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BY FLORENCE GILKESON: Senior Writer

Congressman Howard Coble told 6th District Republicans Saturday that President Bush took “appropriate” action in dealing with Iraq.

Coble, who has represented the 6th District since 1984, received a standing ovation when he addressed the district convention at the Moore County Courthouse in Carthage Saturday afternoon.

“Hitler and his crowd wanted to conquer the world,” Coble said. “Saddam and his crowd wanted to destroy the world.”

Coble said he is concerned that people have been telling him that they “loathe” President Bush.

“They don’t just don’t like him,” he said. “They hate him. But I think it was appropriate for the country to take the action it did.”

Coble, a Greensboro Republican, thanked convention-goers for their support.

“You make my job easy,” he said.

Elizabeth Kelly of Southern Pines, district chairwoman, was named the 6th District’s elector to represent North Carolina in the Electoral College, the body that acts every four years to cast the state’s votes for president.

Kelly, who is also chairwoman of the Moore County Republican Party, easily overcame opposition from a nominee from Guilford County. She won 36 to 21.

John Owen of Pinehurst, vice chairman of the Moore County party, was named as one of three delegates to the Republican National Convention, which will be held in New York City in late summer. He was the only nominee who faced opposition in the election of delegates and alternates to the national convention.

Ellis Hardison of Robbins was nominated from the floor but lost on a 29-25 vote.

Election of delegates and alternates and the elector was actually the main business before the convention, which attracted candidates and their representatives from across the state.

Of the 67 credentialed delegates present Saturday, Moore County had the largest delegation with 31. The much larger Guilford County brought 15 delegates; Randolph, nine; and Rowan, Alamance and Davidson, four each.

District convention delegates were asked to elect one delegate each from Guilford, Moore and Davidson counties and one alternate each from Randolph, Alamance and Rowan counties.

However, an amendment calling for the delegate selection process to be weighted on the basis of population was voted down by the convention.

Selection of nominees for each county was turned over to the counties, who were given up to 10 minutes to hold caucuses to pick a nominee. However, all delegates were allowed to vote on the nominees for each county.

When it came time for the vote, several of the Moore County delegates voted in favor of Hardison but their numbers were not sufficient to shift the total from the caucus nominee, Owen.

Kelly, who served as a delegate in 2000, warned the convention that the New York gathering will be far more expensive this year than it was four years ago in Philadelphia. She reported that it cost about $1,400 in Philadelphia but said that cost estimates are projected up to $3,000 this year. She asked everyone to take this expense into consideration.

Although comments opposing House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan were distributed to conventioneers as they entered the meeting room, no resolutions were introduced to criticize Morgan, the Moore County Republican who represents most of Moore County in the state House of Representatives.

The negative comments about Morgan came in the form of “an open letter to Kenny Kidd and other supporters of Rep. Richard Morgan.” It was signed by Dave Burton, webmaster for the Moore County GOP Web site.

Burton wrote that he opposed a resolution condemning Morgan at last year’s Wake County convention. However, he said he has changed his mind and wrote:

“In my worst nightmare, I never dreamed that Richard Morgan would sell us out so thoroughly.”

The convention adopted three resolutions, none addressing Morgan or the state legislature.

Instead, the resolutions called for recognizing Coble for his distinguished service in Congress, supporting President Bush and supporting military personnel. All passed unanimously.

About 15 candidates for legislative and state offices addressed the convention.

Peggy Crutchfield of Pinehurst, candidate for state House of Representatives, was the only local candidate to appear in person. She said that although only voters in her district can vote for her, this particular race has already attracted statewide attention.

She did not mention Morgan by name but said controversy surrounding his service as co-speaker of the House has drawn support for her campaign from Republicans elsewhere in North Carolina.

“Republicans in Moore County think Peggy Crutchfield can win,” she said.

Morgan did not attend the convention.

Former state Sen. Teena Little spoke on behalf of her husband, George W. Little, candidate for governor

Little described her husband’s background in business and public service and said he is equipped to work effectively for improvement in the state’s economic and job situation. She said he represents a coalition of business, education and fiscal concerns.

“My husband’s campaign is about turning that (the state’s economic condition) around,” she said.

Among the candidates who appeared in person were Bill Fletcher and Dr. Jeanne Smoot, both candidates for state superintendent of public instruction; Ed Meyer, candidate for state treasurer; Robert Pitts of Durham, candidate for lieutenant governor; Tom Goolsby, candidate for attorney general; and Paul Newman, candidate for justice of the state Supreme Court.

Spokespersons appeared on behalf of gubernatorial candidates Patrick Ballantine, Bill Cobey and Dan Barrett. Also represented were Thomas Stith, candidate for lieutenant governor, Judge John M. Tyson and Robert Brawley, candidate for insurance commissioner.

Fifth District Congressman Richard Burr, a candidate for U.S. Senate, was represented by his legal counsel.

Kelly reported on a call from the office of Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who asked her to tell the convention that she “needs help in Washington” and urging everyone to vote for Republicans, from Bush to Burr.

Burr, whose home is in Winston-Salem, is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat John Edwards. Erskine Bowles of Charlotte, former chief of staff in the Clinton administration, is the Democratic candidate.

This is the second consecutive year that the Republican district convention has been held in Moore County.