January 16, 2009
Posted: January 16th, 2009 05:26 PM ET

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SC GOP chairman Katon Dawson vowed to be Obama's 'worst nightmare.'
SC GOP chairman Katon Dawson vowed to be Obama's 'worst nightmare.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Despite the climate of national goodwill surrounding Barack Obama as he prepares to take the oath of office, two of the candidates vying to lead the Republican National Committee unleashed harsh attacks against the president-elect on Friday.

Katon Dawson, the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, promised in a new a YouTube message to be Obama's "worst nightmare" and said it would be the party’s mission for the next four years to "expose" the Democrats for what they "want to do to this country."

"I can assure you that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will understand that Katon Dawson will become their worst nightmare," he says in the video. "We will expose them at every turn for what they are doing to the American public."

Dawson defended his tough talk as the duty of a party leader.

"Whether you're the chairman of the state party or the national committee, your job is to hold Democrats accountable in every way," he told CNN. "That doesn't mean you have to do it in a mean tone of voice or in a way that doesn't offer solutions."

Earlier in the day, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who has positioned himself as one of the most rigidly conservative contenders for the RNC's top job, published a column on Townhall.com accusing Obama's economic stimulus package of being a liberal "Trojan Horse" that has "serious flaws, some of which convey a partisan advantage."

Obama’s stimulus plan would create government jobs, Blackwell argued, and government workers tend to vote Democrat. He called it "political mischief."

"In 2008, Virginia went Democrat for the first time since 1964, and Mr. Obama won it by 130,000 votes," he wrote. "Creating 600,000 new jobs might help cement Virginia in the Democrat column, making it harder for Republicans to retake the White House."

The 168 members of the RNC will elect a new chairman at the end of the month at their annual winter meeting in Washington.

Dawson and Blackwell have four more rivals in the race: incumbent RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former Tennessee GOP chair Chip Saltsman.

Filed under: RNC


Ben in Dallas   January 16th, 2009 10:29 pm ET

Dear Where's the proof.

You must have a very hard time dealing in reality. The Republican party and its ilk (that's you proof) have lost any sense of morality, community and the principles of democratic society. How about you find a rock and hide under it. We'll all be the better for it.

Mertis from Georgetown,S.C   January 16th, 2009 10:28 pm ET

Mr. Dawson, I'm from South Carolina, we are trying to come together please keep those type of negative response to yourself. Remember God is in Charge, who do you think save flight 1549. Think hard before you speak,God is in Charge

DAVE IN CA   January 16th, 2009 10:26 pm ET

wow GRITS and BILL must be blowing each other..... if you think BUSH and his team trashed our country.... get ready for real HAVOC and change that will send us right down the toilet..... this country will no longer have ENGLISH as the official language... it will be SPANISH... whites will be at the bottom and LAZY NEGROES AND BORDER BROTHERS WILL BE AT THE TOP. while hard working americans will be shoved to the side for DEMOCRATIC VOTES to keep them in office..... so load up for the revolution that will happen to regain our country from TYRANTS WHO WISH TO GIVE IT AWAY TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELONG......

Meh   January 16th, 2009 10:22 pm ET

What a tool this guy is. Why would he want to be anyone's "worst nightmare"? How do you get anything done if you're not willing to work w. someone?

where's the proof of citizenship> Wow. WOW. Nice racist code words there. Ugh. Don't you have a klan meeting to go to?

Charlie in Maine   January 16th, 2009 10:20 pm ET

Your President is 25% popular. You just got your big fat elephant butts handed to you in the election and you are attacking the new President before he even takes office. As Dr. Phil would say "So how's that workin' for ya?

Greg Hodges   January 16th, 2009 10:18 pm ET

This type of attitude is exactly why so many people are disgusted with the Republicans. Everyone with a brain is saying the partisan bickering and poison must stop; and then an idiot like this opens his trap.

moderate   January 16th, 2009 10:18 pm ET

where did the republican got this embacel from. what a toilet waste.

BB   January 16th, 2009 10:15 pm ET

Google PNAC and look up what the repukes want to do -– and in fact have already started doing -– it "ain't pretty".

Hubert from South Carolina   January 16th, 2009 10:14 pm ET

Yes Republicans. Please keep it coming. The more of you that keep this rethoric coming, the more secluded you will be from the national scene. I really hope they pick a really southern republican to head the party like in the past. It will guarantee the Democrats a win. Ohhh and please keep bashin' on Obama. It will only make him stronger.

