South Carolina Ping
Posted on 06/04/2005 12:23:14 PM PDT by aculeus
Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record)'s role in a compromise on filibusters against President Bush's judicial picks did not go over well with some GOP regulars in this Republican state.
The first-term Republican, who in 2002 succeeded Strom Thurmond, was among 14 lawmakers — seven from each party — who abandoned their leaders and reached a deal among themselves. They agreed to confirm some of Bush's stalled federal court nominees while leaving the door open for rejecting others.
"It's one of the hottest issues I've seen since I've been chairman," said Katon Dawson, South Carolina's GOP chairman for three years. "There was a lot of heartburn inside the base of the Republican Party. President Bush won 70 percent of the counties in the United States and people wanted his agenda moved forward."
Hundreds of people have called state Republican headquarters to complain about Graham's participation in the negotiations. Graham's role has given Charleston businessman Thomas Ravenel further reason to consider a primary challenge to Graham in 2008.
Ravenel, the son of a former congressman, finished third in a crowded field in last year's race for South Carolina's other Senate seat, now held by Republican Jim DeMint.
Ravenel does not like Graham's positions on trade and objects to the senator's Social Security proposal to increase payroll taxes on those earning more than $90,000.
"He has long since offended the fiscal conservatives," Ravenel said. "More recently he has offended the other Republican coalition — the social conservatives."
Those same social conservatives were instrumental in derailing Arizona Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record)'s "straight talk express" bid for the presidency five years ago in South Carolina's GOP primary.
In 2000 Graham supported McCain, a driving force behind the filibuster deal two weeks ago. By 2002, however, Graham had mended his fences with President Bush's supporters.
"Some people said they did not intend to have two John McCains in Washington, D.C., when they voted for Lindsey Graham," said Beaufort County GOP Chairman Doug Robertson.
In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Graham was confident he would weather the storm.
"This state respects senators who are independent, who share their conservative values and who treat their colleagues with respect," he said. "I'm not going to conduct myself in a way where I'm the loudest guy and I'm not going to be satisfied with rhetoric that gins up a small group of people."
Graham said the deal gives the Senate a fresh start and allows lawmakers to consider some of Bush's judicial nominations. Changing the approach to filibusters is still on the table if the compromise fails, he said.
But even in his home county, some people said Graham's role in the negotiations was out of order, according to Oconee County GOP Chairman Ed Rumsey.
"They wanted him to stand firm and have an up-or-down vote on every candidate," Rumsey said. Still, he added: "Lindsey Graham is our hometown guy. We're going to stand by him."
In strongly Republican Lexington County, most people thought the compromise was "typical Lindsey," said Tim Miller, the county's GOP chairman. "He said: 'Look, we can't allow something like this to bog down the country. We need to do what's best for America.'"
South Carolinian Roberta Combs, president of the national Christian Coalition, said the compromise was not what the conservative group wanted.
"What people were upset about and what I was upset about was these judges had been waiting so long and you couldn't get them to the floor," she said.
But she does not think Graham's base is damaged.
"In politics a day is forever. Only time will tell," she said. "I don't think this is going to hurt Lindsey because he is strong on defense and supports the president on the war and has been a team player."
Doug Woodard, a Clemson University political scientist who often serves as a Republican consultant, said Graham always has had an independent streak and a flair for attracting attention.
"He's got the best political instincts of anyone I have ever seen," Woodard said. He noted that Graham won, without any primary opposition, the GOP nomination for Thurmond's seat, which had been coveted by South Carolina politicians for decades.
Graham said that while some people will disagree with the compromise, he and most Republicans want to achieve the same thing — getting more conservative judges on the bench.
"For some people in politics it's not enough to agree with them on the issue, you have to hate the people they hate," he said. "I'm not going to be a hater. I'm going to be a solid conservative and a reformer."
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Associated Press writer Michael Kerr in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press.
It's doubtful Ravenel will get far opposing Graham on trade issues. From what I gather, and maybe someone from SC can correct me if I'm wrong, a large portion of the state has turned against Free Trade. Graham's opposition to CAFTA could be the one thing he's got going for him at the moment.
He deserves what he gets.
Rally to the flag, South Carolina!!!
The various politicos quoted in the article soft pedaled it because they don't want to show rancor within party ranks.
I will campaign for Lindsey's opponent in the primary. And if Lindsey wins the primary or there isn't a primary I will NOT vote for him in the general election.
