Myrtle Beach, S.C. -- Six Republican presidential candidates will pass through this coastal tourism mecca over the next three days to address the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention.
So will U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
The Georgia Republican is one of only four politicians not running for president to address the convention. Two of the others are Palmetto State favorite sons U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan and Attorney General Alan Wilson, plus U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows from neighboring North Carolina.
So, what is Perdue doing in this group? We caught up with him at this past Sunday's Wild Hog Supper in Atlanta and asked.
"I've been getting this message out over the last six months or so about the two crises we've got, this global security crisis and this debt crisis," Perdue said. "For a number of reasons I've been asked to come to these national conventions. I've been to several already, is to give this message about, hey, we're past the tipping point of being in a crisis. Now we've got to do something."
Perdue said presidential hopefuls on both sides need to start "telling us what they're going to do to help us solve these two crises."
It's a message Georgians are used to hearing from the freshman senator. Now, however, he's broadening his reach. And that led us to ask whether he is positioning himself as a potential vice presidential nominee.
He didn't say no.
"Look, I'm right here trying to learn how to be a good U.S. senator for the state of Georgia," he said. "I have to tell you though, we do have an opportunity in Georgia because of our primary this year being March 1, this is an important state. So they're listening to us about what's important to Georgians and I'm taking every opportunity to do that."
A few days later, fellow Insider Greg Bluestein cornered Perdue on the topic again. This time, he made a joke, but still didn't say he wasn't interested. (Note that this comment came before Thursday night's GOP debate, where there was actually at least one question about the national debt.)
"What, vice president of Chick-fil-A?" Perdue said. "I’m a freshman senator. I got involved because I think I can help change the dialogue. We’ve had 15 hours of debate and no questions about the debt. That’s one reason why you see people leading the Democratic polls and Republican polls who are like that – they’ve touched this disenfranchised vein. I’m trying to focus on what I can do in the Senate."
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