Lindsey Graham warns GOP against going too far right [defends Fiorina, attacks DeMint, Hoffman]

Politico ^ | 2009-11-04 | Manu Raju

[rabscuttle385]

The morning after Republicans lost an upstate New York House seat, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned that conservative activists will bring destruction to the Republican Party if they drive out moderate candidates across the country.

“To those people who are pursuing purity, you’ll become a club not a party,” Graham told POLITICO in the Capitol Wednesday. “Those people who are trying to embrace conservatism in a thoughtful way that fits the region and the state and the district are going to do well. Conservativism is an asset. Blind ideology is not.”

Graham, who has sparred with his party’s right wing on issues ranging from climate change to Guantanamo Bay to Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination, warned that those concerned about the state of the GOP should help find candidates who are electable — not ones who adhere to a particular type of ideology. And he said that both the GOP nominee, Dede Scozzafava and the conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman were both out of the mainstream of the upstate New York district – which lead to the victory of Democrat Bill Owens Tuesday night.

[cripplecreek]

All the RINOs have is straw-man rhetoric, pretending we are insisting on perfect purity, as opposed to solid conservative principles, and some backbone.

I had a few fairly large differences with my chosen presidential candidate but I went with him in the primary because in my opinion he most closely represented my conservative views.

In the general election.....well there was McCain.

[Rocky]

I love the smell of burning RINO in the morning.

[markomalley]

He needs to go. Not sure, but I think Fritz Hollings was more of a conservative than Grahamnesty.

[Psalm 144]

I don’t think Wee Little Lindsey actually exists. That persona is a scam - an utterly ficticious construct.

I think the individual alleged to be one “Lindsey Olin Graham” of South Carolina is in fact one James Earl Carter of Georgia, in drag, pumped with botox and masquerading as an elected Republican while wreaking havoc from within the GOP.

Such an angry little man. Both of him

[thecraw]

[GeronL]

defends Fiorina from what? From someone supporting and endorsing someone else?

Are they no longer to endorse in the primary? Isn’t that what primaries are for?

[bruinbirdman]

Gramnesty was quite the conservative in the Contract With America years. No?

Looks like Senate ambitions got to him?

yitbos

[snippy_about_it]

I think at our next 9/12 meeting down here I’ll suggest a recall of Graham.

[Steelfish]

Agree. Every single effort should be made to have a true conservative run and win against Lindsey Graham next time he is up for election. It cannot come a day sooner.

[RonnieFan]

Graham is right and wrong. He is right that conservatism needs to “fits the region and the state and the district.” He is wrong in that he doesn’t admit that he represents a conservative stronghold, resign and a let a conservative that better fits his state have his seat. Come on Lindsay lead by example.

I can stomach a RINO in California, New York or New Jersey, where the likely alternatives are named Barbara, Hillary or Jon; but a RINO in South Carolina is wholly unacceptable.

[ChessExpert]

Whether a club or a party, I want Lindsey Graham out.

[sourcery]

If Graham were any farther to the left, he’d consider Lieberman to be a rabid right winger.

[Texas Fossil]

Here is a table I created that shows all the Republican Congressmen and how they voted on 4 key issues.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2375957/posts see post #6

Issues>

1. TARP Bill

2. Auto Bail-out

3. Cap & Trade

4. FDA Food Takeover

—

Conclusion:

ANY Congressman who voted for Cap & Trade MUST be REMOVED. They are either a Traitor or Too Stupid to Hold Public Office. NO EXCEPTIONS!

[DustyMoment]

Lindsey Graham warns GOP against going too far right [defends Fiorina, attacks DeMint, Hoffman]

Gee, this is kinda the reason that conservatives are abandoning the GOP faster than the GOP abandoned their conservative base.

[sourcery]

conservatism needs to “fits the region and the state and the district.”

Yes, they do. But that's a two-edged sword.

United we stand, divided we fall. That's also a two-edged sword—one edge cuts those who won't accept anything less than their ideal; the other cuts those who try to force other factions of their coalition to accept that which violates the core values of those other factions.

[Renegade]

Can you recall petition a Senator ?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned that conservative activists will bring destruction to the Republican Party if they drive out moderate candidates across the country.

They can join the Democrats because I don't want anything Lindsey Graham is selling...

[grey_whiskers]

Separated at birth? No WONDER Obama won't release the vault copy!

[ought-six]

South Carolina needs to dump this poofer.

[JLS]

Nope, I suspect Graham is really a Republican who just wants to be liked too much. He is an attorney and a reserve JAG and wanted all the attorneys to like him so he had to be wobbly on GITMO and interogations.

He certainly has been in DC too long, for guys like him 10 secs is too long. Were the dominate motif of the capital conservative he would be conservative. He is just a weak mind with no beliefs because has no intellect.