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Constituent Service Staff Spotlight: Candice Boatwright
Posted by Kelly Long 12/03/2008 - 03:18:07 PM
Candice Boatwright, constituent service representative


I remember reading one of those employee handbooks upon taking my first job with a United States. congressman. You know the kind of handbook I am talking about -- page after page that reads like it was written by a bunch of lawyers and bean-counters wearing pocket protectors (now that I think about it, it probably was written by a bunch of lawyers and bean-counters wearing pocket protectors).

At any rate, I still remember one sentence from that handbook nearly 10 years later. It read something like this: each member of the U.S. Congress has the privilege of representing his or her constituents in making an argument or presenting a case before agencies of the U.S. government.

That is quite a responsibility -- to make the case of a constituent back home. It is a responsibility that Sen. Jim DeMint has always taken seriously. He devotes a great deal of his resources to ensuring that his constituents are well served and that their problems are heard by the right people. However, what some may not realize is that it is not just DeMint writing that letter, or making that phone call; he is usually being assisted by a young, dedicated staffer who knows how to work with people to cut through the red tape. When DeMint goes to bat for a constituent back home, a constituent service representative is usually standing beside him at the plate.

One such CSR is Candice Boatwright, of Lexington. I first met Candice when she was a young intern completing her political science degree at Winthrop. She drove from Rock Hill to Columbia twice a week to help staff answer phones and edit letters. Keep in mind that gas wasn’t cheap, parking wasn’t free, and we were paying her what we are able to pay all of our interns -- nothing. One could easily see her talent and potential.

Candice did not always plan on working in the office of a U.S. senator. She had always wanted to be a teacher -- another high calling. “For as long as I can remember,” Candice told me recently, “I knew I would one day teach fourth graders. It’s just what I thought I was made to do.” But her path changed during her junior year at Lexington High School. “I had this civics teacher who drove me crazy with her particular philosophy of government; a really nice lady, but we just disagreed. I knew in my heart that I had to be involved. I had to work with people who were committed to a conservative government.”

So I guess we lucked out, but somewhere in South Carolina there is a classroom full of fourth graders who aren’t so lucky. (There is always time for a second career down the road.)

That civics teacher wasn’t the only one who steered Candice to forsake the classroom for the congressional caseload; her father was a tremendous influence. “My dad retired after 25 years in the Air Force Reserves, so I grew up with the appreciation of our servicemen and women,” she said. “I think watching my dad all those years -- he was, and is, devoted to his country -- it made me want to serve my country at some capacity. I wanted to do what I could to help people, like my dad did.”

Candice and her fellow CSR’s are a devoted crew. They have a daunting task at times; DeMint’s office averages about 2,900 cases each year. They are not always able to do exactly what the constituent wants; in fact, at times there is nothing at all a constituent service representative, and for that matter a senator, can do to resolve a problem someone is experiencing. But I watch these folks work, and I am always amazed at how devoted they are to each case – to each constituent. Regardless of the outcome, they do what they can to help.

Candice, who moved back home and will soon be married to another Lexingtonian, is charged with helping constituents with Social Security, Medicare, Department of Labor and IRS issues. She manages cases from all over the state, but her primary office is in Columbia. She has been a part of Team DeMint since the summer of 2005.
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Davy Hite: On the Water... and Off
Posted by Kelly Long 09/18/2008 - 05:51:22 PM
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A 15-year veteran of professional bass fishing, Davy Hite has caught hundreds of memorable fish. But to this day, one he recalls as particularly important.

“I was five years old, walking the banks of Lake Murray at my grandparents’ place, throwing a topwater plug when he hit.” It is a moment that devoted bass fisherman can recall – their very first bass. The tension of the line. The bend of the rod. The splash of a largemouth trying to shake itself loose. It is no doubt thrilling for anyone to experience, but for countless youngsters, it becomes an immediate fascination.

The fish was not a trophy, but it was Davy Hite’s first bass. There on the banks of Lake Murray, the young fisherman was instantly hooked. Throughout his childhood, Davy fell in love with chasing the illusive freshwater predator.

A natural competitor, Davy entered his first tournament at age twelve. “I found that I really enjoyed the competitive aspect of bass fishing,” he told me during a recent interview. “I used to cut grass to get enough money for entry fees.” At the age of thirteen, Davy outfished a field of seasoned anglers to take third place in a local bass tournament. It was the second competition he had ever fished. He fell short of the first place prize, but tasting victory set in motion a dream that Davy would chase for the next ten years.

