Media, Candidates Move Into S.C.

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Greenville moved into the national political spotlight Wednesday.

With the New Hampshire primary history, candidates are focusing on the Super 7 states Feb. 3, including South Carolina. NBC News planned to have Tom Brokaw anchor Wednesday's broadcast live from downtown and Thursday night, Brokaw will moderate a presidential candidates debate at the Peace Center.

NBC crews were putting the finishing touches on the debate set Wednesday afternoon. It is a traveling set used for a debate in New York and for two debates in Iowa.

While the media moved in to South Carolina Wednesday, the only candidate campaigning in the state was North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. He was stumping in Orangeburg. He had planned to travel to Charleston, but got stuck in the snowstorm up north.

By Thursday afternoon, all seven Democratic candidates will be in Greenville for the debate and Greenville police said they will be ready.

"We have been well schooled. We know what we are doing in these types of situations," said Greenville police spokesman Lt. Mike Gambrell.

Greenville police have two presidential visits under their belt, the most recent being November when President George W. Bush visited BMW and the Palmetto Expo Center. Thursday, the Democratic candidates will be at the Allen Temple Church, the Peace Center and the Poinsett Hotel.

Police said they will use bomb-sniffing dogs to check out the locations and new downtown cameras will help them spot any trouble at the Peace Center.

"Usually, we don't monitor them 24 hours a day, but at the event tomorrow, we will have someone to monitor those," Gambrell said.

Police said that those attending the debate will have to pass through metal detectors and that bags or purses would be searched. Wednesday afternoon, representatives of the fire and police departments did walk-throughs with advance teams for all of the candidates.

"The team from each candidate will do a walk-through with the supervisors from the police department so they can see the layout, see where the candidates are supposed to go -- the entrances, the exits -- so they will be able to assist us with the travel of their candidate," Gambrell said.

Each of the candidates will also have his own security. Some of the current officeholders, such as Edwards, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Joe Lieberman, are protected by Capitol police.