According to Anti-Paul Gossip Page, SC's new Hero Has Problems

By The Editor of the Palmetto Scoop July 18, 2007 - 5:12 pm -

Here are his comments...

After months of public denials, a quote in Wednesday’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal may be a solid indicator that acerbic New Jersey native and controversial Spartanburg GOP Chairman Rick Beltram has pledged his support to former-Gov. Mitt Romney in the presidential primary.
“Romney still needs to convince voters, before Fred Thompson gets into the race… that he is the conservative answer to the GOP nominating process,” Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram said. “I’m hoping that he’s starting to see, for his sake, more significant traction.” [JASON SPENCER - Spartanburg Herald-Journal]
Party chairs are often expected to remain neutral during primaries as they represent the GOP rather than any particular candidate. And with one of the largest conservative-voting bases in the state, Spartanburg is vital to winning South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary. By backing Romney, Beltram risks destroying the credibility his position brings.
Back in March, Beltram caught flak for his embarrassing mismanagement of the Spartanburg Straw Poll - which appeared to many campaigns to be rigged for Romney. He announced the wrong results live on FoxNews, only to sheepishly admit the next day he had “found” ballots at his home. The real winner - Sen. John McCain - was announced long after the national media had left Spartanburg.
Beltram appears to be fashioning himself as the heir apparent to current state GOP chairman Katon Dawson. Days before this year’s State Republican Convention, it was rumored that Beltram was speaking with Romney’s S.C. campaign manager about challenging Dawson’s re-election bid. The plan never reached fruition, by shed light on his personal ambition.