BB   January 16th, 2009 10:14 pm ET

Typical hate-filled Palin worshipers. If that's the future of the repukes, they can move out of this country. There.s now more room for them. More will be voted out of our gov't in 2010 and 2012.

Real   January 16th, 2009 10:11 pm ET

We are in tough times. Very tough. Barack Obama has been elected as a driver-in-chief and America is on board. This folks, is no stick shift nor auto-trans, rather a loose missle barreling down a cliff. If there's any lesson to be learned, especially after witnessing what happened in the Hudson, Barack needs less noise makers from all political ends now and more genuine support as he makes decisions to steer us out of a real nightmare.

William   January 16th, 2009 10:11 pm ET

Keep up the good work, and guess what? Obama will win again in 2012

TrueIndependent   January 16th, 2009 10:09 pm ET

And whose nightmare has he been these past eight years?
These people play politics with peoples' lives. What does he think Republicans have done to our country?

Seriously??   January 16th, 2009 10:09 pm ET

Absolutely unbelievable. This quote is shocking: "Whether you're the chairman of the state party or the national committee, your job is to hold Democrats accountable in every way."

What about serving the country? Isn't THAT your job??

America voted for Obama in large part because we're sick of the partisan rhetoric propagated by the GOP over the course of the last eight years. Please don't let this man gain any type of leadership position.

jay   January 16th, 2009 10:04 pm ET

Do these people live in some caves in america? They just do not get it.

Steve   January 16th, 2009 10:01 pm ET

"Obama’s stimulus plan would create government jobs, Blackwell argued, and government workers tend to vote Democrat. He called it "political mischief."

Kind of like when, for the last 8 years, our Republican President and VP handed out lucurative government contracts to their friends (i.e. Haliburton).

Ellie   January 16th, 2009 10:00 pm ET

BOOOOO-HU

BOOOOO-HU

BOOOOO-HU

OH PUHLEEEZE....... stop with the Republican/GOP whinning. We're sick and tired of the same old song and dance.

The Real Issue   January 16th, 2009 9:58 pm ET

Americans, if you believe this Republican jargon and I mean "jargon" then we will have real problems. The Republicans had 8 years to monitor the Bush Administration and failed. And Blackwell who was the former Ohio Secretary of State failed to properly monitor the 2004 election in his state and because of this failure, we have been subjected to the failed policies of the Bush Administration from 2005-2009.

Chelle in Fla   January 16th, 2009 9:56 pm ET

What a JERK?? So the country is trying to get back on track and instead of working collaboratively with the new administration to get the country in a better condition, he wants to expose Democrats...clearly he wasn't around on Nov 4th when the American people spoke out AGAINST that type of leadership!

Betty   January 16th, 2009 9:55 pm ET

Some retugs are willing to work with the new pres, because they fear not to would mean their cushy jobs in government and they might have to get a real job. Others will do everything they can to throw a wrench in the works, not realizing they are the cause of the problems we are now in. We just need them to keep opening their mouths and Obama will win handly again in 2012. They do not understand that we are fed up with what has happened to our country in eight years and that we have spoken.

Wheres the proof of citizenship?   January 16th, 2009 9:54 pm ET

You can put a monkey in a suit but its still a monkey. I guess you can add lipstick if you like. Are the last 8 years of Bush bashing by the democrats supposed to be forgotten now? I think not, what goes around comes around. Go get 'em' Mr. Dawson!!!!

G.R.I.T.S - Girl Raised in the South   January 16th, 2009 9:45 pm ET

I haven't heard a single Republican offer any alternative, viable solutions. Guys like Blackwell and Dawson with all their "I'm gonna be watchin' those Dems and holdin' them accountable and bein' their worst nightmare" are so partisan and unpatriotic I don't know how they can sleep at night. I got news for ya Katon, the Republican Party has been MY worst nightmare for the last, oh, I don't know, 12 years or so.

They should be working with Obama and the Democratic members of Congress to do what is best for our nation, not for their tired old party.

I am so tired of their "can't do" attitude with no constructive solutions. Just obfuscation and obstruction.

I am also tired of "Bush kept us safe" – no, servicemen and women, cops and firefighters keep us safe. You can't prove a negative – no attacks doesn't mean we did anything to prevent them, maybe none had been planned with the meticulousness of the 9/11 attacks.

