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By Chris Cillizza - The Washington Post
South Carolina may be a new addition to the early days of Democrats' presidential nomination fight, but the state is already showing veteran savvy when it comes to collecting cash for its Jan. 29, 2008, primary.
Witness a fundraiser set for March 7 in Washington. The featured guests? The bulk of the 2008 Democratic field, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Joe Biden (Del.) and Chris Dodd (Conn.), as well as former senator John Edwards (N.C.) and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack. Reps. Jim Clyburn and John Spratt -- the only Democrats in South Carolina's congressional delegation -- are also set to appear.
The event, which will be emceed by Clinton White House press secretary Mike McCurry, is being billed as a "kickoff reception" for the state's presidential primary.
Joe Erwin, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, explained that his state is one of a handful where the party must raise all of the money to finance the primary. In 2004, Erwin estimated, the cost of South Carolina's Democratic primary was $285,000. He believes the price tag this time will be closer to $500,000.
"It's a great honor to seek and successfully garner the first-in-the-South primary; it's a heck of a challenge to put it on," Erwin said.
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