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Article published Apr 7, 2004
Republican Senate hopefuls trade jabs
Tony Taylor
Staff
Writer
Republicans running for South Carolina's open U.S. Senate
seat took each other to task Tuesday night on gay marriage, immigration and
trade policies during the first of back-to-back debates in the Upstate.Four of
the six candidates competing in the June 8 primary participated in Tuesday
night's debate at Spartanburg Technical College.Former Gov. David Beasley and
former Attorney General Charlie Condon were absent. Both candidates said they
had prior commitments. But Beasley and Condon are scheduled to participate
intonight's televised debate at Furman University.Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark
McBride poked fun at Beasley and Condon's absence throughout the night by
referring questions to both candidates.Deb Sofield, a former Greenville City
Councilwoman and the debate's moderator, said it was a mistake for Beasley and
Condon to skip the Spartanburg debate.Each of the candidates played to the
county's conservative voter base by voicing their opposition to gay marriage and
citing their desire to bring Biblical principals into government.Bluffton
businesswoman Orly Benny Davis said the most important issue facing South
Carolina today is education. Davis said the education system could be improved
by focusing on the Bible and a belief in God.Davis said her first piece of
legislation would be a bill recognizing God in South Carolina and to ensure the
right to practice religion freely.Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride said he is
opposed to gay marriage and civil unions between lesbians and gays."That's what
it says in the Bible and that's what I believe," McBride said.U.S. Rep. Jim
DeMint said allowing gay marriage would promote homosexuality.And Charleston
real estate developer Thomas Ravenel said a Constitutional amendment banning gay
marriage was necessary to prevent "liberal judges" from misinterpreting the
law.Each candidate sought to develop a message they believed would resonate with
the 60 or so people in attendance.Ravenel spoke repeatedly of his desire to
limit the size of federal government and increase individual freedom through
free enterprise."We're moving toward a socialist system," Ravenel said. "We need
to move away from central planning and grow our economy."DeMint emphasized his
six years representing the 4th Congressional District and touted some of his
legislative initiatives in Social Security reform and free trade.McBride
criticized Congress for not doing enough to create jobs and enforce tougher
trade agreements to protect American workers."No country or society has survived
without manufacturing," McBride said.All of the candidates agreed the United
States has a problem with illegal immigration.But their solutions to the problem
differed.Davis said immigrants should be allowed to remain in the country if
they are working. She said American manufacturers were looking for
workers.DeMint advocated a guest worker program where immigrants could enter the
country legally."It's easier to get into the country illegally than it is
legally," DeMint said. "Immigrants do jobs Americans will not do if they can
find something better."Ravenel agreed that farm jobs, such as those performed by
migrant workers, would be better suited for immigrants.But he said the plan
advocated by President Bush was impractical.McBride said a guest worker plan was
wrong for South Carolina."I'm sick of hearing people say we need guest workers
because we don't have workers in our country," McBride said.Tony Taylor can be
reached at 562-7219 or tony.taylor@shj.com.