| Condon formally announces for U.S. Senate CHARLESTON, S.C. -- With not a campaign poster or bumper sticker in sight, former Attorney General Charlie Condon announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate Tuesday with a 30-minute speech on the war on terrorism. ''Winning this war is the central calling of our time and the central problem of the 21st century," Condon said in the address, in which he mentioned his candidacy only twice. ''As a United States senator from South Carolina, I would make it my foremost mission to ensure that freedom is safeguarded at home and nurtured abroad." Condon spoke at The Citadel's alumni house before a crowd of 40 people including family, supporters and some students. The backdrop was a white wall with the American and state flags. Condon is seeking the Republican nomination for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Ernest ''Fritz" Hollings, who is retiring after more than three decades in Washington. At least three others are seeking the GOP nomination - U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint of Greenville, Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride and Thomas Ravenel, a Lowcountry real estate developer. Condon said later while he is not abandoning the retail politics of bumper stickers and yard signs, the campaign will largely consist of speeches outlining his positions. ''The voters understand these issues are complicated and are looking for a substantial and substantive discussion," he said. ''Those looking for a traditional, shallow, sloganeering campaign - this won't be for them." ''What Condon is doing is taking the advice of his political consultants and not appear to be the shooting-from-the-hip Charlie Condon of the past," said Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen. ''Condon is a pretty bright guy. Maybe this different sort of approach - nontraditional for him and for campaigning in South Carolina - may ... go better for him," Thigpen said. Condon, a former Charleston-area prosecutor who served two terms as South Carolina attorney general, ran unsuccessfully last year for governor. In his speech, he said he supports President Bush's policy of disarming terrorists and hostile states before they can attack America. But, noting his experience as a prosecutor, Condon said he has concerns about how American is handling homeland security. ''The answers lie not in bigger budgets, but in properly focused effort," he said. He said he would ''de-emphasize the grand sweep of the homeland security bureaucracy" to focus on suspected terrorist enclaves. ''This focus means not devoting our homeland security energies toward demanding that elderly ladies remove their shoes at airports," he said. Condon said he would work to ensure law enforcement, intelligence and immigration databases are better integrated, to tighten policies on visitor visas and to push for development of drugs to treat people injured in biological attacks. Saudi Arabia and China ''clearly fit within President Bush's vision of hostile regimes, but have not received the kind of skeptical treatment they deserve," Condon added. Democrats seeking Hollings' seat include Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, state Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum and Camden native Marcus Belk. Thigpen said DeMint would have to be considered the early GOP front-runner, considering 40 percent of the vote in any Republican statewide primary is cast in the Upstate. DeMint is from Greenville. ''But I wouldn't count Condon out. Charlie can stir up those Republicans out in the precincts. They know him and they like him, although, from a geographical point of view and where the votes are, you have to give DeMint the edge right now," Thigpen said. DeMint also has the edge in raising money. Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission last month show DeMint had raised just under $1 million for the race while Condon had raised about $450,000. Last year, Lindsey Graham spent $5.7 million to win the seat that was held by Strom Thurmond. Democrat Alex Sanders, raised $4.3 million in his losing bid for that seat.
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