Democratic presidential candidates are bringing some famous friends with them to campaign in South Carolina this week.

Today, Sen. Barack Obama will travel to Orangeburg with R&B sensation Usher and actress Kerry Washington.

This is not the first time Obama has brought celebrities on the campaign trail with him. Last month, he held a much-publicized event at Williams-Brice Stadium with Oprah that drew a monster crowd of 30,000.

However, the large influence and celebrity that Oprah casts in the entertainment world did not translate into the political realm.

Polls found that the event had little, if any, effect on Obama's campaign. Some polls even suggested Oprah's presence had a negative effect on Obama's numbers.

Much was also made about Republican candidate Mike Huckabee being joined by action star Chuck Norris and wrestling legend Ric Flair on the campaign trail.

While celebrity endorsements may not have much effect, it's not stopping the three leading contenders for the Democratic nomination from bringing them along.

Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign brought former NFL receiver and now ESPN football analyst Keyshawn Johnson, "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrara and movie star Amber Tamblyn to events in Columbia and Myrtle Beach yesterday.

Former Sen. John Edwards is deploying his own list of celebrities on his "Back Home, Back Roads Barnstorm" tour of rural South Carolina towns, including his native Seneca.

Movie star Danny Glover and former Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones of TV's "Dukes of Hazzard" fame will accompany Edwards for some events on Wednesday and Thursday. In addition, North Carolina Congressman and former Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler will be there.

Glover is scheduled to make a stop at Voorhees College in Denmark at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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