Posted on 06/04/2005 9:28:03 PM PDT by CHARLITE
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) - Sen. Lindsey Graham's role in a compromise on filibusters against President Bush (website - news - bio) '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'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."
Those same social conservatives were instrumental in derailing Arizona Sen. John McCain's "straight talk express" bid for the presidency five years ago in South Carolina's GOP primary."
Cry-baby Lindsay Graham PING ~ BUMP!
Are you safe from storms tonight?
No severe storms, but it's raining pretty good.
Graham Lindsey is hitching his political career to McCain. McCain is on the wrong track to be president in 2008.
We all need to start rallying around a good Republican for president in 2008.
Every voter in my state of South Carolina should read this quote from Senator Graham. This is what he thinks of us! What a condescending McCaniac waste of a good Senate seat. Like Ravenel said, we have a third Senator from NY.
And no Lindsey, I will not forget what you did. You betrayed me and my trust and have lost my vote forever. Unlike that dope quoted from Oconee, I do not care if you are my neighbor. I will vote for Thomas Ravenel in the primary. And if he does not run, I will vote for whoever is not you. And I will not be alone!!
Hey, but he was a JAG attorney and that makes it ok. He said so.
I love the way guys like Graham have some buddy that says this then someone else will until people believe it for some reason.
Graham is just another guy in politics that represents himself. I'm sick of the whole lot of them. We need to can everyone in Congress and just pick people off the street instead.
I don't think he's refering to constituants. At least I didn't read it that way. But in a way he is right there is too much hate coming from boht sides of the aisle.
I would hope so too, but the editor wrote that specifically about the letters coming in and I would hope they would be telling the truth.
I also have to add that the media is making it out that it's only the social conservatives and Christian right that care about this deal on judges. Wrong. I am neither a social conservative or Christian and judges are the most important issue to me. I want them to follow the law not to make it. This issue cuts a wide swath amongst all Republicans.
Well, other than getting suckered by McCain to get involved in this filibuster fiasco and betrayal of the base, just when we had in reach what we've all been working our backsides off for the last 20+ years... yeah, great instincts, Lindsey.
So is this Ravenel guy a legitimate challenger in the primaries? I WILL send money to serious opponents of the Sellout Seven.
Either you are very naive, or a Democratic troll here to stir up trouble. Which is it?
The post and courier is generally considered a conservative newspaper. Moderate dems are not mythical and south carolina either party can vote in both primaries.
The good people of the U.S. gave Bush a mandate, but the RINO's are too stupid to catch on.
They need to be fired asap , and a few good men need to take their place.
Politicians need to be held accountable for thumbing their noses at the people who feed them.
It's a newbie. Maybe a troll, or someone who has a LOT to learn about politics.
Prime Minister Chamberlin was one such person and look where it got us.
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