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Lindsey Graham gives as good as he gets
Politico ^ | 7-24-09

Posted on 07/24/2009 8:13:13 AM PDT by STARWISE

When Sen. Lindsey Graham announced his support for Sonia Sotomayor this week, right-wing radio talk show host Mark Levin said it was a sign that Graham is “unreliable ... as a thinker and a leader.”

Wendy Long, counsel for the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network, called it proof that Graham “still lacks courage, statesmanship and an understanding of the Constitution and rule of law.”

“May his antics get the attention they richly deserve.”

The response from Graham: Enjoy life in the minority.

In an interview with POLITICO Thursday, the South Carolina Republican defended his decision to back Sotomayor by laying out a broad critique of conservative activists who push “ideological purity” and refuse to cooperate with a Democratic Congress and White House.

“If we chase this attitude … that you have to say ‘no’ to every Democratic proposal, you can’t help the president ever, you can’t ever reach across the aisle, then I don’t want to be part of the movement because it’s a dead-end movement,” Graham said.

“I have no desire to be up here in an irrelevant status. I’m smart enough to know that this country doesn’t have a problem with conservatives. It has a problem with blind ideology. And those who are ideological-driven to a fault are never going to be able to take this party back into relevancy.”

While a handful of other GOP senators have said they’ll back Sotomayor when her nomination comes to the floor, Graham is the first Republican on the Judiciary Committee to support her.

He may be the only one. Not all of the Republicans on the committee have announced their views, but the two who would seem mostly likely to defect — Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), two veterans who have voted for every Supreme Court nominee they’ve faced in the Senate — have both expressed reservations about Sotomayor.

Hatch said that he’s “troubled” by her nomination, and Grassley said that “people take things into consideration now that they didn’t used to before.” He added: “So obviously, there are other things to consider than just qualifications.”

Graham said that Sotomayor is not the nominee he would have chosen.

But after questioning her extensively during her confirmation hearing — asking about everything from her views on abortion to the charge that she’s a “bully” on the bench — he said Sotomayor deserves his support because a review of her 17-year record proved she was well-qualified, her confirmation would not upset the ideological balance on the court, and Obama is entitled to some latitude in making his pick because he won the election.

Most of all, he said, he wanted to return to the days where ideology was not part of the equation when choosing judicial nominees — citing the 98-0 confirmation of Antonin Scalia in 1986 and the 96-3 confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993.

“I don’t want to politicize the judiciary any more than has been done,” Graham said. “My goal is to ensure the rule of law isn’t taken over by special-interest groups.”

Whether it was his efforts to prevent the “nuclear option” in 2005 over George W. Bush’s judicial nominations, to back the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility or to pass an immigration reform bill that the right calls “amnesty” for illegal immigrants, Graham is used to the heat.

~~~

Rest at link.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: 111th; aliens; bendingover4obama; bho2009; bho44; graham; grahmnesty; immigration; lilylivered; lindseygraham4obama; mccainsbutboy; mccainsbuttboy; mccainsbuttbuy; obamaslover; rino; rinoparty; rinos4obama; scumbag; sotomayor; traitor
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“I have no desire to be up here in an irrelevant status."

~~~~

ROLF! You couldn't BE any more irrelevant with your spineless stands, Lindseygirl.

1 posted on 07/24/2009 8:13:15 AM PDT by STARWISE
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To: STARWISE

Boy, that headline is all kinds of wrong.


2 posted on 07/24/2009 8:13:59 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (The worst is behind us. Unfortunately it is really well endowed.)
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To: penelopesire; seekthetruth; television is just wrong; jcsjcm; BP2; Pablo Mac; April Lexington; ...

~~PING!

South Carolina FReepers: rain holyhell upon this wimp!


3 posted on 07/24/2009 8:14:12 AM PDT by STARWISE (The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)
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To: STARWISE
right-wing talk show......conservative Judicial Confirmation Network...

Marginalization: the napalm of politics.

4 posted on 07/24/2009 8:15:30 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (The revolution IS being televised.)
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To: perfect_rovian_storm

you mean the choice of personal pronoun?


5 posted on 07/24/2009 8:15:53 AM PDT by rahbert
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To: STARWISE

Something about this headline gives me the laughing fits...LOL!!

Gads......


6 posted on 07/24/2009 8:16:07 AM PDT by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: penelopesire

;)


7 posted on 07/24/2009 8:17:17 AM PDT by STARWISE (The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)
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To: STARWISE
Dear Lindsey SpectRE,

Thank you for your honesty. Please join your brother on the other side of the isle, ASAP.

Signed,

A Proud CONSERVATIVE who isn't so whimpy and STANDS UP for what she believes in...and feels that DOING THE RIGHT THING ISN'T ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT!!!

