Hollings throws support to Kerry for state primary

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"I've been elected seven times to the Senate by South Carolinians, and I owe it to them to tell them what I think. I believe John Kerry has the experience, judgment and character to lead this nation. In fact, I tried to get John Kerry to run four years ago. You can't agree 100 percent with anybody, but I know John Kerry is the right man."

Hollings made the announcement at a downtown Columbia hotel while Kerry was campaigning in New Hampshire, where primary voters go to the polls on Tuesday.

"John Kerry's record of fighting for working families, his commitment to fiscal discipline, his plan to restore manufacturing jobs, and his commitment to expand health care and make it more affordable," were among his reasons, Hollings said.

Kerry, one of seven remaining Democratic contenders, largely withdrew from South Carolina and the other six Feb. 3 primary states to concentrate on the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire.

"For goodness' sake, let's get on down here," Hollings urged when Kerry joined a conference call.

Kerry promised he would return to South Carolina "with a head of steam and talk common sense to the people down there about jobs lost and the jobs that are needed."

Having won in Iowa on Monday and now leading in New Hampshire, Kerry is faced with using his momentum to quickly rebuild a campaign in South Carolina, the next major contest after New Hampshire.

"We're rolling," he told Hollings. "I needed to take the time to break through, and we broke through in Iowa. Your endorsement not only has enormous impact on South Carolina, but here (in New Hampshire), because it sends a message nationally about the viability and message of my campaign."

Endorsements' value questioned

The value of endorsements has been called into question by the outcome in Iowa, where that state's top Democrat and big labor unions all backed also-rans.

The endorsement from Hollings is a major plus for Kerry, said Scott Huffmon, a Winthrop University political scientist.

"An endorsement from Fritz Hollings goes a long way," he said "You have (Hollings') name recognition, someone who has appealed to voters across the political spectrum, and it's a mainstream attraction, because Fritz Hollings is certainly not from the so-called liberal wing of the Democratic Party."

Phil Noble of Charleston, chairman of the state chapter of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, said Hollings' support would benefit anyone, but issued a cautionary note on the strength of brand-name endorsements.

"Times are changing, and endorsements generally get you more headlines than votes," he said. "If Iowa tells us anything, it's that people nowadays make up their own mind and endorsements mean less and less."

Noble cited the endorsement of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean by Sen. Tom Harkin, a dominant figure in Iowa politics, "and it obviously didn't do much good." Dean finished third, losing a wide lead in the final week.

Move shrugged off

Meighan Stone, South Carolina spokeswoman for retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, dismissed the endorsement, saying, "As we saw in Iowa, it's the candidate that wins the race, not endorsements."

Don Jones, a spokesman for Dean's campaign, expressed disappointment, but said, "It doesn't change our plans at all. We're still going to keep moving right ahead. We certainly would have loved it, though."

Jenni Engebretsen, spokeswoman for the campaign of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, said, "We look forward to working with Sen. Hollings when John Edwards is the Democratic nominee."

Edwards released a fresh batch of endorsements, including some former supporters of U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, who dropped out of the race after a fourth-place Iowa finish. Among them were Mayor Christopher Campbell of Eastover, president of the South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors, and state Rep. Leon Howard of Columbia. Others included elected Democrats from Lowcountry municipalities and counties.

Campbell described Edwards as "the best candidate to beat George Bush."

In making the endorsement, Hollings bypassed two Senate colleagues, Edwards and veteran Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Lieberman's campaign could not be reached for comment.

Late surges by Kerry and Edwards gave them a one-two finish in Monday's Iowa caucuses after weeks of middle-of-the-pack standings in the polls. Overnight Wednesday polls showed Kerry had eclipsed Dean for the lead in New Hampshire.

Clark and Lieberman did not campaign in Iowa, but are waging vigorous efforts in New Hampshire, South Carolina and elsewhere.

'Good, fine friends'

Hollings said the candidates are "all good, fine friends of mine and it doesn't give me any pleasure in a certain sense to come here. But the only fellow that I know that has the courage and the experience in every regard, who can really take President Bush on is John Kerry."

Speaking of Edwards, a first-term senator, Hollings said, "I know he was born here (in South Carolina) and he and I are good trial lawyers together, but he doesn't have nearly the experience to go all the way and really take that White House." Hollings said Edwards lacks Kerry's "hard experience."

Hollings was to fly to New Hampshire after the announcement and begin campaigning there with Kerry today.

Until Hollings' endorsement of Kerry, the most coveted nod in South Carolina was that of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of Columbia, one of the state's most influential black political figures. But Clyburn's choice, Gephardt, is gone from the scene.

Clyburn said Wednesday he will take his time before making another endorsement. But Ike Williams, his top aide who ran Gephardt's state campaign, jumped to Edwards. Dalton Tresvant, Midlands director in Clyburn's congressional office, joined the Edwards campaign.

Winthrop's Huffmon said, "Fritz Hollings has a long and storied career, but as far as gravitas in the Democratic primary, I still think the golden endorsement was Jim Clyburn's."

Hollings, who is retiring in January after 38 years in Washington, said he doesn't have a political organization like Clyburn, "but the voters who elected me seven times to the Senate are all around, (and) I hope that those who haven't made up their mind will stop, look and listen, because this is serious business."

Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.