Palin scheduled to speak in Greenville

State and local Republicans are brimming with excitement over vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin's anticipated visit to Greenville next week.

"I have not seen this much excitement (among Republicans) in a while, and it's because of Palin," Lenoir County GOP Chairman Harry Edwards said Thursday. "To have her come this close to Kinston in Eastern North Carolina is great."

Palin, the running mate of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will make a campaign stop at East Carolina University's Minges Coliseum next Tuesday. The event is a coordinated effort between the McCain campaign, the N.C. Republican Party and the Republican National Committee.

Edwards said Palin has generated much enthusiasm within the party because of her reputation as Alaska's governor for taking on special interests and running the state government ethically.

"She complements McCain," he explained. "She has been known as a reformer, kind of a maverick fighting within her own party. In her, people see someone who's going to be honest and ethical regardless of party."

Stephen LaRoque, of Kinston, a Republican who is running for the N.C. House, said Palin is the only one of the four presidential and vice-presidential candidates - McCain, plus Democrats Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware - who has experience as a chief executive.

"She got involved in politics for the right reasons, to stamp out corruption and make positive changes," he said. "She has got actual accomplishments, whereas Barack Obama has none; I expect great things from her."

Brent Woodcox, spokesman for N.C. Republicans, said McCain's choice of Palin shows that he is "really serious about making changes in Washington."

"Throughout her experience as governor of Alaska, she's opposed special interests; she's made sure that the government in Alaska serves the people," he said.

Woodcox added: "I think that is a link to her value to North Carolina; we've seen some corruption in our government in North Carolina. We've seen some instances where we feel it doesn't serve us; it serves the politicians or special interests."

David Anderson can be reached at (252) 559-1077 or danderson@freedomenc.com.

If you go:

What: Sarah Palin campaign appearance

Where: Minges Coliseum, ECU

When: Tuesday, Oct. 7, doors open at 5 p.m.

Admission is free; tickets should be picked up in advance at the N.C. Republican Party's victory offices around the state. Visit www.ncgop.org to find the closest office.