BYE BYE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO RE-ELECT YOUR SORRY BEHIND

8 posted on 07/24/2009 8:18:54 AM PDT by NordP ("....He pulls a knife, U pull a gun. He sends 1 of urs 2 hosp U send his 2 morgue = Chicago Way")
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To: STARWISE
“I don’t want to politicize the judiciary any more than has been done,” Graham said. “My goal is to ensure the rule of law isn’t taken over by special-interest groups.”

He is nothing more than a master of political double speak as the above quote illustrates. McCain and Graham, Specter and so many other rinos are predictable disappointments. Is it really a surprise that republicans are in the minority?

9 posted on 07/24/2009 8:19:01 AM PDT by GBA
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To: STARWISE

How long has he been in office?

TOO LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was present when this disaster took place

YOUR FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


10 posted on 07/24/2009 8:19:35 AM PDT by Mr. K (THIS ADMINISTRATION IS WEARING OUT MY CAPSLOCK KEY DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!!)
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To: STARWISE

Reminder Memo of Grah-amnesty: Remove from Congress in 2010 election.


11 posted on 07/24/2009 8:20:31 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: EagleUSA

I cannot stand Miss Lindsay Graham-nesty. The Dems must have a really good file of pictures and video to blackmail this sissy with.


12 posted on 07/24/2009 8:22:51 AM PDT by Frantzie (Remember when Bush was President and Americans had jobs (and ammo)?)
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To: STARWISE
If the electorate were so sensitive, then the vicious treatment given Clarence Thomas would have resulted in a landslide for Republicans. We're not asking for Sotomayor to be tarred, feathered, and driven out of town on a rail... just vote NO. Vote your convictions, not what is politically expedient.

It takes courage to do that, it takes courage to vote knowing it 'might' mean you don't win re-election, but if our troops must stand in the line of fire, in harms way, how can we ask our politicians to show any less courage to simply VOTE based on the law and what is best for the country? Sotomayor is NOT the best we can offer this country.

It isn't about being 'liked'. It is about being 'right'. Most of us left concern for being 'liked' behind when we walked out of the high school door with a diploma in hand.

13 posted on 07/24/2009 8:26:33 AM PDT by 1-Eagle (SUPPORT - The Constitutional Law of Honduras!)
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To: STARWISE
When I was in high school, we referred to people like Lindsey as a pussy. Hey Lindsey, you are irrelevant... do you not remember the last presidential campaign? The guy you slept with lost... go pound sand!
14 posted on 07/24/2009 8:27:05 AM PDT by opaque soul (Condensing gas to solid state, truth the soul does make opaque.)
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To: STARWISE

Why doesnt Lindsey just become a Democrat and get it over with....


15 posted on 07/24/2009 8:27:52 AM PDT by UCFRoadWarrior (I thought Obama was half-white?)
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To: All
A stunning illustration of his irrelevance, incoherence and derangement:

Most of all, he said, he wanted to return to the days where ideology was not part of the equation when choosing judicial nominees — citing the 98-0 confirmation of Antonin Scalia in 1986 and the 96-3 confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993.

16 posted on 07/24/2009 8:28:45 AM PDT by STARWISE (The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)
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To: STARWISE
Graham is the first Republican on the Judiciary Committee to support her. He may be the only one.

The sad thing about this RINO's position is that in order to get out of the Judiciary Committee Judge Sotomoyer has to have at least one "Yes" vote from a Republican on the committee. If the Republicans in the Judiciary Committee were unanimous in their dissent, she is rejected.

This is the only way we can defeat her nomination.....and Lindsey Graham is blowing it for the party.

17 posted on 07/24/2009 8:31:31 AM PDT by Retired COB (Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
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To: STARWISE

Grahamnesty is the poster boy for the old saying that “If you don’t STAND for something, you’ll FALL for anything.”

The argument by the increasingly silly and irrelevant Lindsey Graham that Sotomayor is no worse than Souter is akin to a doctor telling you that your lung cancer is cured – but you have leukemia. I heard Graham remark that “The President has a right to get the people he wants.” That “logic” says that if Obama WANTS to abolish an elected legislature for a politbureau of his fellow Chicago thugs – which he is in the process of doing with his “czars,” — you should simply roll over, move on and let him have it.

And this guy is a LAWYER?? Good grief!!


18 posted on 07/24/2009 8:32:49 AM PDT by Dick Bachert (ELECTION 2010 IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF OUR LIFETIME! If you have to ask why, UR part of the problem!)
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To: STARWISE

Linsgay earns his kneepad status.


19 posted on 07/24/2009 8:33:06 AM PDT by maggief
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To: STARWISE

Sen. Grahamnesty’s idea of tough question: “Do you have a temperment problem?” Too bad the metrosexual didn’t have the cajones to ask her about her criminal association in the DeLano matter.


20 posted on 07/24/2009 8:34:29 AM PDT by Nephi ( Support Fascism: Buy GE, GM and Chrysler products! You already buy gasoline.)
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