has been interviewed on Fox News with Carl Cameron and CNN’s Campbell Brown Show. He and his wife, Denise, have two daughters and one son.

Rebecca Steen, Outreach Advisor for Gov. Mark Sanford, will be speaking to us briefly about her position working with county organizations, coalitions and other groups to aid in the Governor’s long-fought battle against government waste and pork barrel spending to make South Carolina a better place for all of us. We will be asked to complete a survey that includes ranking the most important to least important the following issues:

individual rights and freedoms
fiscal responsibility
immigration reform
education reform
restructuring and transparency in government
improving the business climate
environmental conservation
religious and family values.

Rick Freeman, candidate for South Carolina House of Representatives District 25, will be introduced. He is in a race against the Democratic incumbent, Karl Allen. Freeman is the owner of Hawk’s Bay Developers, a construction company. He is entering the political field due to frustration with South Carolina’s inability to eliminate property tax, DUI laws/difficulty prosecuting DUI offenders and continued support for the right to life. He and his wife, Brenda, have two children and one grandson.

Julie Hershey, a GCRW members, was appointed to serve on the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC). She will be giving us an insight into the purpose of this committee.
I look forward to seeing each of you at the luncheon. Kathy Davis.

Posted 6:40 p.m., Friday, July 25

Dick Jensen tops slate of five speakers
at Republican Women’s Club July luncheon

The Greenville County Republican Women at their July luncheon heard from Dick Jensen, founder of First Foundations; Taylor Hall, chairman of the South Carolina College Republicans; Eric Bedingfield, incumbent candidate for House District 28; Liz Seman, candidate for County Council District 24; and Alan Kay, candidate for County Council District 25.
Jensen talked about First Foundations, a conservative think tank he founded in 1986, the 2008 presidential elections and gave an “American Patriot Quiz” listed below.
Taylor Hall detailed College Republican efforts to register voters and get out the vote for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and how Greenville County Republican Women could help.
Geri Warren is president of the Greenville County Republican Women. Kathy Davis organized the program.
Comments from candidates
Eric Bedingfield, who previously served on the Greenville County Council, talked about why he had run for politics, what the legislature had accomplished in the just-ended session and noted that he had a 100 percent approval rating from the Palmetto Family Council.
Liz Seman, executive director of Meals on Wheels in Greenville, noted her work history in the public and private sectors, and what she hoped to accomplish if elected to the County Council seat being vacated by Democrat Cort Flint.
Alan Kay, general manager of Chick-fil-A on Laurens Road, is seeking to unseat Lottie Gibson from the District 25 seat. Kay has served as chairman for the Parker Sewer and Fire District for 13 years. He talked about controlled growth in the district and representing all constituents, not just those who vote for him.
American Patriot Quiz
Jensen gave the following “American Patriot Quiz”
1. Are you a United States citizen who is registered to vote?
2. Did you vote in a 2008 primary?
3. On June 14, were the Stars and Stripes displayed on your property? (June 14 is Flag Day.)
4. When was the last time your read the entire text of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution? (Jensen suggested picking one day annually to read each document.)
5. Can you quote from memory the first verse of America’s national anthem?
6. When you pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, do you pause after the words “one nation” — and why? (When Congress inserted the words “under God” into the Pledge in 1954, it did not insert any punctuation.)
7. Have your elected representatives in the Congress or your state legislature received any personal (not a signed petition) communication from you within the last 12 months?
8. Do you pray regularly for elected public officials who represent you?
9. How often do you read passages from the Bible?
10. How often do you attend worship with people of faith?
First Foundations researches and reports on societal foundations: government, religion and the family, with its immediate focus on the U.S. Constitution, the Bible and the family. When Jensen founded the organization he was motivated by his reading of Psalm 11:3 ("If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?") and the U.S. Constitution. The organization’s web site is www.firstfound.us.

Posted 1:45 p.m., Friday, June 27

Greenville County Republican Women conduct Americanism program

Click here for photo gallery of the Americanism program.

The Greenville County Republican Women’s Club conducted its annual Americanism program, June 26, with guest speakers Lt. Col. Clarence Bowser, a decorated veteran in the war in Afghanistan, along with Jo Dillard and Dot Bishop, representing Blue Star Mothers.
Patty Stoner organized the program. Club member Nancee Lee Yearick sang patriotic music, and members of American Legion Post 3 presented and retired the colors. Jenny Earle, mother of Marine Corps recruit Timothy Earle, read the Republican Creed. Geri Warren is president of the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club.
Lt. Col. Bowser deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2007. He was responsible for training Afghan soldiers fighting the Taliban, and he served as communications officer in the southern region of Afghanistan. He received numerous awards, including the Bronze Star for his valor.
Among other comments, Lt. Col. Bowser, a Christian, said that although American soldiers are told to respect the Islamic religion, they do not respect ours, citing a missile attack on Christmas, when he and several other officers performed the duties of the enlisted soldiers to give them a break.
Jo Dillard, a Greenville area native and the early education principal at Southside Christian School in Simpsonville, represented the Blue Star Mothers, an organization of mothers who either have, or who have had, children honorably serving in the military. She became an active member of the organization during her son’s deployment with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. She spoke about what she went through while her son was deployed.
Dot Bishop is a representative of the Greenville Area Blue Star Mothers. Her son Andrew graduated from Berea High School, Appalachian State University and Widener University, and now serves as a career soldier. He is stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, having previously served in Iraq in 2005-2006. 
In her address, Mrs. Bishop showed a Dang It Doll, which is sent to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Included are these instructions:
When your day is stressful
And you want to scream and shout
Here’s a little Dang It Doll
That you can’t live without
Grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to bang it!
As you whack its stuffing out,
Yell, “Dang it, Dang it, Dang it.”