“I’ve always dreamed of doing this for a living,” Davy says of competitive bass fishing. “Its one thing to enjoy your work, but to actually live out a dream? Its just incredible.”

But it’s a dream that comes with its share of risk. An old Chinese proverb says that pearls don’t lie on the seashore; he who truly desires one must dive for it. For Davy, the first great risk was simply diving in. “There is so much uncertainty at the front end of a career like this,” he says. “I always felt I had what it took to do this for a living, but I had to walk away from a stable job to get here. I had to be willing to risk it.” Until 1993, Davy worked for the South Carolina National Guard. The Saluda native was making $30,000 a year at the time, and he and his wife Natalie were just starting a family who would depend on him. “I had no idea if I could find someone to sponsor me, or if I could keep a sponsor year to year,” he says. Sometimes you just have to dive in. That’s the element of Davy Hite’s character that makes him an interesting tournament fisherman; he’s willing to take big risks.

But the risk paid off. His very first year as a professional angler, Davy qualified to fish the Bassmaster Classic, the superbowl of competitive bass fishing. Fellow angler David Fritts won that championship on Lake Logan Martin in Birmingham, Alabama, but by simply qualifying, Davy had accomplished a great deal his first year in the sport. In a recent edition of the South Carolina Sportsman, Davy wrote about the experience: “I can remember that nobody followed me. I was sitting there fishing one day, and I saw 30 or 40 spectator boats following Denny Brauer, thinking about what it would be like to have that happen.”

Throughout his first years, there were tastes of success and the sting of defeat. He recalls the most crushing moment of his professional fishing career as the second place finish in the 1996 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama’s Lay Lake. In the closing moments of the championship, George Cochran of Hot Springs, AR edged him out of first place by one pound. “It was a real punch in the gut for me,” Davy recalls. “I thought I had the tournament won. I was the last one to weigh in, which usually means you’ve got it in the bag. At the last minute, it slipped away from me. I was devastated.”

In 15 years since he left his ‘stable’ job, Davy has achieved phenomenal success. He’s fished in twelve Bassmaster Classics. In 1999, 22 years after fishing his first tournament, Davy stood on stage at the final weigh in of the Bassmaster Classic held on Louisiana Delta. This time, he won, edging out by five pounds long time pro Denny Brauer, whose fanbase he had envied just six years prior on the water in Birmingham.

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In his career with B.A.S.S., Davy has finished in the top fifty 111 times. He has twice won the coveted Angler of the Year, once in 1997 and again five years later. Beyond his career on the Bassmaster trail, Davy holds the prestigious title of 1998 FLW Tour Champion. And he’s earned the respect on his fellow anglers.

I recently spoke to ESPN’s Mark Zona about Davy Hite. He reiterated the importance of Davy’s capacity to accept risk. “The most important thing you need to understand about Davy Hite is that he is a home run hitter. He is not there to play it safe and have a respectable finish. He is not there to inch up in the points. Davy comes to the ramp every morning of a competition with one finish in mind – first place.” It is this quality of Davy’s fishing style that other competitive anglers admire. “There are a ton of great anglers out there,” Zona says. “But Davy Hite is absolutely dangerous.”

Two time Classic Champion Kevin Vandam from Kalamazoo, MI also speaks with high regard of the South Carolinian. During a recent telephone interview, Vandam acknowledged how versatile Davy was on the water. “This guy can put fish in the boat anywhere from Maine down to the Carolinas.” Davy credits his versatility to growing up fishing in South Carolina. “You’ve got so many different conditions here. You’ve got the clear, open water of Murray. You’ve got the timber on Santee Cooper. You’ve got the docks down on Hartwell. Fishing here makes you better in all circumstances.”

Vandam also spoke about Davy’s competitive style. “Davy does not show up to have a nice day on the water,” he says. “The man shows up to take first place.”

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Davy Hite is a highly-competitive and highly-successful bass fisherman. But there is much more to life than chasing largemouth bass. And there is much more to Davy Hite than just fishing.

“I admire what Davy accomplishes on the water,” Vandam says. “But what I admire most is how he treats his family. Our job takes us away from home a lot throughout the year, so it’s not always easy. But the way Davy raises his boys Parker and Peyton and the way he treats his wife – that’s pretty amazing.”

Zona agrees. “Davy is a focused competitor. When he is on the water, he is dangerous. But the true mark of a man is how he treats his family. That is Davy’s first priority.”

Professional bass fishing is a remarkable sport. Anglers spend years, in fact lifetimes, learning the patterns of a small predator, and perfecting the art of altering their fishing approach when those patterns change. There are a lot of technological advantages on the market these days, but it still comes down to an angler with a rod and reel trying to outwit a fish on his turf.

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But the more people I interviewed in preparation for this story, it became clear that what is truly remarkable about South Carolina’s most accomplished professional bass fisherman has little to do with fishing.

I interviewed Mark Zona by phone one afternoon from Greenville. We had a lengthy conversation about Davy and the sport in general. I hung up the phone and began to mentally blend Zona’s contributions into the story. But then he called me back. “Listen, this is really important,” Zona told me. “Hite is an incredibly talented fisherman. But the real story here is another side of Davy. I can remember Davy at a tournament years ago. In the middle of the tournament, with a lot of money on the line, Davy left the lake, packed up his gear and traveled back to South Carolina to watch his son play in a football game. At the time I could not believe it. I just could not understand why he would do that if he wanted to be a champion. But now that I am a dad – it makes perfect sense.”

Photographs are the property of ESPN Communications and have been used by permission.
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Habitat for Humanity in the 5th District
Posted by Kelly Long 08/11/2008 - 11:46:41 AM
Last month, my friends and colleagues in Senator DeMint’s Washington office, Legislative Assistant Kimberly Gluck and Legislative Correspondent Brian Eisele, spent a day working with the Lancaster Area YouthBuild.

YouthBuild is a remarkable organization. Max Melton, the executive director of Communities in Schools, describes it best: “We at YouthBuild work with Lancaster area youth (ages 17 through 24) who have not obtained their high school diploma. They enroll in a year-long General Education Degree course and spend time on a construction site with several YouthBuild advisors. We teach these young men and women a marketable construction skill and help them achieve their GED. In the process, our students build quality homes for Habitat for Humanity.”

I have worked a couple of times on a construction site with the young men and women of YouthBuild, and I walk away impressed with their work ethic and skill set. Kimberly, Brian and I had a great day hanging sheetrock and installing insulation on a 1,200 square foot home in downtown Lancaster. The old hands in the 2008 YouthBuild class were exceptional tutors for us.

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Kimberly and Eric ‘Jo Jo’ Thompson install insulation on the YouthBuild home. Jo Jo is an exceptional young man. He is one of the hardest working guys I have ever worked with. This quality will serve him well in life.

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Brian and Michael Miles hang sheetrock on the ceiling of a bedroom of the YouthBuild home. I have worked with Michael a couple of times. It is easy to tell that he knows his way around a construction site and that he has earned the respect of his YouthBuild advisors Chris Smith and Danny Reed.

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YouthBuild Executive Director Max Melton speaks with Ruth McCrae of CN2 about the home his team is building. Max is one of the founders of this program and has been key to its success. Max told me last year that he knew very little about construction prior to his joining YouthBuild, but his work now is changing lives.

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Brian Eisele takes a break with Michael Benson and Robert Totherow. Robert has nearly finished his YouthBuild program and has already received a couple of job offers. My first day working with YouthBuild I helped a team build that front porch. I will remember that day very well; I had only been on the site three minutes when I accidently shot YouthBuild Advisor Chris Smith in the hand with a semi-automatic nail gun. Chris wondered aloud if I would be more help to the building effort operating a paintbrush.

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Kimberly talks with YouthBuild student Patrick Benson. A day after our site visit in late May, Patrick became a proud graduate of Lancaster High School.

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Kimberly and Jo Jo finished insulating the great room in mere minutes. Later, I asked Jo Jo what he thought of his new work partner. “She is a hard worker,” he told me. “She is not afraid to get her hands dirty.”

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Left to right: Chris Smith, Patrick Benson, Brian Eisele, Kimberly Gluck, Eric Thompson, Brandon McElwain, Danny Reed and Robert Drakeford. Some of the YouthBuild students and advisors had been called off-site to work on other projects. The YouthBuild advisors, like Smith, Reed and Drakeford, are vital to the success of the program. They not only teach a marketable skill to these young men and women; they mentor them and walk with them through various challenges in life. Their love and respect for the students is clear.
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Intern Spotlight: Will Andersen
Posted by Kelly Long 07/21/2008 - 10:40:24 AM
Throughout the year, but most especially in the summer, Sen. DeMint's D.C. office plays host to several interns looking to experience life in our nation's capital. Most hale from South Carolina, while a few trickle in from other parts of the country. Over the next few days we plan to spotlight the interns who have joined our staff this summer.