Loading the judiciary with solid, constitution loving, conservative judges is way more important than a bunch of RINOS embarrassing us.
Dump Graham.
Rumsey said. Still, he added: "Lindsey Graham is our hometown guy. We're going to stand by him."
This is the type of guy that needs a spinning back fist... the .... we will get them to forgive graham before the next election. We need to come down on the Rumsey guy and send him screaming home like a little girl, after we are done with him.
This is the biggest load of crap to come out of a "Republican" in a long time. Graham shook hands an d made a deal with folks who proudly state their hatred of Bush. Here's the issure Graham, we want you to agree with us on the issue that nominees deserve an up or down vote. You do not agree with us apparently. You do not agree with President Bush, you agree with John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy.
This guy sounds like Howard Dean with that remark. Hey dipshit, pride will bring you low, but insulting the people who voted for you will bring you down.
McCain/Graham in '08 /sarcasm off and ducking for cover
I'll be contributing to the primary opponents of the Gang of Seven as each one comes up for re-election.
And there is nothing that Graham could do in the next 3 years to change your mind?
Not a big issue among conservatives.
Here's what I just sent to sin. graham:
Source AP: ""For some people in politics it's not enough to agree with them on the issue, you have to hate the people they hate, I'm not going to be a hater. I'm going to be a solid conservative and a reformer." - Senator Lindsay Graham.
This has got to be the biggest load of bull to come out of a Repblican in a long time. Please site who these haters are. The real haters are all these "Bush is a Nazi" folks that you jumped in bed with. There are web site selling t-shirts that suggest assasinating the president. These people cheer what you did. Did you ask all these senator that you compromised with why they wanted to be able to break judicial filibusters when Bill Clinton was in the White House? Those who miss Hollings are happy with you. Maybe that's what you want, their approval and the approval of the mainstream media. With that you are basically saying "Screw you" to the people you courted with promises of conservatism. You say your goal is to save the senate, Yet you are telling the country to go to hell by denying the courts judges who interpret the law instead of making law themselves.
There are millions of folks in this country who are NOT represented in the Senate because their representatives have no voice in the matter. It's called disenfrancisement.
I have written you on numerous occasions since your actions. You don't have time to respond to a constiuent, but you do have time to kiss up to 'perky Katie Couric.' Maybe you should run for senator in NY.
Dang! Why didn't you tell him how you really feel?
LOL!
Hope you got his attention. You don't compromise your party into a worse position, you compromise your party into a better position. LG must have skipped his political science class that day...
Going along with McCain today is like siding with Ted Kennedy, they're one in the same.
Wait till 08? This is precisely why there ought to be recall elections for U.S. Senators. Wonder what'd happen if a couple million SC voters signed a petition asking for the right to recall.
Senator John Warner (Treasoncrat-Virginia) ought to be the other half of a doubleheader. In Warner's case, it will be a lifetime negative achievement award.
Everyone thinks that Republicans will benefit from moving to the center. I disagree, and the reaction to the Republican Judases is evidence of this. It's time to pull away from the center and move to the right.
Now I'm not saying nominate David Duke in '08 or anything like that. That would be as insane as the Dems nominating Al Sharpton or WWAAAAGH! himself.
I think the base would be absolutely thrilled to nominate Tom Tancredo on his stance with illegals alone. And believe it or not it might actually HELP with the Hispanic vote because many of them are offended by coming here legally and having other Hispanics get away with coming here illegally.
As I look over the potential nominees, I cringe. I've heard Guiliani, McCain, Bush (Jeb and Laura), and Dr. Frist. I wouldn't vote for any of them. Put Tancredo in the mix and he would beat all of them, just because he is slightly to the right of them. I can't picture Laura Bush in there anyway. I'd rather have Condi, but she made the mistake of calling illegals "necessary". So she's out. In fact, I wouldn't vote for anybody in the current administration.
New Hampshire could be the state to get the ball rolling on that idea when you vote in the primaries. And I do think Tancredo will be running.
There's an old saying. "You gotta dance with the one that brung ya." McCain and Graham need to take heed.
You're not going to build a one-party South Carolina by letting the "Christian Coalition" dictate what the state party should do.
Graham is a clearly a business Republican, and first and foremost, I thought the GOP was supposed to be the pro-business party. That's why I'm a Republican, because I believe business built America, and because well, I'm a European-American male in Mobile County, AL, not many options other than being Republican.
