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Lindsey Graham: Iran Protests Highlight Obama's Failure
Towhnhall.com ^ | December 31, 2017 | Timothy Meads

Posted on 12/31/2017 12:59:33 PM PST by Kaslin

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday and told host Major Garrett that if he were President Donald J. Trump, he would do the opposite of what President Barack Obama did in Iran.  Many critics say the 44th president failed to show adequate support for anti-government protesters in 2009, which only emboldened the theocratic state to increase its brutal regime and control over its people.

Lindsey Graham, a one time 2016 GOP presidential rival of Trump, lambasted Barack Obamaas an abject failure for his appeasement of the Islamic Republic rather then standing up for its protesters yearning for freedom. The South Carolina Senator showed support for the current protesters saying “The Iranian people are not our enemy. The Ayatollah is the enemy of the world.”

Graham told his interviewer that Obama's approach failed. 

MAJOR GARRETT: --in Iran. What is the import of these demonstrations on the street, and what should President Trump do or say about them?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well, it tells us that the Obama approach of relieving sanctions, hoping the regime would moderate, has failed. The people are not getting the benefit of sanctions relief. They're more upset with their oppressors than ever. The money from sanction relief has gone into rebuilding the Iranian military, and they're destabilizing the Mideast. (emphasis added)

Garaham encouraged President Trump to have “a nationwide address pretty soon explaining why the Iranian nuclear deal is a bad deal for the world, what a better deal would look like, and urge Congress and the European allies to get a better deal with Iran -- before it's too late.”

Graham then laid into Obama even more, advising the current president to do the polar opposite of what Obama did while in office.

MAJOR GARRETT: And the-- purpose of that national address would be to-- take note of this moment and put the United States four square on behalf and behind those people protesting in the streets? Some have said that would be the wrong thing to do because that would give the regime an enemy to point at. Us, again.

LINDSEY GRAHAM: That was the Obama approach. If I were Trump I'd do the exact opposite of Obama. Obama said, "I don't want to get involved, I don't want mess up the chance of getting a deal with Iran." Well, the deal with Iran hasn't worked. The money didn't go to benefit the people, it went to benefit the Ayatollah and his henchmen. (emphasis added)

Graham's words come as protests in Iran escalate. The Iranian government has cut off internet access, killed two protesters, threatened crack downs on what they deem "illegal protests," and arrested at least 50.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: iran; lindseygraham
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To: Eddie01

Graham just played golf with Trump—good move.


21 posted on 12/31/2017 2:16:32 PM PST by dandiegirl (BO)
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To: Eddie01

“Race baiting”, not “race betting” (to CBS).


22 posted on 12/31/2017 2:22:51 PM PST by nwrep
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To: dandiegirl
Trump is building bridges for sure. Glad to see Graham coming around.

Here is something else he said today:

MAJOR GARRETT: What I hear you saying Senator is 2018 is the year of preemptive strikes?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: 2018 is going to the year to deny North Korea the capability to hit the homeland. Sanctions will never work completely without the threat of credible military force. How do you change a man's behavior who's willing to kill his own family, torture his own people to stay in power? He's living large and he could care less us about his people. The only way he will change his behavior if he beliefs Donald Trump would use military force to destroy his regime and the Iranians are watching how Trump deals with North Korea. You'll ask me in a minute how my relationship has evolved with the President. It's evolved because he is President of the United States, he beat me like a drum and I want to help him where I can because there's a lot on this man's plate. And we should all want to help him.

23 posted on 12/31/2017 2:30:50 PM PST by Eddie01
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To: Paladin2; DoughtyOne

Every Senator but Tom Cotton voted for the Corker bill.


24 posted on 12/31/2017 2:32:15 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents-Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Defiant

...or his partner in crime will be at room temp soon and he’s looking to build new alliances. Who knows?


25 posted on 12/31/2017 2:32:30 PM PST by Eddie01
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Cotton is coming out smelling like a rose on Iran.


26 posted on 12/31/2017 2:34:30 PM PST by lodi90
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To: DoughtyOne

IIRC every Senator excepting Senator Cotton voted for the Corker rule. They were all for it.


27 posted on 12/31/2017 2:38:05 PM PST by jospehm20
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To: Kaslin

The president will appear favorable to the Iranian people while leaving the actual hands on support to the Arabs and israel who have boots on the ground so to speak.

The red carpet treatment and the Presidential speech in Riyadh were advance notice to Iran the there is a new game being played.


28 posted on 12/31/2017 2:38:28 PM PST by Thibodeaux (2018 is looking good)
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To: Eddie01

Graham still needs to be replaced in 2020.
He and Alexander.
They both voted for Rubio’s amnesty and have said they will do it again.


29 posted on 12/31/2017 2:39:07 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents-Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

If I am God willing still alive in 2020 Not only will I vote for President Trump in the Tennessee Primary and general election. I will also vote against Lamar Alexander in the Tennessee primary and hopefully there will be a candidate that I can vote for in the August primary that is different than the super Tuesday primary. One thing you can be sure. I will not vote for a demonrat and I will not waste my time with some third party candidate that has no chance what soever to get elected.


30 posted on 12/31/2017 2:58:35 PM PST by Kaslin (Quid est Veritas?: What Is Truth?)
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To: Hardastarboard

It might encourage him more if people here stopped referring to him as “Linda.” I don’t know whether he’s gay or not, but even so, giving him a childish nickname because you don’t agree with him doesn’t undermine his position - it undermines yours.

That said, he has actually been pretty supportive of Trump for a few months now. And Graham is popular with his constituency, for one reason or another (possibly because some of the other candidates have been hideous drug sniffing rich guys from the “old families”).

Encourage the good and let the other stuff go. It’s water under the bridge, and if he’s coming out and supporting Trump now, that’s all that matters.


31 posted on 12/31/2017 3:07:26 PM PST by livius
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Thanks, great point that needed to be made here.

This means the Cubanadian did also. Whew!


32 posted on 12/31/2017 3:16:53 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell, Ryan, and the whole GOPe are dead to me. Are Alabamans tired of winning?)
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To: jospehm20

Hard to believe...


33 posted on 12/31/2017 3:17:46 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell, Ryan, and the whole GOPe are dead to me. Are Alabamans tired of winning?)
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To: Kaslin; alarm rider; Alex1977; at bay; Babsig; BILL_C; bnelson44; ColdOne; DesScorp; G.Love; ...
Maybe linda's wig is on too tight?

Uber RINO linda graham Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."


Want on or off this ping list?
Just FReepmail me.

h/t to martin_fierro for the graphic

34 posted on 12/31/2017 3:18:49 PM PST by upchuck (President Trump is great because he actually runs something other than his mouth!)
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To: dandiegirl

Stategically, Graham has to trim his sails now that his bestest girlfried, John McCain, is on his way out.


35 posted on 12/31/2017 3:20:16 PM PST by Tallguy
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To: Kaslin

What’s wrong with Graham lately?


36 posted on 12/31/2017 3:21:46 PM PST by Chuckster ("Them Rag Heads just ain't rational" Curly Bartley 1973)
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To: Kaslin

37 posted on 12/31/2017 4:19:18 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: DoughtyOne

With the Bible held high. He puts it down and then he lies.


38 posted on 12/31/2017 4:20:06 PM PST by conservative98
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To: Kaslin

it highlights Jimmuh’s failure, too.


39 posted on 12/31/2017 4:55:26 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (“If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: conservative98

Well, that’s my take on him.


40 posted on 12/31/2017 5:37:29 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell, Ryan, and the whole GOPe are dead to me. Are Alabamans tired of winning?)
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