Introducing Will Andersen of Rock Hill, S.C.:


Greetings to all, and what an amazing time in history it is to live and work in our nation’s capital for Sen. Jim DeMint! As a native of Rock Hill I have lived in South Carolina for all of my life, and what a unique and wonderful experience it has been to be in Washington, D.C. I graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina in 2007 with a degree in biology, and I am currently a rising, second-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Through the American Medical Association’s Government Relations Internship Program, I have been blessed to work in Sen. DeMint’s office with his amazing and gifted staff and fellow interns.

While working on Capitol Hill, I plan to study, observe and research the political and legislative aspects of our nation’s health care system. Other interests of mine include the armed forces and national security, and I look forward to attending as many committee hearings, conferences and briefings that I can find. I have no doubt that this experience will help me in my endeavor to become an excellent physician for South Carolina, and as I pursue a career in medicine I will always remember the importance of actively participating in our governmental system. It is truly an honor to play a minor role in the political workings and mechanisms that drive our country, and I am sincerely grateful to Sen. DeMint and his office for this opportunity.
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The Lady in Black: A Story of the Darlington Raceway
Posted by Kelly Long 06/23/2008 - 01:40:22 PM
2008 Dodge Challenger 500 #1


An Economic Perspective

On the evening of Saturday, May 10, the normally quiet town of Darlington, South Carolina roared when the drivers, cars and fans of NASCAR returned for the running of the Darlington 500. Kyle Bush walked away the victor, but the race was a real win for the economy of Darlington and the surrounding area.

Owners of the track, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), recently completed a $10 million capital improvement project at the track, the largest one-time capital investment in the 58-year history of the storied facility. Track President Chris Browning acknowledged that the track improvements were vital to the raceway’s future. “There has been a genuine commitment to improve the racetrack and exceed our guests’ expectations,” he told me. “In the past three years we have spent nearly $12 million to repave the track, improve the tunnel and repave the aprons. Back in 2005 we spent $6 million to build new grand stands, adding 3,000 new seats.”

The commitment has paid off. This year Browning was able to announce the 500’s fourth consecutive sellout. Browning’s team sold tickets in all 50 states and five countries.

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 #6

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 #5

The exact impact of the 2008 race on the local economy is still undetermined, but Browning has commissioned an updated Economic Impact Study. (The last study in 2005 indicated a 20% increase in retail receipts for the Darlington/Florence area during race week.)

A Driver’s Perspective

Local service providers and retail outlets were not the only benefactors of the capital improvements. Race teams also noticed the difference. A week after the race, I spoke to 2004 Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch who ran among the top five for much of the race until mechanical issues with his right front suspension caused problems during a pit stop with less than 100 laps left to run.

“It is clear that the racetrack has made a lot of wholesale improvements,” he told me. “Darlington has acknowledged the changing times of NASCAR. The racetrack still has its character, but I was glad to see them upgrade the Lady in Black.” (Referring to the track’s nickname due to the black scars left on the wall following the race.) It was clear talking to Busch that he was not only a driver, but an historian of the sport. “In many ways the track has changed,” he said. “But again, it’s still the same.”

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The black scars left on the wall behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s Mountain Dew car give the track its nickname, The Lady in Black


The great drivers in the history of Darlington, like David Pearson, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt, all had success on the track by running cautious and methodical and slowly making their way through the field. As veteran Darrell Waltrip words it, they “stayed out of trouble and let the race come to them.”

The infamous wall at the racetrack has been known to give many drivers too aggressive for the track their “Darlington stripes.” But the new smooth surface and SAFER Barrier System has made Darlington a new animal. This year, cars ran faster and drivers found that aggression (which historically put cars in jeopardy at Darlington) paid off. Kurt Busch told me that they approached 200 miles per hour at Turn Three, and his younger brother Kyle won the race after running aggressive all night long.

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Turn Three at Darlington Raceway


Jeff Gordon stayed in the top five all night and took care of his car. As Darrell Waltrip said, it was a typical Gordon Darlington race. Greg Biffle drove an excellent race and came into the race with the car to beat but fell victim to pit trouble. Carl Edwards started far back in the field but worked his way up to contender status. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran well in practice and qualifying, led for 35 laps and ended the night with a fourth place finish.