The GOP in South Carolina, like elsewhere in the Southland, should be working towards the complete eradication of the Democratic party in the state, and I don't think you do this by taking down Lindsey Graham.
For starters, we need more blacks in the party.
If he were to immediately renounce his involvement in this traitorous "agreement," I might consider giving him some slack.
IMHO, this whole thing with the judges is the most serious problem this country has faced in years. If this country is to survive, we must get this straightened out. And Lindsey is NOT helping.
Damn right.
We'd vote him in, too. Remember, we're the state that arrests illegals for Criminal Trespass.
What a pissant.
How about just quietly supporting your constituents and your president and your country by being being loyal to priciple?
How did he vote on Pryor again, or the judges they agreed on?
Which would you rather have, ideological purity and electoral losses in 2006 and 2008, or the willingness to compromise, and continued Congressional Control in 2006 and 2008
The big picture is what is important
..my answer would be ....NO!
I have been wary, very wary of Graham since the impeachment days....
...to me, there is no mooring, no solid foundation...
...he's available to the highest bidder.
His greed & ambition is too obvious....and I, for one, am glad folks are beginning to see.
What a crappy thing for him to say!
So now, according to Graham, if you urge that the Senate follow the Constitution and vote up or down on judicial nominees, you are a hater?
Lindsey is beginning to sound like Clinton.
This is his true character (or lack thereof)....
..Not the folksy, 'this dog won't hunt' good ole boy people think he is.
Exactly! I'm very disappointed in him.
What a terrible thing to say about conservatives.
He's not talking about Conservatives, he is a Conservative for goddsake. What he is talking about are extremists like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. And let me tell you something, one way to become very popular with Southern businessmen is to critcize people like Robertson and Falwell for their excesses, which is clearly what he is doing.
Sure worked for John McCain when he tried it in 1999. Wait no it didn't.
Allen/Rice 08
I like Allen, but there ain't no way I'm voting for a female Vice-President. America is not ready for that, because remember, if the President dies, VP takes over. And we are certainly not ready for a female Vice-President
Plus, being a cabinet official for 8 years doesn't entitle you to being Vice President.
A good ticket in 2008 would be to run two Southerners, one mid-South, one Deep South. For example, Senator Allen and Governor Perdue (or Sanford)
The only thing important to America at this moment in time is the US Supreme Court and that is totally what the last election was all about. You can put up all the scenarios you wish but the US Supreme Court is on the verge of overthrowing the government and the Judiciary branch of the government at this moment in time is circumventing the Constitution and the Democrats know this.There are several states that have enacted laws by 70% margins and the judiciary has overturned them and the will of the people. Yet you can change the constitution of this country with 66% of the vote.The Democrats are closer to overthrowing our government than most people realize.
You can laugh,joke or do what you wish,my days are numbered and my generation has left this country so screwed up it is pitiful and the only salvation is for the Republicans to put a stop to it before it is too late.
Yes I can, because I am a Southern businessman and I don't like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson.
I also made a good bit of my money because I was willing to give my cousin a loan in 1989 for a video poker machine that he wanted to put into what was then his dive in the one of the rougher parts of North Charleston.
The deal was, if I loaned him the money, I'd get 25% of all future profits. It was my investment in my cousin that allowed me to build the $600,000 dollar home I now live in on the River, also let me buy a fairly nice boat, and a Dodge Viper (which I later sold.
But my business is real estate, and many times I have spoken with people I'm trying to make clients with, people from New York, Chicago, Atlanta, but in the last 6 months, everyone of them has told me the same thing. "Mobile is a nice place, ya'll have a lot of potential, but if that nutcase judge gets elected, we're not putting any money into Alabama for as long as he's in office"
Roy Moore threatens my livelihood, and thats why I am against him and all his ilk.
Ditto with your comments, upchuck and thanks for the ping.
Sending to a friend who thinks Lindsey is just the greatest.
He also voted against MFN for China a couple years ago. He screwed the pooch with the compromise deal but I do like him on trade issues.
I may reply to you later....
..I need to go to ......church.
So do I and am glad he's opposing CAFTA.
But Graham used the word "hate", saying that conservatives hate groups of people. Well, I totally disagree with that. We don't hate just because we disagree with a person's morals or ideas. I really don't think that Graham was talking religion, but then that is just my opinion.
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