The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> ON THE FRITZ br> DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe was telling people on Tuesday that the Democrats would absolutely hold the Senate seat of retiring Fritz Hollings , after Columbia Mayor Bob Coble dropped out of the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate primary race. That leaves the Palmetto State's Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum as the likely Democratic nominee. /p>

Coble, who was viewed as more of a moderate compared to the far-left views of Tenenbaum, wasn't raising enough money to keep up with the state official, and even trailed businessman Marcus Belk. Belk is a businessman virtually unknown in Democratic Party circles, who is partially financing his campaign with his own money.

Perhaps McAuliffe was so happy because Coble's decision to step aside may have solved a second problem for the party in the state. Coble can take his war chest and donate it to the state party, which in turn would use the money to finance its primary. As it stands, the Democratic Party in South Carolina doesn't have the money to hold its primary in February.

"It would be great if Coble helped, but he didn't do conservative Democrats any favors by stepping down," says a Democratic activist in Charleston. "Tenenbaum is not a candidate many Democrats here would want to see in Washington. She's way too liberal."

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