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A Historical Perspective

The Darlington Raceway was once home of the Southern 500, a 500-mile Sprint Cup Series race, from 1950 until 2004. The first running in 1950 was NASCAR’s first 500-mile event. For many years, the Southern 500 was one of the sport’s premier events and was known as one of the four Crown Jewels on the circuit. In 2005, the Southern 500 was removed from the NASCAR schedule and Darlington’s Spring race was moved to May.

The track is a unique, egg-shaped design resulting from the landowner’s refusal to remove a minnow pond from the western end of the track. This shape makes it difficult for crews to configure their cars to handle both ends of the track.

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 #3

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 #7

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Intern Spotlight: Betty B. Krupa
Posted by Kelly Long 06/18/2008 - 09:29:40 AM
Throughout the year, but most especially in the summer, Sen. DeMint's D.C. office plays host to several interns looking to experience life in our nation's capital. Most hale from South Carolina, while a few trickle in from other parts of the country. Over the next few days we plan to spotlight the interns who have joined our staff for the month of June.

Introducing Betty B. Krupa of Owings Mills, Md.:


Hello to all of you from Washington, D.C. I attend Stevenson University which is formally known as Villa Julie College. I plan on graduating a semester early this coming December with a degree in human services. I have a strong desire to help people in need and enjoy motivating people. Back at home, I am a spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, help with the establishment of the Maryland Chapter of the Foster Care Alumni of America, work for a psychotherapist. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends who I love dearly.

I have always had a strong interest in politics, because I feel that it has impacted my life greatly and helped define the person that I am today. I was presented with the honor to deepen my passion for politics through a program called the Congressional Collation on Adoption Institute. The goal of the program is to bring about awareness on adoption and foster care issues to members of the U.S. Congress and to gain appreciation for all the admirable work constituents have help with on these issues. I love the phrase strive to “be all that you can be,” and I feel that interning here at Sen. DeMint’s office is allowing me to do so. I love working here with the senator’s staff and exploring Washington’s exciting tourist hot spots like the Library of Congress. Everyday here on the Hill is an innovating and a rewarding experience that I am happy to be part of. Thanks to Sen. DeMint, his staff and everyone who is supporting me on my journey to success.
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An Interview With a Soldier
Posted by Kelly Long 06/10/2008 - 04:26:34 PM
I read an article last month in the Cherokee Chronicle about a man in Gaffney named Willie Crosby. Folks from the area might recognize that name. He has served as a member of the Cherokee County District One School Board for the last 12 years and taught Junior ROTC for 17 years. But service has been a life-long endeavor for Crosby. Prior to his teaching career, he served 26 years in the United States Army.

What is extraordinary about this soft-spoken individual is the commitment to the Armed Services that runs throughout his family. In the last three Crosby generations, 11 men have served in uniform. Crosby and each of his five brothers served, and he passed that commitment on to his son, Stanley. Willie Crosby’s service included tours in the Arctic Circle, Germany, Korea and two tours in Vietnam.

I spoke to Crosby about his service in Vietnam. He was a Company First Sergeant in the Fourth Infantry Division. During his two tours in a war zone, Crosby and the 105 soldiers in his charge conducted search and clear missions and search and destroy missions. He described his time in Pleico, Dakto and Kontum, South Vietnam as laborious, tedious and life-changing work.

“We would wake the soldiers up at five o’clock in the morning usually and send out a small sweep (a five member team) to check the parameter. Once the parameters were clear and the day had begun, we would send out three platoons to find and engage the enemy. Most of the contact was with NVA (North Vietnamese Army). Unlike the Viet Cong, the NVA was a lot like us: young, less experienced and fighting in a foreign terrain.”

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I asked Crosby what sustained him on the front lines of one of the nation’s harshest military conflicts. “Your job,” he replied. “That’s what sustains you – getting your job done. You want to get your guys back home safe and healthy. You don’t focus on yourself as much; you focus on your mission.”

Crosby told me that despite his training at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, the best preparation he received before heading off to Vietnam was the on-the-job training he received in Korea. “The terrain is very similar there. Lots of vegetation and a tough climate. At different times of the year, Korea is the hottest and the coldest place I have ever been.”

Crosby said that he was not prepared for the rain in Vietnam. “You could not stay dry. It rained solid four months out of the year."
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At one point earlier in the discussion, I had asked him how he dealt with challenges on the school board back in Gaffney. “Very simple,” he said. “Do your job and don’t worry about what you cannot control.” Always looking for connections when I interview folks, I asked Crosby if that is the same philosophy that worked much earlier in Vietnam. “Not at all,” he replied with a smile. “In combat, you worry about absolutely everything.”