Thank you for serving our Country so honorably.
From your friends in South Carolina.
Operation Military Stress Relief Dolls Inc.
E-mail us at OMSRD@yahoo.com.
Josiah Daigle, 9, a member of the Upstate Young Marines, led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and later read “The Soldier,” written by Dennis Edward O’Brien, a Marine Corps chaplain: “It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Posted 3:20 p.m., Tuesday, June 24

On Thursday, June 26, our annual Americanism program will have three special features you will not want to miss. We are excited to have Lt. Col. Clarence Bowser, a decorated veteran in the War in Afghanistan, joining us, along with Jo Dillard and Dot Bishop, both representing Blue Star Mothers. We will also have a very special presentation of patriotic music sung by Nancee Lee Yearick during the program this year.

Posted 11 a.m., Friday, April 25

Greenville County Republic Women joined Republican women from throughout South Carolina for the annual Legislative Day in Columbia April 15. They received a VIP introduction to the South Carolina House by Rep. Nikki Haley and a VIP introduction to the S.C. Senate by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer. They had a picture taken with Gov. Mark Sanford on the state house steps.

Click here for more Legislative Day photos. Pictures from Patty Stoner.

Posted 1:30 p.m., Friday April 18

Assembly candidates to speak at April 24 meeting

We are pleased to have a lineup of candidates for the June 10 primary who will be introduced at our April luncheon. We will have the candidates for House Districts 18, 20, 21 and 22 and Senate District 6 represented.

To make reservations, please e-mail Cheryl Pressley at gcrwreply@bellsouth.net or call her at 246-6448 by noon, Monday, April 21. To avoid paying $15, cancellation must be made by 8 p.m., April 21.

Posted 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 23

Greenville County GOP Stump Meeting, Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m. until ...
Greenville Jet Center (turn off Woods Lake Road onto Piper Lane)
Cost $15 for adults, $5 children under 12
Barbecue, hot dogs, brownies and cookies, popcorn and drinks. Bluegrass Music.
Children's activities: moon bounce, contest with prizes for children who dress up in patriotic outfits
All incumbents and candidates will be invited to speak.

Posted 10:20 a.m., Friday, March 28

Gresham Barrett: not good to be a conservative Republican
in Washington now

Gresham Barrett, third district congressman from South Carolina, addressed the Greenville County Republican Women’s monthly meeting March 27 at the Poinsett Club.
“If you are a conservative Republican, and if you are in Washington right now, it ain’t too good,” Barrett said, relating how he just voted against the largest budget in history passed by the House, which contains a $643 billion tax increase. It increases spending. It increases unfunded liabilities and grows the government, he said. President Bush has said he will veto the budget, and the House will get another look at it.
“In the short term, I don’t think history is going to be very kind to George Bush,” Barrett said, “but I think in the long term it will show that he stood in the gap in this nation when we needed someone to stand in the gap. He is one of the finest men, I don’t always agree with him, and I have told him that, but he is one of the finest, most honorable Christian men I have ever met.”
Barrett spoke about his hopes to make South Carolina energy independent. Fifty-four percent of South Carolina energy comes from nuclear, he said, and the state can be an energy leader, whether it is nuclear, clean coal, bio-ethanol, bio-diesel, wind, solar or hydrogen.
Barrett, who returned from visiting Iraq and Afghanistan three weeks earlier, said “it is unconscionable for me to know that we could possibly have a president of the United States, Barack Obama, who has never been to Iraq and who has never been to Afghanistan.” You cannot know what is going on over there until you see it firsthand, he said.
Barrett praised Gen. David Petraeus, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, for the relative security in Iraq including Anbar province. “The soldiers, the sailors, the airmen make you all proud.”
Barrett said that the 2008 race is split right down the middle as far as ideology goes. “If you support less government, if you support less taxes, if you support overhauling the tax code, if you support keeping the country safe, if you support you making the decisions in health care, you making the decisions with your children, you making the decisions with your family, John McCain is the clear choice.
“If you support higher taxes, if you support more government, if you support universal health care, socialized medicine, if you support the government telling you what you can do and how you can do it … Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton are your choice.”
He predicted that it would be hard for the Republicans to take back the House in 2008, though he thinks the party can pick up some seats. In the Senate he predicted the GOP would lose two or three seats. He hopes for a Republican president with veto power and a House that can sustain a veto.
Barrett is often spoken of to succeed Gov. Mark Sanford when his term ends in 2011.

