Kingston's barbecue a hit
Mon, Jan 14, 2008
By CAROLINAMURILLO
The Brunswick News
Congressman Jack Kingston, R-1, must have shaken a thousand
hands during his 16th annual barbecue rally in Brunswick on
Saturday. "This is great," said Kingston while
being surrounded by members of his campaign. "It is like
having a conversation with the people." From babies
to beauty pageant winners, Kingston spent much of the morning
taking pictures and talking with old friends. With
more than 400 enthusiastic supporters gathered for a barbecue
in his honor at the Fairgrounds Exchange Club, Kingston expressed
his appreciation for all his followers in his bid for this
year's re-election as the U.S. Congressman from Georgia's
1st District against retired Lt. Colonel Bill Gillespie (D)
from Chatham County. Flags, pins, posters, all had
Kingston's name on them. Fellow party members running for
president – Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee
– also had supporters on site campaigning for them.
One unusual supporter for Mitt Romney grabbed everybody's
attention. Col. Oscar Poole was dressed in a bright yellow
outfit wearing a tall hat and tie with the red, white and
blue of the American flag. Poole has been traveling through
Iowa, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina supporting Romney.
"Kingston endorsed Romney and I am here to support them
both," said Poole, who considers his military rank in
the same category as Col. Sanders. Poole is a Georgia
political icon, as his barbecue joint is typically a must-stop
for Republican candidates.
"With this being election year, there is a buzz in the
sky for politics," mentioned Kingston, who in December
announced his endorsement of Gov. Mitt Romney candidacy for
President. "The nominations are wide open for
both parties," he commented. "And Georgia will be
relevant for both parts."
Kingston, who is in his eighth term in the House of Representatives,
quickly explained the rally shouldn't be considered an exclusive
Republican political platform. "This rally is
not only for Republicans, but for supporters of all candidates
who want to express their opinions," said Kingston.
And many did just that. Like Tina Harris, who drove from
Darien with her son Andrew. "I wanted to get a chance
to share my concerns. This event gives us that opportunity,"
she commented. Others, like Gay Smith from Saint Simons
Island, took the opportunity to catch up with Kingston, who
she met when he first started his political career in 1992.
"It's a chance to see Jack and give him our support
during a time he needs it," explained Smith. "He
has always been honest and dependable, and those are qualities
he still possesses." For Kingston, the barbecue
was the perfect platform to listen and learn about the issues
– both local and statewide – that are foremost
on the minds of people. Most of the comments he received were
on immigration, gas prices, war and healthcare, and even about
the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Supporters
were also invited to enjoy mashed potatoes, bread and pork
barbecue. We have so much food you can enjoy seconds, volunteer
members of his campaign said during the event. After
his meet and greets, and enjoying the barbecue, Kingston got
up on stage and introduced state Sen. Saxby Chambliss as his
special guest. "Excited about where we are, Brunswick
is almost a home to me," expressed Chambliss.
Sen. Chambliss, whose seat is also up for re-election, said
the rally serves as a platform to get across their message
to the community.
For him, that means fighting the global war against terrorism
and working to achieve affordable health insurance for people
all over the state. Read
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