Willie Crosby described his last tour as the blessing of the bunch. He was stationed in Charlotte, North Carolina as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the 108th Army Reserve, where he trained U.S. Army Reserve soldiers for four years. After many difficult tours all over the world, he ended his military service just a short drive up I-85.

Today, aside from his work with the school board, he is active in Concord Baptist Church where he has served as Morning Announcer and Church Historian. Years later, Crosby’s life is still about service. “My wife says I just don’t know how to say no,” he tells me. “They made me the Male Chorus Director, even though I don’t know the first note.”

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Mr. Crosby talked with me in his Gaffney living room, surrounded by pictures of his four sons and his wife, Annie.

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A Visit to Lancaster
Posted by Kelly Long 06/05/2008 - 04:50:40 PM
Lancaster CS Day 5
Constituent Service Representative Seth Blanton meets with several veterans affairs officials.

I recently visited the Lancaster area with Seth Blanton, a constituent service representative for Sen. DeMint, to provide local residents with assistance regarding federal issues. CN2, the local news station, provides the scoop:
People in Lancaster are getting the opportunity to express their concerns.

Senator Jim DeMint’s staff held a constituent service day at the County Administration Building. It allowed residents to ask questions or offer concerns.

“We’d like to be here to make sure that folks know that we care about their issues. We want to make sure that they know that they can contact us and we want to be accessible to them,” said Seth Blanton, Constituent Service Representative.

One of the main issues was gas prices.

“Our number one issue, if you look at what’s coming through the door and phone calls are gas prices. That’s really affecting people where they are, their food budget and their clothing budget. Really that’s affecting everyone’s bottom line right now,” continued Blanton.

Other concerns involved veteran’s issues, and Social Security disability.
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Lancaster CS Day 3
Seth Blanton during an interview with local news station CN2.

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Ooh-Rah! Team DeMint Attends ‘Marine Day’ at Quantico
Posted by Kelly Long 06/04/2008 - 10:59:31 AM
DeMint Staff, Marine Day 2008
Team DeMint (Ian Headley, Kelly Long, Chris Socha, Jennifer Rook and Ashley Holbrook)
poses with our fearless leader for the day, Sgt. LeMarche.

Last month, congressional staffers were invited to attend “Marine Day” in Quantico, Va. Several DeMint staffers joined up with a few Graham staffers to spend a day getting a better understanding of the role our U.S. Marines play in defending our country. To say we were impressed barely covers it. We heard stories from men and women who had deployed one, two, even three times. We saw the state-of-the-art equipment our Marines use to protect our freedom, and we even got hands-on experience with some of that equipment.

Some of us may have woken up that Friday morning with more working knowledge of the Marine Corps than others….but we all left that Friday night with a heightened understanding of what it means to be a Marine and renewed appreciation for those who give up so much to serve our country. We are proud of our Marines and we were honored to spend the day with them!

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We feasted on “delicious” Meals Ready to Eat produced in Mullins, S.C.
(You haven’t lived until you’ve seen people fight over a strawberry milkshake that consists of powdered milk and lukewarm water.)


Marine Day Speaker
South Carolina native, Brig. Gen. Mike Regner, welcomes visitors to Quantico.

Marine Day

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Constituent Service Day for Lancaster Area
Posted by Kelly Long 06/02/2008 - 11:30:47 AM
The office of Sen. Jim DeMint will hold a Constituent Service Day for the Lancaster area on Wednesday, June 4.

Please join me, Kelly Long, regional director for the 5th Congressional District, and Seth Blanton, a constituent service representative, at the Lancaster County Administration Building Wednesday morning where we will be available to assist citizens seeking help with veterans’ issues, the grants process, Social Security disability and any other federal issues.
  • Where: Eldridge Emory Conference Room, 1st Floor, Lancaster County Administration Building, 101 N. Main Street, Lancaster, S.C.

  • When: 10:00am-12:00pm, Wednesday, June 4, 2008

For more information, please contact Sen. DeMint’s Greenville office at (864) 233-5366 and ask for Seth Blanton.
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Regional Director
Kelly Long
1901 Main St
Suite 1475
Columbia, SC 29201
Map It!

P: 803-771-6112
F: 803-771-6455
About the Regional Director
Kelly Long has served at various capacities for Jim DeMint for nearly 10 years in his South Carolina offices. He grew up in Spartanburg and graduated from the USC Upstate. Kelly currently resides in Lexington with his wife and two children.
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