The Worst Republican Senator

The American Spectator ^ | 5/15/2008 | Quin Hillyer

[vietvet67]

South Carolina's Lindsey Graham is a flop. He pretends to be a conservative, but sells out conservatives and insults them while doing so. He pretends to be effective at reaching across party lines, but the only thing he effectively does is help the other party. He inhabits the Senate seat of Strom Thurmond, legendary for great attention to his South Carolina constituents, but Graham spends most of his time trailing behind John McCain like a valet as McCain criss-crosses the country in pursuit of the presidency. He called Ted Kennedy "one of the most principled men I've ever met." In sum, in the words of conservative movement stalwart Richard Viguerie, "Lindsey Graham is part of the problem."

What, for example, could possibly have possessed Graham, in April of 2006, to write an essay for Time magazine about the virtues of Hillary Clinton? He called her "a smart, prepared, serious senator." She is "sought out by her colleagues to form legislative partnerships." She has managed to "build unusual political alliances with...conservatives."

He praises liberals, but reserves particular venom for conservatives who disagree with him. The most infamous example came at a speech to the utterly radical Hispanic group La Raza -- it was bad enough that he spoke to them, much less what he said -- when he described what he would do to opponents of the awful immigration proposal he helped Ted Kennedy craft: "We're going to tell the bigots to shut up." The idea that only a bigot could oppose the Kennedy amnesty plan was a recurring theme with Graham: On This Week, he told George Stephanopoulos that opponents were like those in earlier years who put up signs that said "No Catholics, no Jews, no Irish need apply."

[Cincinatus]

Lindsey has lots of competition for that title.

[Califreak]

>He called Ted Kennedy “one of the most principled men I’ve ever met.”<

Wow. Obviously, his standards are lower than whale droppings.

I just had to check and see if this article was a satirical effort.

[DaveyB]

I nominate Arlen Specter for the honor of worst Republican Senator. He is more responsible for a liberal supreme court than any other republican.

[AU72]

The senior Senator from PA comes to mind.

[Califreak]

And we’ve been stuck with one of them as our nominee!

[Dilbert San Diego]

Graham said Ted Kennedy is one of the most principled men he has ever met? What about Chappaquiddick?(sp?) Did that event confirm for us the courage and convictions of Ted Kennedy? Or does he mean he admires Ted’s convictions to his liberal ideology? Heck is Lindsay Graham more liberal himself than he lets on?

[vietvet67]

[pgyanke]

I nominate Arlen Specter for the honor of worst Republican Senator. He is more responsible for a liberal supreme court than any other republican.

I agree he's a turd in a punchbowl... but we do owe him a 'thank you' for Clarence Thomas.

[Kozak]

>He called Ted Kennedy “one of the most principled men I’ve ever met.”

Remember his experience consists of fellow Trial Lawyers and Senators......

[TexasRedeye]

...Graham spends most of his time trailing behind John McCain like a valet...

Undoubtedly our next AG if McCain gets to POTUS!

[Ingtar]

I think he’s number 2, at least. McCain, for sure, is ahead of him.

[Cincinatus]

I’d put Chuck Hegel before both of them for that title.

[MeSpikeLibs]

I think Grahamnsty should win the gold. But Hagel and Spector should win the Silver and bronze.

[FreePaul]

The Worst Republican Senator??? Decisions, decisions. There are so many contestants we need some kind of method for eliminating some. Unfortunately it may be an election.

[DaveyB]

...we do owe him a 'thank you' for Clarence Thomas.

He more than makes up for Thomas with his objections to original intent and the ambush of Bork. Not to mention his lack of objection to Ginsberg. For me the choice for worst is clear - Specter hands down!

[JamesP81]

He called Ted Kennedy "one of the most principled men I've ever met."

I guess then that getting drunk, driving your car off into the water, and leaving your passenger to drown is principled to this man.

[Ann Archy]

What, for example, could possibly have possessed Graham, in April of 2006, to write an essay for Time magazine about the virtues of Hillary Clinton? .....uh....FBI files???

Limpsey LOVES her PANTS SUITS!

[F15Eagle]

bump

Throw this open-borders traitor out the door like yesterday’s newspaper.

[Ann Archy]

Limpsey wants a peek into her Testicle Lock Box to see what they look like.

[Ann Archy]

Chuch Hagel, Dick Lugar, Snarlin’ Arlen, Stevens...the list is about 44 strong! Only Jon Kyl and Cornyn come to mind as being any good.

[Moose4]

I voted for this loser. Proudly, because at the time, he was (or looked like) a real conservative. I don’t think I’ve ever been more wrong, or more sad about a vote.

There was a controversy right before Graham got elected...the head cheese Rat in South Carolina, a guy with the unlikely name of Dick Harpootlian, set off a bit of a firestorm when during an interview, he said that Graham was “light in the loafers.” Well, maybe Dicky knew what he was talking about...

}:-)4

[Sybeck1]

Maybe he’s light in the loafers too......

[4everontheRight]

You know, I am always surprised at the lack of mud slinging when it comes to Graham-nasty. Why is there no research into his background of having never been married or his preference for either men or women. Normally if you are a republican, this sort of stuff would have been fair game and he would have been outed a long time ago.

Hmmmmmm....I wonder why???? Could it be that those in power in the Dem party who are in charge of the mud slinging don't bother because they know Graham-nasty is a Dem too?

