State Rep. Douglas Jennings, Jr. on Lieberman's April visit to Bennettsville:
"Well he came to a town of 10,000 people and was the first presidential candidate in history ever to come to our town.  We had a town meeting in our local civic center in downtown Bennettsville, well attended, a packed crowd of people who asked him a variety of questions.  I was so proud of them, at their questions; I mean my friends and constituents who live in Marlborough County, one of the poorest counties in South Carolina, were intensely interested in his voting record and in issues from the war to homeland security to education and so it was a great meeting.  And I think it's an indication too of what emphasis he is putting on South Carolina and the fact that he has a full time staff person here assigned to South Carolina on the ground day to day is another indication that he's devoting the resources to us that he needs to."

...on his reasons for supporting Lieberman:
"I probably did not know a whole lot about Joe Lieberman before he got on the ticket in 2000.  I have always been interested in the DLC and active in the DLC, did know of him through the DLC because I was the chair of the South Carolina chapter of the DLC when he was the national chair.  So I did have the occasion to meet him through that connection.  I began to closely follow him in that election and I tell you I was so impressed with what a decent and honorable man he is and how much of a man of integrity he is and how that just comes through into everything he does.  It just made a huge impression on me. 

"I believe that he'd make a wonderful president and to be practical about it, I think he can win.  I think he can beat George Bush.  I think he can hold our party together, plus he can get swing voters, moderate-type voters that we've got to get to win, and that was a big, big part of my decision.

"I was the House Minority Leader here up until January and at the time, the last two years as I was House Minority Leader, I was, like all of us, I was courted by all the candidates, and I talked to all of them and have great respect for a number of them.  I know John Edwards personally; I think the world of him.  I'm very impressed with Sen. Kerry and with Congressman Gephardt, but I'll tell you, my thought about Joe Lieberman, what distinguishes him, is his values and his integrity as exemplified by the fact that he's not here today.  I think it takes tremendous courage to observed the Sabbath today and not be here.  And in the fact that he can win, and that we need to nominate the strongest candidate we can to win the White House back."

...on the process.
"All these Democrats in this room are going to unite behind the winner and that's what's wonderful about this process.  If Dick Gephardt, for example, is our candidate, I'll work tirelessly for him and the same for any other ones, and they will for us.  In the meantime, this is reinvigorating our state party."