Free Republic

Democrat Bob Conley may use cardboard cutouts of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham if he won't commit to debates. Conley's campaign manager Lee Griggs said Monday the campaign may resort to cutouts if the first term Republican won't show up for public discussions.

Although a U.S. European Command team is focused for now on the humanitarian crisis in Georgia, it may eventually review the nation’s military needs in light of its conflict with Russia, according to the group’s commander. Brig. Gen. Jon Miller, who is heading EUCOM’s Joint Assessment Team, said Wednesday that part of his mandate is "to be prepared" to evaluate the condition of Georgia’s military. "It’s a possibility, but it is not my mission right now," said Miller, adding humanitarian aid is a more immediate concern. Miller’s comments came after meetings Wednesday with a congressional delegation that included Sen. Joe...

Does anyone have a line on "Pelosi's ethics rules" and their prohibition regarding discussing the election? A Graham DC staffer claimed he could be fired for such discussion. Does anyone know where these 'rules' can be found for review?

In the Senate, it nowadays apparently takes a self-appointed, biparitsan "gang" of senators to get past the partisan gridlock. For instance, there was the Gang of 14 group of senators who helped the Senate get beyond an impasse on judicial appointments a few years ago. Today, a new group of senators calling itself the Gang of Ten, announced that it had arrived at a compromise energy proposal meant to break the partisan logjam that exists on the issue. The group's members are: Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu...

IN A LITTLE-NOTICED DECISION in a New York courtroom on September 25, 2003, a man described as Osama bin Laden's "best friend" got some good news. U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Batts ruled that Mahmdouh Mahmud Salim could not be sentenced to life in prison. Salim--who was present at the founding of al Qaeda in 1989 and who was for years one of bin Laden's most trusted confidants--had been captured in Germany in 1998 and extradited to the United States for prosecution related to his role in the grand conspiracy that resulted in the 1998 bombings at U.S. embassies in...

WASHINGTON — If Andrew Jackson created the notion of a president’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” Sen. John McCain is reinventing it months before his possible election to the White House. And Sen. Lindsey Graham seems to be McCain’s one-man Kitchen Cabinet. Graham’s visibility as the Arizona senator’s closest political confidant has risen in recent weeks as the two men crisscross the country and travel abroad on McCain’s presidential quest.

Climate Bill Underlines Obstacles to Capping Greenhouse GasesBy Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, June 1, 2008; Page A12 When the Senate takes up landmark climate legislation this week, its backers can be sure of just one thing: The obstacles they face show how hard it will be to enact a meaningful cap on greenhouse gases -- probably under the next administration. The next administration, not this one, because even supporters of the complex, extensively negotiated 494-page bill say that there is little chance that it will win Senate approval, less chance that the House will...

Senators Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, prominent surrogates for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign, stepped down Wednesday from their positions with an independent group that released a pair of Internet advertisements attacking Senator Barack Obama on Iraq. Mr. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Mr. Graham, Republican of South Carolina, were both on the policy advisory board to the organization, Vets for Freedom, which on Wednesday released its second Web advertisement in less than a week attacking Mr. Obama. The senators’ positions with the group, which describes itself as a grass-roots advocacy organization pushing for victory in Iraq and Afghanistan,...

If anyone else called him “little jerk,” Sen. Lindsey Graham might be offended. But the jab comes from Sen. John McCain, so he wears it like a badge of honor. “If John’s not belittling you, you’re in trouble,” Graham said. “He calls me lots of other names, too, but they’re not appropriate for the newspaper.” McCain and Graham aren’t just friends. They’re inseparable, so much so that colleagues, staffers and journalists have begun making cracks about the relationship between the freshman senator from South Carolina and the man who would be president. Some call Graham a lapdog. Others say he...

Senator John McCain, of Arizona; Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division; and Senator Joseph Lieberman, of Connecticut, check out a fruit stand in the marketplace in Iskandariyah, Iraq, March 17. Senators Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, McCain and Lieberman were in Iraq to meet with Iraqi leaders and senior U.S. military officials. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO. JOINT SECURITY STATION ISKAN — A congressional delegation consisting of Senators John McCain, of Arizona; Joseph Lieberman, of Connecticut; and Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, visited Iskandariyah, Iraq, March 17 where...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Evangelist Billy Graham was recovering Thursday from a surgery to update a shunt that controls excess fluid in his brain, a family spokesman said. The 89-year-old Southern Baptist minister was expected to spend some of the day walking the halls of Asheville's Mission Hospital and to return to his usual diet later Thursday, said Graham spokesman Larry Ross. "He rested well overnight and is in high spirits," Ross said. White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said President Bush placed a call to Graham on Thursday morning. "He wished Rev. Graham a speedy recovery and said that he'd...

