Thompson Hopes S.C. Revives His Campaign

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Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris Receive Warm Welcome at Clemson

In a lively atmosphere rivaling a rock concert, Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris encouraged Clemson University students to vote Huckabee in Saturday's primary election.

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Thompson has been most aggressive here in challenging Huckabee, whose candidacy has drawn heavy support from evangelicals and whose Southern ties complicate Thompson's chances.

Strategists around Huckabee and Romney see Thompson not so much as a threat to win the nomination but as a candidate who could help McCain by taking votes from their coalitions. Some believe he is a stalking horse for McCain. Thompson is a longtime ally of McCain's and supported him in 2000.

"Why would he get aggressive all of a sudden here?" asked Ed Rollins, Huckabee's campaign chairman, noting the series of attacks that Thompson directed at Huckabee in a recent debate. Rollins added: "Thirty-five seconds after he drops out, he endorses McCain. . . . Anything he takes from us I'm concerned about, because it's a close race."

Thompson, who touts what he calls a "100 percent pro-life" record on abortion, could peel religious conservatives from Huckabee. Romney aides fear that Thompson could take away anybody-but-McCain mainline conservatives.

At an event in Prosperity on Thursday, a man told Thompson that many people had gotten "push poll" calls from a group backing Huckabee, an allegation echoed by several others. An angry Thompson said he had heard of push polls accusing him of supporting what opponents call "partial birth" abortion.

"They're taking the most outrageous, easily disproved things that they can come up with. . . . It's so ham-handed," Thompson said. "I had a 100 percent pro-life voting record over eight years."

Asked about the issue during a news conference in Columbia on Thursday night, Huckabee said, "We think push-polling is a terrible way to campaign."

He said he had called for the organizers to stop. But he noted that campaign finance laws prevent his campaign from talking to the groups using the tactic.

All the major Republican candidates except Rudolph W. Giuliani campaigned in South Carolina today. Romney canceled some appearances because of the weather and flew to Nevada, where he hopes to win Saturday's GOP caucuses.

Before boarding the plane, Romney held a brief news conference with reporters at a Staples store outside Columbia, where he again accused his rivals of being beholden to Washington lobbyists.

"I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," he told reporters.

Romney was challenged on that point by a reporter who noted that Ron Kaufman, a longtime Washington lobbyist, is often by his side. "I said I don't have lobbyists running my campaign, and he's not running my campaign," an irritated Romney said. "He's an adviser."