Spartanburg GOP to Host Sen. Jim DeMint

Senator Jim DeMint will be visiting the world famous Beacon Drive-in on August 20th, 2010 from 3-5 pm.

This event is being sponsored by the Spartanburg GOP and NEWS Radio WORD will be broadcasting from The Beacon as well.

It is very fitting that DeMint is making a stop in Spartanburg during his re-election campaign.

For those of you who don’t remember, during the intense battle for Spartanburg County Chairman in 2009, then chairman Rick Beltram said he would be sitting on his hands when DeMint comes to Spartanbug in 2010.  Why?  DeMint endorsed his opponent in the State GOP race that ended up not being as highly contested as was once thought.

Beltram lost the county GOP race, withdrew from state GOP race and has been working on embarrassing the local party since, forming his own Republican club and most recently staging a meeting to oust write-in candidate Jimmy McMillan from the State House 36 race.

Is it Political Irony or Political Payback?  You tell us!

Spartanburg GOP Gubernatorial Debate

The Spartanburg GOP with WSPA (News Channel 7) will be hosting a debate for the 4 announced republican gubernatorial candidates on Friday, April, 23 starting at 7pm.

Spartanburg GOP with Gov. Haley Barbour

Private Reception with Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi, starting at 6:15 and ending at 7:30.

Costs and Sponsorships

Table (seats 8)- $1000.00
Bronze Elephant Members Table $800.00
Individual dinner tickets are $125.00
Bronze Elephant Members $100.00

RSVP to LaDonna at ryberta@yahoo.com or 864-906-5574

Make checks payable to Spartanburg County GOP, Box 5474, Sparanburg, SC 29304

GOP Upstate Golf Tournament

The GOP Upstate Golf Tournament will be held Monday, October 26 at River Falls in Duncan.  The format will be Captains Choice with a Shotgun start at 9 a.m.  The details for teams and sponsorships are in the attached brochure.  Please consider playing and sponsoring.  We still have several teams available.  The tournament proceeds will be split between the Spartanburg and Greenville County GOP.  If you know others who would be interested, please feel free to pass this information along.  Thank you!

Beltram’s New Gig – The Piedmont Republican Club

Beltram has been all but quiet since leaving the GOP, challenging the party leadership and even blasting it at times.  Such as a comment made on his Facebook profile after being presented an award for his long service in the county party at last weeks Bronze Elephant in Spartanburg.

“I rushed home from my sales trip to attend the Bronze Elephant event…..we only had 125 people and the local Dems had 350 at their event.  It is really too bad that we have fallen so far in just 6 months!!!  What has happened????”

As many of you may know, Beltram founded the Piedmont Republican Club immediately (12 days) after the county GOP decided they would unite (~75%) and remove him from his long held position as Spartanburg GOP Chairman.

While doing a little research today on Beltram’s Piedmont Republican Club, I stumbled across a book about Greenville written by Archie Vernon Huff. The book titled “Greenville: the history of the city and county in the South Carolina Piedmont“, even discusses some political discourse that took place in 1976 during Reagan’s rise to national prominence.

A group of individuals from the conservative right became excited and went to work in the Republican Party to help nominate Ronald Reagan.  As a result, the current leadership (1976) was ousted from power.  Those ousted from power, well, they formed the Piedmont Republican Club.

“They withdrew and formed a rival organization, The Piedmont Republican Club and blamed their ouster on the influence of Bob Jones University…until 1980 Greenville County had essentially two Republican parties, and the result was disastrous in local races.”

One has to wonder, is Beltram working to accomplish the same thing in 2010.  Let us know what you think in our poll and in the comments!

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