A lead challenger to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in the state Republican primary said during a Monday stop in Spartanburg he’s more in line with South Carolinians when it comes to immigration reform. Buddy Witherspoon Buddy Witherspoon, a Lexington orthodontist and former Republican National Committee member, is seeking to unseat Graham, R-S.C.

Lindsey Graham is a supporter of John McCain. He went on Hannity and Colmes to support John McCain’s criticism of Mitt Romney and “setting time tables.” You will see that Sean Hannity catches Lindsey Graham in an outright lie.

A group of vocal foes of illegal immigration continued to marshal support Friday night, recruiting new members, calling for new laws and escalating their criticism of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. "This fight is not just about illegal immigration," said state Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, who helped organize the group. "The fight is about preserving American culture and preserving our way of life." Almost every speaker Friday mentioned Graham, by name or by an oblique reference to "the senator." "He's a traitor to his party and a traitor to all South Carolina people," said Robert Warren, an audience member who...

The movement to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham with a fiercer opponent of illegal immigration gained strength on Monday when Columbia native Buddy Witherspoon brought his campaign for the Republican nomination to Hilton Head Island. Witherspoon is a dentist and three-time elector in the electoral college and a representative at the Republican National Committee since 1996. He espouses traditionally conservative positions against abortion, gay marriage, gun control and higher taxes. But the key issue of the campaign -- and one that has many in South Carolina looking for a replacement for Graham -- is immigration. Opponents accuse Graham and other senators...

Two Republican senators said Monday that unless Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki makes more political progress by January, the U.S. should consider pulling political or financial support for his government. The stern warnings, coming from Sens. Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss, are an indication that while GOP patience on the war has greatly increased this fall because of security gains made by the military, it isn't bottomless. "I do expect them to deliver," Graham, R-S.C., said in a phone interview upon returning from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. "What would happen for me if there's no progress on reconciliation after...

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, just back from a Thanksgiving day trip to Iraq, said the recent surge of U.S. troops is so successful, it's history in the making. "I think history will judge the surge as probably the most successful counterinsurgency military operation in history," Mr. Graham said yesterday on "Fox News Sunday." -snip-

Buddy Witherspoon, a long-time South Carolina committeeman to the Republican National Committee, will be announcing this week that he will challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in the GOP primary, according to a source familiar with his intentions. Witherspoon, an orthodontist, is known as an arch-conservative on social and cultural issues, and plans to run a campaign centered on fighting illegal immigration. But as a first-time candidate, he will face an uphill battle raising his name identification and money against a very well-funded incumbent. Graham has over $4.2 million in his campaign account at the end of the third quarter. Graham...

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Tuesday that Democrats had stripped from a defense spending bill a $3 billion border-security amendment the Senate passed overwhelmingly last month. Graham said Democrats also attached conditions to the Iraq war funding, leading all Republican senators on a conference committee to refuse to sign the panel’s report. “I’m incredibly disappointed,” Graham said in an interview. “Congress would serve itself well if we funded border security as my amendment proposes, and it would help us move the immigration debate further down the road.” Graham said Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, the senior Republican on the defense...

SEN. GRAHAM: Alright, I’ve said that Gen. Petraeus is Pres. Bush’s U.S. Grant. But I think Maj. Gen. Douglas M. Stone [deputy commanding general, Multi-National Force–Iraq for Detainee Operations] may be our Lawrence of Arabia. His guarantor program is evidence to me that we are finally getting it: We’re finally understanding Iraq. His program is forward-leaning. He sees the prison system as an extension of the war: Basically taking counterinsurgency into jails. And with this many people in prison, it’s important we do that. The way it works is when someone is ready to be released, say back to Anbar...

