Free Republic

Vitter leads Senate candidates in campaign fund-raising The Associated Press U.S. Rep. David Vitter, the lone Republican in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race, has surged well ahead of his two major Democratic opponents in fund-raising, according to finance reports. Vitter's campaign said Monday that he had raised $1.75 million in the third quarter -- the period covering July 18 to Sept. 30 -- and had $3.25 million in the bank as the Nov. 2 primary campaign moves into the final stretch. He has raised $6.1 million for the entire election, which is expected to go to a Dec. 4 runoff. His...

On NBC's "Meet the Press," Republican Rep. Jim DeMint and Democrat School Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum argued over a national sales tax, educational funding, homosexual rights, and abortion. Moderator Tim Russert seemed clearly in the Tenenbaum camp, asking repeated questions designed to put DeMint on the defensive. DeMint did not take the offense: he even kept using the word "apologize" for his past campaign stances. For Republicans, DeMint's performance was nothing short of demoralizing. DeMint spent most of his air time "apologizing" for past remarks questioning the desirability of homosexuals to teach in public schools or to adopt children. He said...

Expect ‘real war’ in Senate race By LEE BANDY Staff Writer Now comes the tough task — winning the U.S. Senate seat in November. Nothing is guaranteed. Whoever wins will have to earn it. The challenge for both Democratic nominee Inez Tenenbaum and Republican victor Jim DeMint is to win a lion’s share of the state’s 280,000 swing voters. Those voters are going to determine this race. There are not enough Democrats or Republicans to elect one of their own to statewide office. According to most recent exit polls, 40 percent of South Carolinians call themselves Republicans, 32 percent Democrats...

<p>COLUMBIA, S.C. — State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum said Wednesday she will run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings' seat.</p> <p>The 52-year-old Tenenbaum said her decision had hinged on Hollings, who said earlier this month he would not seek re-election to the seat he first won in 1966.</p>