Posted on 06/18/2007 8:05:54 AM PDT by MplsSteve
Lee Rogers, chairman of the Republican Party in Anderson County, S.C., was at the beach last week when his cell phone rang.
It was an urgent call from one of Rogers' GOP activists.
"He asked me what I was going to do to find somebody to run against Lindsey Graham (next year)," Rogers said. "I explained to the gentleman that's not something I can put together as a single county chairman. That's got to happen with the people."
It could be happening.
Graham, nearing the end of his first Senate term, has taken plenty of heat before, but perhaps never like this.
Thanks to his high-profile help in crafting an immigration reform bill that has stalled in the Senate, constituents call and leave screaming messages on his office voicemail.
"NO AMNESTY! NO AMNESTY!" one repeat caller yells for a minute or more in angry overnight messages that greet his aides in the morning.
Graham's staff estimates that his Senate offices have received about 3,000 letters, phone calls, e-mails and faxes about immigration in the last month, most of them critical of him.
Talk radio hosts within and beyond South Carolina deride Graham as a Ted Kennedy toady.
Rush Limbaugh has taken to calling him "Lindsey Grah-amnesty."
Bloggers challenge his manhood, assault his patriotism, mock his intellect.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I can't say for sure but it doesn't appear as though anyone will be challenging Lindsay Graham in next year's primary. I would love to see it happen though.
Comments or opinions - anyone?
Rather than listen to their constituents, these arrogant Senators need to be sent home and replaced. I won’t vote for a single candidate who endorses the amnesty program, no matter how they try to sugar-coat it.
Calls to the South Carolina Weeping Pansy’s office are in vain. He has already said he will vote for this bill REGARDLESS OF ITS CONTENTS AND CONSEQUENCES. The Republicans in his state should move forward with finding an electable replacement and not waste their efforts trying to change his mind. Graham has already sold them out and he DOESN’T CARE. He is giddy from his experience of rubbing shoulders with Ted Kennedy, who has played him for a prize sucker. He thinks this will all be forgotten after passage of the bill, and that he won’t be held accountable because voters have short memories. I urge South Carolinians to surprise him.
It will be an absolute crime if this clown is unopposed in the primary.
A South Carolinan has to step up and go for it. The position is theirs for the taking.
My husband and I discussed this over the weekend. The SC GOP party better start looking to someone and funding him/her fast to challenge Goober. Time is awastin’! I hope Ravenel(State Treasurer), Gov. Sanford or Rep. Gresham Barrett challenge him. Someone has got to step up to the plate ASAP.
This is sad and cynical and what is wrong with the GOP. No one has to defeat Graham, he is doing a fine job of that himself. Graham is counting on the money in his warchest scaring off primary challengers. I believe a good decent candidate running a common sense campaign can unseat Graham with a lot less money. Graham is there for the taking, the anger against Graham is there, a bold candidate will take this opportunity and run with it.
The real amnesty the pols are after is for themselves for refusing to enforce our laws.
No free passes for them. They must be held accountable.
Graham obviously isn’t planning to run for re-election.
Does anyone know when the filing deadline is in South Carolina?
“He is giddy from his experience of rubbing shoulders with Ted Kennedy, who has played him for a prize sucker.”
Goober Grahamesty is really enjoying playing the part of Fat Ted’s pool-boy/love-slave, isn’t he? Makes you wonder what exactly he is getting out of it. Sickening.
Wow, I thought 80% of Americans were mad about illegals?
Are there no Conservatives in SC?
What about some angry Freepers from SC?
I see them posting all the time for impeachment and death for the Pres and Graham.
Weird, but there is still time I guess, but they should not take too long to decide.
Because of Graham’s national prominence on the illegal amnesty issue, I believe any primary opponent could raise a good portion of the necessary campaign funds nationally if done intelligently, focusing on the illegal immigration issue.
Its probably time for opponents, defined as real Americans who represent the people, to step up, make themselves known. They could probably win with very little money. Anything to get rid of the weak sister traitors that are abusing the people of this country right now.
If you oppose this creep Graham, step up, you can win!
Unless he/she is term limited, why would a governor run for Senate?
No snark here, I just can’t see what’s in it for a governor to take a demotion.
I don’t for ONE MINUTE believe he has only gotten a total of 3000 e-mails, letters, and phone calls. I’ve sent him 3 e-mails already, and I’m not even IN his state.
Yes, but I prefer BorderGate. It's catchier.
Unfortunately given the system- a Democrat may be elected. He’s going down. If the GOP gives him cover. They go down also period. I would vote for the Democrat before I would vote for this nincompoop. You can bet the Democrat will be pro-life and anti-amnesty. The Republicans will see where reaching across the aisle gets them in 2008. Notice the Democrats who support this bill are all in really safe districts-take for example Ted Kennedy.
Either that or he has taken or been promised enough of a payoff to not care if he wins reelection. If his actions do not indicate he has been bought and paid for, then he sure is a misunderstood soul.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.