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday he will introduce legislation to replace all paper Social Security cards with plastic biometric cards that can't be duplicated, so employers can be certain of the legal status of their workers. The South Carolina Republican said Congress must address the out-of-control illegal immigration problem, and last month's defeat of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate means the problem must be tackled piecemeal.

BAGHDAD — Enjoyed lunch today at the U.S. Embassy with Maj. Armando Hernandez, an Army press officer with Multi-National Force—Iraq. Great guy: Fascinating conversation about the role of the reporter in war. As we were leaving the dining facility, I bumped into Col. Lindsey Graham (yes, the South Carolina senator): I say "colonel" because Graham — an Air Force Reserve JAG officer — was dressed in his desert khaki uniform, and — here's the fun part — armed with a 9mm Beretta pistol in a shoulder holster. Giving me that good ol' Capitol Hill handshake and arm-squeeze, he said, "Tom,...

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Greenville County Republican Party made official its sentiment that Sen. Lindsey Graham is not doing a good job and is not representing the wishes of the people of South Carolina. Party officials said they most disagree with Graham’s stances on immigration and border security. Graham was one of the leading voices in support of a immigration reform proposal that supporters called comprehensive and opponents called "amnesty." Tuesday night, the party's county GOP’s executive committee adopted a resolution to censure Graham. "Sen. Lindsey Graham is not doing a good job and he is not following what a...

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton were sitting with him on stage in Flushing Meadows when Graham greeted them as his "wonderful friends of many years." "I told him," Graham said of President Clinton, "when he left the presidency, he should become an evangelist, because he had all the gifts." Graham paused, and added with a smile, "And he could [let] his wife run the country." That remark caused such a furor in some quarters that Graham's evangelist son Franklin had to explain that it was meant as a joke. But Graham had praised and defended both Clintons before. And in...

The Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committee met Monday night to elect members of three standing committees. The meeting ran for 3 hours, including brief comments by one presidential candidate and representatives of three other candidates. Following the election of members of the Finance, Rules and Candidate Recruitment and Liaison Committees, two hotly debated resolutions were passed by executive committeemen. A resolution proposed by Chris Golden would have asked Sen. Lindsey Graham to resign as a member of the Republican Party, and not seek the Republican Party nomination for the United States Senate or any other office in the future....

In a remarkable turnabout reminiscent of the famous John Kerry flip flop, "I was for the war before I was against the war," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) effected a dramatic reversal last week in his position on illegal immigration. Not more than a month earlier, Graham, or "Grahamnesty" as he was labeled, had been a strident supporter of the most extensive amnesty program in U.S. history, one cloaked in the deceptive rhetoric of humanitarianism and comprehensive immigration reform. The hypocrisy and betrayal were clearly evident a large majority of the American public. Has Graham committed political suicide? The fallout...

NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday when Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina testily exchanged views on President Bush's Iraq policy and troop welfare. An impromptu troop surge debate turned into a temper surge. "Just wash your hands of Iraq," an animated Graham said to the war critics, including the Democrat seated to his immediate right. "History will judge us, my friend." "It's been a hard month, Lindsey," Webb commiserated, wearing a tight smile. "You need to calm down, my friend." "Lindsey's had a hard month," Webb repeated. "It ain't about Lindsey having a...

South Carolina Republicans upset with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's support of an immigration bill are readying to challenge on of their own next year. At least two political newcomers plan to run against the state's senior senator when he seeks a second term in 2008. Also, state Rep. Jeff Duncan and former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett said Friday they are considering entering the race. "I'm keeping the track shoes unlaced so I can slip my feet into them quick if I need to," said Hartnett, 65. "I would hate to see him get a free ride." The newcomers cited Graham's...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Lieberman, McCain, Kyl, Graham, and Coleman today introduced a bipartisan amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, confronting the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran over its proxy attacks on American soldiers in Iraq. The amendment details the publicly available evidence put forward over the past year by General David Petraeus, commanding general of Multi-National Force Iraq, and others about Iran’s violent and destabilizing activities in Iraq. The amendment states that “the murder of members of the United States Armed Forces by a foreign government or its agents is an intolerable act of hostility against the...

