George Allen, a Virginia Republican weighing a 2008 run for the White House, wowed delegates to the annual South Carolina GOP convention here Saturday with some old-fashioned fire and brimstone.

“It’s time to put the pedal to the metal,” the first-term U.S. senator told some 1,200 delegates and alternates at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Allen tossed red meat after red meat to the crowd. They ate it up.

Delegates cheered as he took potshots at federal education bureaucrats who attempt to “dumb down” state standards.

They applauded his appeal to the Bush administration to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

They whistled and hollered when he declared, “There is no substitute for victory” in the war against terrorists.

And the former Virginia governor brought the delegates to their feet with his “paycheck penalty” proposal, which would penalize members of Congress if they fail to pass all appropriation bills by the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1 by withholding their paychecks.

“He’s our nominee,” Columbia delegate Rusty DePass said. “I don’t know about (his chances of winning) the White House.”Afterwards, Allen and his wife, Susan, a Columbia native, were mobbed by delegates seeking to have their picture taken with the couple or to autograph the convention program.

“He is fantastic,” said Samuel Cerezo, a Camden delegate.

Wayland Moody of Summerville called Allen “one of the front-runners.”

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., already has endorsed Allen for president.

Allen has visited South Carolina at least a half a dozen times in the last year and a half. He is emerging as the conservative alternative to U.S. John McCain, R-Ariz., the national front-runner.

The state convention wrapped up a weekend of campaigning, which began with the annual Silver Elephant Banquet, the party’s largest fundraising event of the year. The event raised over $200,000.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, the keynote speaker, told the crowd to stay focused on the 2006 elections and not to be distracted by 2008.

South Carolina is site of the first primary in the South.

“There’s nothing that we can do in ’06 that will be as crucial to electing a Republican president in ’08 as winning election in 2006,” he said.

Gov. Mark Sanford spoke briefly at the convention, thanking the delegates and alternates for their support. He stayed the whole time, mingling and exchanging pleasantries with the delegates.

The hot-button issue this year was immigration, and U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., drew the biggest applause.

“We need to secure our borders,” he said. “We don’t need to reward those who come here illegally with citizenship and voting rights.”

Toward the end of the convention, members of the state’s congressional delegation, statewide elected officials and those seeking higher office got a chance to briefly address the convention.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, recently caught driving 101 mph and not ticketed, got a mixed reception. Half of the delegates remained seated when he was introduced.

“I’m excited to be your lieutenant governor,” he said, “and I’m looking forward to serving you four more years.”

The response was tepid.

“He’s toast,” Columbia-based consultant Richard Quinn said.

Bauer’s mother, Jill, stood inside the hall holding a huge poster that said, “Please vote for my son, Andre.”

“I didn’t teach him how to drive,” she insisted. “He must slow down.”

The only real fireworks came when statewide candidates were given two minutes each to speak.

Jeff Willis of Easley, a candidate for state treasurer, suggested that his primary rival, Sen. Greg Ryberg of Aiken, was trying to buy the office with $2 million of his own money. He called it sinful to spend that kind of money on a political campaign when so many veterans couldn’t afford a home.

On the way off the platform, he was confronted by Ryberg’s wife, Betty, who let him have it for a comment she deemed unfair.

Reach Bandy at (803) 771-8648.