Letter to the Editor - Laurens County Tea Party President Responds

To the Editor,  

A recent story titled “," contained a false statement by Kerry Wood, currently employed as “State Director at SC for Rick Santorum.” 

According to the article: “Wood relayed a story about the Laurens County Tea Party, which endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in December against the objections of most of its members and led to a heated argument where some threatened to leave. The story illustrates how deeply individual members prize their independence.”

I am at a loss to understand why Mr. Wood would provide a false account. Since Mr. Wood works for the Santorum campaign, it is possible that his purpose is to damage the credibility of a group endorsing Newt. Mr. Wood was not present at our meeting, so he has absolutely no first-hand knowledge of what actually occurred. I have personally met Mr. Wood in the past, and we are “friends” on Facebook. I am disappointed, in the first place, that even if he believed these accusations to be true, that he would repeat something that is potentially damaging to the Tea Party as a whole, and damaging to the Laurens County Tea Party in particular.

Let me explain the TRUE story of what happened. First of all, our Vetting Committee vetted all of the candidates and met over the period of several months. We finally decided, after much discussion, research, and prayer, to present to the members our recommendation that the group endorse Newt for president. We did not come to this decision easily or lightly. At our December meeting, the Vetting Committee presented our recommendation, and 80% of the members voted to endorse Newt, after much discussion, which, though serious, was at all times respectful and considerate. After the vote, I, as president, stood up and said that the unity of our group was more important than any endorsement, and if there was anyone there who would leave the group over the endorsement, then I would rather not do it. We had some more discussion. No one said they would leave the group. While a few people seemed disappointed, no one was visibly angry, and the meeting ended on a good note. The Laurens County Tea Party is made up of a GREAT group of dedicated patriots, and I am extremely disappointed that we have been slandered. I have contacted Kerry Wood and he has failed to return either my emails or my phone messages. Thank you for allowing me the chance to set the record straight. Our group still believes that Newt is the best candidate for restoring our country.

Sincerely,

Dianne Belsom

President Laurens County Tea Party