Virginia Boney awarded GOP women’s internship

Virginia Boney, a junior political science major at Furman University, was awarded the Dorothy Kabis Internship for this summer at the National Federation of Republican Women headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
Boney was one of three nationwide to receive the six-week internship. She was honored at the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club meeting March 27 at the Poinsett Club. The internship provides housing, roundtrip airfare and a small monetary allowance.
Boney is active in the Furman College Republicans and worked in the Mitt Romney presidential campaign last fall and winter.
Kabis was president of the National Federation of Republican Women from 1963 to 1967. She served as treasurer of the United States under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1971.

Bob McLain asks: Could 2008 be worse for GOP than 1964?
By Thomas C. Hanson

Is the Reagan era over? NewsRadio WORD’s Bob McLain asked Greenville County Republican Women at the Poinsett Club Feb. 28.
McLain was quoting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who said, “It’s time to redefine the nature of the Republican Party in response to what the country needs.”

McLain asked: “Is Newt Gingrich right, and is the Reagan era over?” He said that conservative philosophy itself is not antiquated and that Reagan brought a sunny optimism to conservatism, the bright, shining city on a hill that exemplified all that is good about America.
He spoke about how Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeated conservative Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964, taking 61 percent of the votes, and asked: “Might it be an even worse defeat for the GOP in 2008? Frankly I think the possibility exists.”
McLain noted that voter preferences are shifting with 50 percent of Americans identifying themselves as Democrats, 36 percent as Republicans. Independents favored Democrats by 18 percent in the 2006 elections.
McLain asked: Does choosing an electable candidate mean sacrificing conservative principles on the altar of realpolitik, exchanging Reagan conservatism for populism that has broader appeal in the 21st century?
Gingrich, conservative writer George Will and others seem to be saying that the GOP cannot avoid redefining itself. “I think they are missing an element to this,” McLain said, comparing this strategy to the New Coke of the 1980s or the Edsel of the 1950s, which failed because consumers rejected the products.
McLain contended that the conservatism is still strong, but the product is suffering from lack of a strong brand advocate.
“The idea that the Reagan era is dead stems from a poor job of selling the ideas that Ronald Reagan stood for. Unless and until the GOP can find someone who can express those ideas with the passion and conviction of Reagan, his era will be over. It will have died in the name of practicality and so-called electability,” adding that “if the GOP is selling a watered-down populism as an alternative to what the Democrats are selling, they may meet the same fate as New Coke.”
McLain noted that Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic frontrunner, is not running as a politician, but as the leader of a messianic movement with flowery prose and speeches that inspire audiences. Obama, like Reagan, is a visionary passionate about his ideals. “We just don’t know what ideals specifically Barack Obama favors at this point,” McLain said. “He hasn’t had to talk specifics on issues.”
When asked whether he thought presumed GOP candidate John McCain would be helped by naming South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford as his running mate, McLain said that though he likes Gov. Sanford, he doesn’t think Sanford would influence national voters that much. He suggested that the country is heading toward another 51 to 49 percent election, which means that independent votes are going to decide the winner. He said the ticket needs someone who could help carry Florida and Ohio.
He noted that this election is going to be crucial in a number of aspects, the war on terror and nominations to the Supreme Court, and also that if a Democrat wins the White House, attempts may be made to restrict talk radio.
In response to a question, he said Condoleezza Rice would make a terrific vice presidential candidate bringing a lot to the table—conservative values, being a woman, the right age, and that she is African-American.
McLain’s talk radio program airs in the afternoon on WORD 1330 from 3 to 6 Monday through Friday.

Posted 11:45 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 31

Dr. David Woodard addresses GCRWC

Dr. David Woodard, a political scientist who serves as a political consultant for Republican candidates, addressed the Greenville County Republican Women's Club Jan. 24 at their monthly luncheon at the Poinsett Club. 

He analyzed the Republican and Democratic primaries in South Carolina, Florida and the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5.

Dr. Woodard has been a professor in the political science department at Clemson University since 1983.  He teaches political theory, political parties, politics and the cinema and American government.   

Successful candidates include the following:  Bob Inglis for Congress, 1992; Lindsey Graham for Congress, 1994 and 1996; Jim DeMint for Congress, 1998;, Bob Peeler for Lieutenant Governor, 1994; George W. Bush for President, 2000; Gresham Barrett for Congress, 2002; and Jim DeMint for Senate, 2004.

Dr. Woodard is the author of several books.  His last book is Why We Whisper:  Losing Our Right to Say It's Wrong.  He co-authored this book with Sen. Jim DeMint.  

Here is a photo of Mary Carolyn Garton (left) and Faye Jay with Rep. Gresham Barrett.

 

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