[org.whodat]

I agree he's a turd in a punchbowl... but we do owe him a 'thank you' for Clarence Thomas.

A note mailed to his SC home address would do, and hope he moves there to get it!

[Sprite518]

Lindsey is bad, but what about Spector?

[tobyhill]

Susan Collins has my vote with Snowe and Hagel tied for a close second.

[MissMagnolia]

Have we, the People, totally surrendered our power? We need to quit whining & throw the bum out.

"The power under the Constitution will always be in the People. It is entrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own choosing; and whenever it is executed contrary to their Interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their Servants can, and undoubtedly will be, recalled." (George Washington, Nov. 10, 1787)

[oldbill]

“Only Jon Kyl and Cornyn come to mind as being any good.”

Kyl and to a lesser extent Cornyn both sponsored pro-illegal alien bills.

[vietvet67]

And Spector wants to hold congressional hearings on the New England Patriots filming of the opposition team.

Goofball..

[reagan_fanatic]

To pick one republican Senator as the worst does a great disservice to all the others who so richly deserve that title.

[shortstop]

Florida’s Mel Martinez gets my vote for he worst Senator. If he runs again, this maybe the first time I ever vote for a Dem.

[Ann Archy]

geesh...Kyl has apologized somewhat for that.

[MSF BU]

He comes off as a pansy; regardless of whether he’s actually “Light in the Loafers” (i.e. a sodomite). The question is, can he be taken out the same way that Gilchrest was in Maryland?

[Dante3]

McCain is the worst - amnesty fanatic, CFR, etc. He voted against the Cronyn amendment, one of only ten GOP senators who did this. In addition, he has missed more votes than anyone else - except for one senator who was in a coma. The job has been too demanding for him to handle.

[Sprite518]

Yes exactly what the Framers of the US Constitution had in mind. LOL!

[cbkaty]

Where to start...hmmmm...Arlan Sphincter produces a vivid pictorial image?

[Henchster]

You nailed it. The hags from Maine take the cake, with Sister-Stupid Susan Collins getting the gold for consistently voting whichever way her RINO mentor Olympia Snowe does. Talk about Dumb-and-Dumber!

[MBB1984]

I'd have to give it to Graham over all others for a number of reasons. First, Graham ran as a hard conservative—Spector has always been a RINO. Second, we could easily elect a true conservative in South Carolina absent the incumbent Graham. In most of the blue states it is doubtful that we could do better.

[USMCGunnut]

Well, you are not alone. I voted for the scum too. Fooled me once, shame on him. Come November there wont be a second time. Time to right a wrong and throw out the trash in SC. I will say, he is not alone by a long shot. The senate as a whole is stinking pile of filth. Republican or Dem.

[GBA]

Worst Republican Senator? Here I thought this was going to be about McCain. There is LOTS of competition for that title.

During the Clinton impeachment, I liked Lindsey Graham, but what the heck happened to him??? Either he is now showing who he really is or someone has something on him or both. I really wish there was a political party I could feel good about.

[freespirited]

There are two ways of looking at this issue. One is a person’s cumulative record, as Hillyer does here. The other is by a singular act so unforgivable as to make an individual a failure as a public official. Both are legitimate IMO.

In terms of the latter, I have to go with my own RINO senator from hell, John Warner. No one will ever convince me that Warner, who was Sec of the Navy when Jean Kerry came home from Vietnam and went into his treason mode, is telling the truth when he claims to have no recollection of whether Kerry was less than honorably discharged. You dont forget something like this; Kerry was the govt’s biggest critic.

We came unbelievably close to having a man who should have been tried for treason elected president because Warner put senatorial courtesy before the country.

[RedEyeJack]

” owe him a ‘thank you’ for Clarence Thomas” but he more than made up for it during his performance in the Senate debate over removal of the impeached president.

[Joe Boucher]

Graham needs taking out back for an ass whoopin for his amnesty b.s.

[pgyanke]

I’m not arguing otherwise... hence, he’s a turd in a punchbowl.

[DaveyB]

I'd have to give it to Graham over all others for a number of reasons.

Points well taken, but Specter is the worst for the following reasons:

• Longevity- he has been bad for a really long time,
• Power - as chairman of the senate judiciary committee his stench has had more influence in destroying not just the senate but two whole branches of government,
• Displacement - he has led Pennsylvania away from true conservatives and covertly undermined Santorum,
• His advancement of liberal ideology - Rated 60% by the ACLU - Rated 16% by USBC (indicating an open-border stance),
• Arlen throws just enough bones to conservatives to make you think he might be OK but in the end destroys conservative values. ie he voted for a balanced budget amendment when he knew there was no chance of it passing - but votes to increase budgets every year.

I still think Specter is #1 when it comes to RINO fever.

[Secret Agent Man]

I remember watching him during the Clinton impeachment hearings. I liked him then.

Then he basically did a 180 as a senator. At first I thought the Clintons or Kennedy had something on him that could destroy him. But he’s kept it up for so long, it looks so natural.

[Doomonyou]

#1 - McGore

[Grunthor]

“What, for example, could possibly have possessed Graham, in April of 2006, to write an essay for Time magazine about the virtues of Hillary Clinton?”

Well his “good friend” Juan McCain endorsed her for President!

[Grunthor]

“He praises liberals, but reserves particular venom for conservatives who disagree with him.”

Juan McCain?