South Carolina Halloween news roundup

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - Here's a quick look at what's making political news in South Carolina this Wednesday morning:

Sen. John McCain is out with a new piece of direct mail that takes on former New York city mayor Rudy Giuliani, saying that McCain is the only candidate who can beat Sen. Hillary Clinton in the general election.

The State just about sums up this coming weekend with this header: "72 hours, 6 presidential candidates, 19 appearances." McCain, John Edwards, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee will all campaign in South Carolina starting Thursday.

The Obama and Clinton camps filed papers on Tuesday to be on the Democratic primary ballot. The New York Times has a photo of the Obama campaign's parade to Democratic party headquarters. All but two Democrats are on the ballot here. The deadline is Thursday.

Using the headline "Lowcountry: Dirtier! Nastier! Slimier! South Carolina '08," The New Republic argues that the South Carolina race has already taken a negative turn.

The Mitt Romney campaign announced today that Sen. Jim DeMint, who has already endorsed Romney, will be one of the campaign's three national co-chairs, all of which are from crucial states. DeMint will be a co-chair along with Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri.

DeMint put out this statement through the Romney campaign: "Governor Mitt Romney is the standard-bearer the Republican Party needs in 2008.  His message of conservative change will bring our Party and Washington back to our most basic conservative values of fiscal discipline, smaller government and lower taxes.  Governor Romney has the record and experience to bring true change to Washington."

After President Bush yesterday said "Congress is not getting its work done," South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson put out this statement in agreement: "When Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Jim Clyburn, John Spratt and the Washington Democrats took control of Congress in January, they assured the American people they were 'ready to lead.' But just 10 months later, their empty rhetoric of reform has resulted in a regrettable record of failure.

"Democrat inaction has left our troops without the resources they need to win the war on terror, and our children have been left without the tools they need to grow up healthy in safe homes and schools. Clearly, the Democrats were never 'ready to lead,' and there’s no doubt that the Democrats' abysmal record of failure will result in buyers' remorse for American voters in 2008," Dawson said.

- CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby