State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin, speaking at a Spartanburg County rally Thursday, said the Washington, D.C.-based group Freedom's Answer offered to provide volunteers for the Feb. 3 primary.

However, the nonprofit and nonpartisan organization -- founded by Republican Doug Bailey and Democrat Mike McCurry after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- said the state GOP had to give its blessing for the volunteers to be used.

Erwin said the Republican response was, "No, we don't want those young people working in this election, and if you do this, we may file a lawsuit against you because it's a partisan event."

South Carolina is one of only two states in which political parties pay for their own presidential primaries.

South Carolina Democrats have said they must raise an estimated $500,000 to fund the primary. Since President Bush is running for re-election, the Republicans won't hold a primary next year, saving them the cost of opening polling places across the state.

The state Republican Party confirmed Friday that it would not give its approval for the volunteers, but GOP Chairman Katon Dawson said Erwin was using the response as an excuse for the Democrats' inability to put on a primary.

"This is a desperate act by a desperate group," Dawson said.

He said if the Democrats don't have to pay pollworkers, then more money will go to Democratic candidates when they face Republicans next fall. "Why would the South Carolina Republican Party allow Democrats a chance to save money on the presidential primary and then use it later against the GOP?" Dawson said in a statement Friday.

He said he didn't understand why Freedom's Answer needed his permission. "I don't oversee them, and I don't fund them. I can't believe that they need my approval," Dawson said.

He also said the Republican Party had no plans to file a lawsuit if the organization did participate.

The Democrats are "broke and they have enough problems without us having to do that," he said. "If I could offer them any advice, it would be to go back to the drawing board and get new candidates instead of the kooks they've got now."

Bailey said Friday that his group encourages high school students to get involved in politics and that the primary was seen as a prime way to let the teens learn about the process. "I talked with one student in particular today ... I think it's fair to say he was disappointed," Bailey said.

However, he said Freedom's Answer would not proceed without the blessing of both parties. "We thought the best thing was to back off," Bailey said. "It just seems so sad."

Erwin said he appealed to Republican Gov. Mark Sanford as the "moral leader of the party."

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