I am tired of "Bush sent the military to protect our rights" – no, our rights were never threatened by anyone outside our nation. The only ones who have threatened or damaged our rights are Bush, et al.

I am tired of "Bush attacked Iraq because of WMD, oops, the intel was wrong, but that wasn't his fault and besides, Congress voted for the same war". NO – look up the group PNAC Progress for a New American Century. These folks were trying to get Saddam Hussein ousted since the early 90s. Clinton wouldn't do it, so they found someone who could. Bush SHOULD HAVE KNOWN who the members of this group were – those same people advising him and encouraging him to invade Iraq. Those same people who provided the intel on WMD. That intel should have been suspect just given where and from whom it was coming. A rational, thinking man would have taken the source into consideration.

bill for barack   January 16th, 2009 9:45 pm ET

Where do they find these idiots anyway ?
Under a rock somewhere ?
After what Bush and his cohorts have done to ruin this great nation, why would they want to continue those ways ?
It becomes clearer by the day that the Republican party is a relic that needs to be sent to the junkyard – replaced with something meaningful.

Tom   January 16th, 2009 9:44 pm ET

You lost. Get over it.

vic   January 16th, 2009 9:42 pm ET

I am so sick of the hate and bitterness from the republican party. I wish they would just shut up.
Either help fix the problems of the country or resign. We're sick of the nonsense.

what change..   January 16th, 2009 9:41 pm ET

It’s a shame…people are losing their jobs everyday and instead of trying to working together to president elect get this economy back, they talking about being Obama worse nightmare…..Each day I hear Republicans talk it turns me off…..

Really???   January 16th, 2009 9:39 pm ET

I can't believe I just read that – is this guy serious? Ok, let's think about the consequences – fine, hold up Congress, let's not get anything accomplished, then when/if your party is represented by POTUS, the Democrats will be happy to hand it back to you. This kind of attitude ensures that nothing will ever get done by our government again. Thank you Republicans, for showing us why we just collectively voted yours butts out of office – would this be the appropriate time to question YOUR patriotism?

Morgan   January 16th, 2009 9:20 pm ET

Did he not see the past election? Clearly people are tired of that tactic. We reject the politics of fear and hate. That's the biggest reason we reject Palin.

Beverly, NYC   January 16th, 2009 9:12 pm ET

oh boo hoo. Instead of coming up with ideas to get the country out of the mess their party created the Republicans would rather pout. Thanks for being such patriots Messers Blackwell & Dawson. Your parties true colors showed in this election, and gladly most American did not like what it saw. Keep it up, you are becoming leaders of a very small club.

Not4MoreYears   January 16th, 2009 9:12 pm ET

Can't you guys argue without it getting personal? Can't you find away to be constructive instead of being so unremittingly negative and destructive? Don't you get it yet, not only did you lose, you lost because of this kind of divisive crap. This election was a referendum for that kind of behavior, and YOU LOST BECAUSE OF IT.

Please try to raise the tone of the debate instead of dragging it back down into the Rovean gutter.

Necie   January 16th, 2009 9:12 pm ET

Uhm....Katon who? Guess this dufus wants to be the pitbull without lipstick. Ridiculous!

David   January 16th, 2009 9:10 pm ET

If he believes his "job is to hold Democrats accountable in every way" his focus is misplaced.

Instead of politicians looking out for themselves or there party's interests maybe they could focus on being a public servant. That means putting aside your personal agenda and turn your attention to making better the lives of the people you represent.

Tina   January 16th, 2009 9:10 pm ET

Unlike the Republicans who have been the people's worst nightmare for the last 8, bloody years.

fat john   January 16th, 2009 8:59 pm ET

Blah , blah , blah.........
Show them how it's done Obama!!!!!!

Texas Teacher   January 16th, 2009 6:55 pm ET

Now here we go.... "plans be Obama's worse nightmare"... REALLY? *LOL*

You forget, Dawson, your party LOST.. you are now in the minority! Seriously... do you really think you are going to anyone's nightmare? I doubt that VERY MUCH!

You bozos voted in LOCKSTEP with Bush/Cheney! They are to blame for the mess we are in... and that means... YOU ARE as well!

R Cross   January 16th, 2009 6:48 pm ET

Well the repugnant way sure worked out well. Maybe we should keep it up!

Caligirl   January 16th, 2009 6:45 pm ET

Cry, Cry, Cry.

Shirley in California   January 16th, 2009 6:44 pm ET

I call it jealousy. Are they that afraid of him?

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