DeMint launched two new television ads this week with some of South Carolina's GOP elite.

One ad features support from President Bush, even though the footage is three years old, and the other has Gov. Mark Sanford and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham asking voters to make DeMint the state's newest senator.

On Friday, DeMint, the congressman from Greenville, made campaign stops in Beaufort, West Columbia and North Augusta with Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss from Georgia.

Republican Reps. Joe Wilson and Gresham Barrett hit the campaign trail earlier in the week to rev up support for DeMint.

"It's a sign of strength," DeMint said. "We've got a strong Republican team and the only way to get everything done for South Carolina is to work with the president and the leadership in the party."

His opponent calls it a sign of desperation in a tight race with much at stake.

"It means, I think, that Jim needs all the help he can get right now and that's why he's going to get all these surrogates to help him," said Tenenbaum, who has received fund-raising support from retiring Democratic Sen. Fritz Hollings and the state's Democratic Reps. John Spratt and Jim Clyburn.

The candidates are vying to replace Hollings, who has held the seat for nearly 40 years.

Republicans and Democrats have pumped millions of dollars into the race because it could help decide which party controls the Senate, currently made up of 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and an independent.

Hollings and state Democratic Reps. John Spratt and Jim Clyburn have helped Tenenbaum raise money but haven't played much of a role on the campaign trail.

"I think that it just shows I've always been an independent campaigner," Tenenbaum said. "When I ran for state superintendent of education, I didn't have surrogates. I went out and met people and told them what I stood for."

Tenenbaum has based her campaign on being a moderate Democrat in a Republican-rich state. She calls herself an independent who is able to work on both sides of the aisle.

That has limited which Democratic leaders she can call on for support.

Tenenbaum will join Illinois' Democratic U.S Senate candidate Barack Obama at a rally Sunday in Columbia; however, she has kept her distance from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, who is largely viewed as a liberal in South Carolina.

Tenenbaum only reluctantly attended a rally in September with Kerry's running mate, John Edwards, who is a South Carolina native. Meanwhile, DeMint has had Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush stump on his behalf.

While DeMint attempts to link Tenenbaum to the liberal stigma of the national Democrats, Tenenbaum has called DeMint a "rubber stamp" for the GOP and challenged him to stand on his own two feet.

"She's standing in shoes that have been bought and paid for by the Democratic Party," DeMint said.

"They have spent more on this race, and they're not spending it for an independent."

Political experts say DeMint expects to ride the coattails of Bush, who carried the state four years ago with 57 percent of the vote to Al Gore's 41 percent, while Tenenbaum has no choice but to go it alone.

"It's a very difficult race for a Democrat," said College of Charleston political scientist Bill Moore. "A Democrat running a statewide race in South Carolina emphasizes South Carolina roots. They don't tie themselves to the national party."

He said Graham's appearance on the campaign trail with DeMint is something new for a South Carolina senator. Traditionally, Hollings and the late Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond, who was replaced by Graham in 2002, never campaigned for other candidates.

Emory University political scientist Merle Black said Hollings was re-elected time after time as a Democrat because South Carolinians like to vote for incumbents.

"The South Carolina Democrats really need a win," Black said. "If they don't win this time, then it's really uphill in the future because Senator Graham appears to be in a very strong position to stay there as long as he wants."

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