NEW YORK — South Carolina Republicans were still abuzz Tuesday after the opening speeches at the GOP national convention.

It was the chief topic of discussion among the delegates at their breakfast meeting.

“ Rudy Giuliani hit one out of the ballpark,” S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster said, referring to the former New York City mayor and GOP darling.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who introduced U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said, “I told John he has delivered some good speeches and that he has given some bad ones. But this one last night was his best.”

For Graham, it was the first time he had used a TelePrompTer. He said it took some getting used to. Given his druthers, he’d speak off-the-cuff, but that’s not allowed at this heavily scripted event.

Giuliani, however, did abandon his text several times, making it difficult for the person operating the TelePrompTer. You can get away with that if you’re Rudy.

MAKING HIS OWN FUN

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jim DeMint said speaking to the sporadically attended Monday afternoon session was a lot of fun — “even though nobody was paying attention.”

His fellow South Carolinians in the convention hall were, though, and their hoots and cheers echoed across the mostly-empty Madison Square Garden.

The Greenville congressman surely picked up a few more viewers on C-SPAN, too.

AN OFFER HE COULDN’T REFUSE

DeMint sat in the box of Vice President Dick Cheney during Monday night’s opening session.

Asked how all that came about, DeMint was dumbfounded.

“I just got a call from on high, and I went. No questions asked.”

GUEST OF HONOR TO THE GUEST OF HONOR

A gala reception was held Monday night for U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Manhattan.

It was paid for by BellSouth, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Bose Corp., and Valenti and Associates.

Wilson’s wife, Roxanne, took Vanu Bose around and introduced him to the guests. Bose is the son of the founder and president of the company, which has a plant in Blythewood that employs more than 500 people.

“Isn’t he just the cutest thing you ever saw?” she said, holding his arm. “We need to get him to move to Columbia.”

Bose, a native of India who grew up in Boston, could do nothing but grin.

BIG APPLE PAYOFF

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee spoke at the delegation breakfast Monday and urged South Carolinians to send DeMint his way.

His presence would help strengthen the GOP majority in the Senate, where Republicans hold a one-seat advantage.

Frist put his money where his mouth is. His PAC contributed $10,000 to DeMint’s campaign. His Democratic opponent is Inez Tenenbaum.

HAIR OF THE ELEPHANT?

South Carolina delegates looked a little bleary-eyed at breakfast Monday. They partied into the early morning hours at a reception hosted by BMW.

State GOP chairman Katon Dawson took note of that.

“We have several people here who aren’t used to drinking firewater,” he said through squinty eyes.