Bigotry and intimidation defeated the immigration bill more than anything else. Right-wing media pundits and their ultraconservative followers spewed a systematic and steady stream of vitriol that was so extreme that even Senate Republicans complained. "There's racism in this debate," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reacting to the tone used by the immigration bill's opponents. Ever since the immigration issue picked up steam last spring, an increasingly nasty tone of hatred and intolerance has been directed at Hispanics in America.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham has returned from his seventh wartime visit to Iraq with renewed hope that the U.S. troop buildup is producing results. At the same time, the South Carolina Republican told Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders that they’ve made too little progress on steps such as reconciling the country’s warring factions and sharing oil revenues among Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslim Arabs and Kurds.“We left the impression upon them that patience at home (in the United States) is running out,” Graham said in a phone call from Paris while en route home Thursday.In contrast with...

DeMint makes 2008 tougher for Graham By Manu Raju July 03, 2007 Praise that conservatives are pouring on Sen. Jim DeMint for his prominent role in defeating the immigration bill last week is adding to the woes of South Carolina’s other Republican senator, Lindsey Graham. In a bid to oust Graham from office in next June’s primary elections, South Carolina conservatives are trying to find a Republican candidate whose political leanings are like DeMint’s. “There are frequent conversations where people say, ‘We sure appreciate what Jim has done, but we don’t know what is wrong with Lindsey,’” said David Woodard,...

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is in deep trouble with hard-core conservative members of his own party because of his support of President Bush's presumably failed immigration reform package. Some even are threatening to run a candidate against him in next June's GOP primary. So far, no one has stepped forward. "Lindsey will get an opponent," predicted Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen, a Republican activist. "The only question is will the candidate be any one of stature." (snip) Robert Botsch, a University of South Carolina-Aiken professor, said if Graham has a problem it's likely to be in the...

I asked one of the few conservative Republican senators who stuck with President Bush on immigration to assess how Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell handled the issue. Asking not to be quoted by name, he replied: "If this were a war, Sen. McConnell should be relieved of command for dereliction of duty." Not only did the minority leader end up voting against an immigration bill that he said was better than the 2006 version that he supported. He abandoned his post, staying off the floor during final stages of Senate debate. Although I never before had seen a Senate party...

Hours after a massive immigration bill collapsed in the Senate, lawmakers and lobbyists began seeking ways to pass bits and pieces of the measure important to their constituents. In an interview earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. _ a backer of the sidetracked immigration bill _ said the one-at-a-time approach may prove impossible, even for tougher border-enforcement measures that now seem popular. "The only way we're going to get Ag jobs or DREAM Act" or pathways to legal status for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, Graham said, "is to do it together. This idea of 'Just do the...

John J. Cina, a Summerville businessman, has never sought public office before but is starting his political career by setting his sights high. He said Friday he will oppose U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in next year's Republican primary. "I'm not a politician. I'm an every- day citizen, an hourly wage earner," Cina said. "We need to consider what's best for the American people, what's best for the South Carolina people. We've sent people up to Washington, D.C., for a purpose, and they don't do anything we want them to." A self-described "grass-roots right-wing conservative with unwavering principles," Cina most recently...

We have a Rogue Senate, running away from the clear and expressed desires of the American people across party lines. Americans do not trust the US Government to enforce our borders. Yet a majority of US Senators are determined to defy common sense and simple honesty, as understood by two-thirds of their voters. They have done so for forty years, and our current immigration mess is the result. Voters have a weapon to make their voices heard, and it's the vote. Perhaps the choicest target for GOP primary voters is Senator Lindsay Graham, who is up for reelection next year....

Four Republican Senators who have betrayed America are up for re-election. It is imperative that all Americans do everything we possibly can to ensure that they are not re-nominated. Three of these Senators come from preposterously red states, so we do not need fear that any controversy within the Republican party will cause their seats to go Democratic. The traitors are: Robert Bennett (UT) Not up for election LARRY CRAIG. Idaho's Senate is comprised of 28 Republicans and only 7 Democrats; the House has 51 Republicans and 19 Democrats. Bush won by 40 points, twice. Clinton got only 34%. LINDSAY...

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is one of the architects of the immigration overhaul, said he also had received threats in telephone calls and letters to his office. Mr. Graham said several other senators had told him privately that they also received similar messages. “There’s racism in this debate,” Mr. Graham said. “Nobody likes to talk about it, but a very small percentage of people involved in this debate really have racial and bigoted remarks. The tone that we create around these debates, whether it be rhetoric in a union hall or rhetoric on talk radio, it...

