AND WHY IS JOE WILSON AT A GIULIANI EVENT?

The Washington Post reports that Rudy Giuliani’s two-day campaign swing through South Carolina has suggested a major change in the presidential candidate’s Southern strategy, particularly dealing with concerns over his pro-abortion, anti-social conservative positions. It appears Giuliani has simply decided to “campaign to other audiences.”

Giuliani yesterday reached out to what used to be called “country-club Republicans” when he stopped in Rock Hill, a town in the northern part of the state that is increasingly an outlying suburb of Charlotte, N.C.. His speech to the York County Republicans there was actually held at a swim and racquet club. On Friday, the former mayor spoke to a meeting of realtors and home-builders in Columbia, a group that was eager to hear his message of low taxes and reducing spending.

Earlier yesterday, more than a hundred patrons jammed into “Spill the Beans,” an ice cream and coffee shop in Greenville that had quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Oliver Wendell Holmes extolling the virtues of coffee on the wall. Several patrons talked about how they liked Giuliani, but also wished they been able to attend the event Barack Obama held in the city earlier this month. It was the kind of moderate crowd that Giuliani might appeal to in a general election, although he was met with silence when he used a few of his Hillary Clinton jokes that more conservative crowds howl at.

The Greenville event was distinct for another reason. Several of the people who attended grumbled about why the GOP front-runner for president had picked such a tiny venue for his event, as Giuliani could barely move through the packed shop as he held babies and posed for pictures. But “Spill the Beans” is located in a newly-developed part of Greenville, one that Deanna Gumpart, a longtime resident of the city, called full of “yankees” and other transplants. Rock Hill is in one of the fastest growing areas of the state and also has a large population of people who are newcomers to the South. Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican whose district includes Hilton Head, attended one of the Giuliani events and said the state’s increasing population of transplants could be a factor in Giuliani’s success here, where he has been running second in most polls. [PERRY BACON JR. - Washington Post]

First of all, why the heck is Joe Wilson attending Giuliani’s campaign functions? Last we checked, he was still a “free agent.” So is he considering endorsing Hizzoner or did he just happen to be in the area?

Secondly, targeting rich liberal Yankees in South Carolina is Giuliani’s solution to getting around the abortion issue? And this guy has consistently been first or second in pretty much every statewide poll? My, how the times have changed.

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Photo: Republican Presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani shakes hands with supporters during a campaign stop at Spill the Beans coffee shop Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007, in Greenville,S.C. (Charlotte Observer)

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UPDATE: A spokesperson for Rep. Wilson told The Palmetto Scoop, “While Congressman Wilson has yet to endorse a candidate for the Republican nomination, he is supportive of the strong field of candidates and was happy to attend the event to show his support for the important role South Carolina plays in the nominating process. The congressman has tried to attend events for each of the serious candidates.”

To our knowledge however, this is the first event Wilson has attended with a serious presidential candidate.