June 27 , 2007 Fellow South Carolinians -- Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform. Debate begins again this week in the Senate and I wanted you to have the facts about the bill. We both know this is a complex subject and the legislation makes many important and long-overdue changes in our nation's immigration policies. Below I have summarized the key provisions of the bill so that you will have all the facts. As my constituent your opinions and thoughts are very important to me. I have listened to your constructive input -- and as you will see...

New requirements to track down, deport and permanently bar people who overstay their visas would be added to a broad immigration bill under a GOP bid to attract more Republican support. The amendment, which also would prevent illegal immigrants from gaining lawful status until they pass a background check, is one of those the Senate will consider next week when it returns its attention to the immigration measure. The bill is likely to see a final vote by month's end.Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., an architect of a broader deal to legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants, said Friday...

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) approval rating is taking a pounding in his home state as a result of his strong support for a bipartisan immigration reform bill, a new poll showed Friday. Graham’s approval rating has sunk to 31 percent and he has a 40 percent disapproval rating, according to a poll released Friday by Atlanta-based InsiderAdvantage. The new poll points to Graham’s support for the Senate immigration bill, which includes a path to citizenship, as a likely reason for his apparent unpopularity. His disapproval among Republicans is higher — 46 percent — than among Democrats —30 percent. Both give...

South Carolina's Senator Lindsey Graham recently referred to those of us who oppose the Kennedy/Bush Immigration Bill as "bigots." This is our response. June 15, 2007 Hon. Lindsey Graham United States Senate Dear Senator Graham: It has been reported that you have seen fit to refer to those of us who oppose extensive immigration by third world peoples into the United States, as "bigots." You did not offer to debate issues fundamental to the very concept of a nation; rather, you chose to asperse the motives of those Americans, who sought such a debate. This suggests that you may be...

A movement is born. South Carolinians are fed up wth Senator Hissy: Here. And here. And here's a "Lindsey Graham Countdown Clock."

MONTREAT, N.C. — Ruth Graham, who surrendered dreams of missionary work in Tibet to marry a suitor who became the world's most renowned evangelist, died Thursday. She was 87. The wife of Billy Graham died at 5:05 p.m. at her home at Little Piney Cove, surrounded by her husband and all five of their children, said a statement released by family spokesman Larry Ross. "Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and...

With his wife Ruth near death, Charlotte-born evangelist Billy Graham announced today that the couple have decided to be buried on the grounds of the recently dedicated Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. Bedridden for the last six months, Ruth Graham contracted pneumonia two weeks ago and slipped into a coma this morning. Four of her five children were at her bedside today, and Ned, the youngest, was traveling to the family's Montreat home. She turned 87 Sunday... ...Graham spokesman Larry Ross told the Observer that Ruth Graham was being treated at her Montreat home, "in line with her wishes." But...

For U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), a single vote could be career terminal. On this day, he’s a shoo-in for re-election next year. If he votes for passage of an immigration bill that’s likely to resurface, he’s instantly vulnerable. Chambliss knows the stakes. “I’ve never seen anything strike the emotions of people like this,” he said. “But you can’t make decisions by putting a finger to the wind. Richard Russell went through some difficult issues. Sam Nunn did, too. And [Paul] Coverdell.”

A new blog, called "Dump Lindsey Graham," was created by a South Carolinian known only as "Fed Up in SC," who writes an open letter on behalf of "the people who elected you": We will start with a basic truth: you are not smarter than the rest of us. ... You are not intellectually superior to the folks in Central, SC, or South Carolinians in general. So, stop, STOP, telling us that we just don't understand. We DO understand. We understand very well. We understand that we elected you to represent us in Washington, and you have, so far, failed...

Senator John McCain's support of an immigration law overhaul branded as amnesty by Republicans has cost him a county chairman in South Carolina. David Nix told McCain spokesman Adam Temple he was quitting as county chairman after getting an e-mail from Temple about McCain's debate performance Tuesday. Temple had encouraged county chairmen to call radio shows to talk up McCain's performance. Nix says he was resigning because he was far from McCain on what Nix calls the amnesty bill. He said McCain can't read the pulse of American citizens. McCain's campaign confirmed the note's contents.