Posted on 09/02/2010 7:38:35 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham began his meeting with the Charleston Tea Party by asking members of the news media to leave.
Graham reiterated Thursday morning in an interview on WTMA-AM that he wanted the meeting closed to the media because some Tea Party members might not have felt as comfortable participating.
"Some people don't want to be on the front page of the newspaper or on TV asking a question or giving me a piece of their mind," he said.
Charleston Tea Party chairman Mike Murphree said his group and Graham's staff agreed on the meeting format, but the idea of closing it to the media came from the senator's office.
"We had an understanding that this would be a private meeting," Graham, R-S.C., told the crowd of more than 100 people Wednesday night in North Charleston City Hall. To the departing media, he said, "You can see me outside."
The ground rules for the 90-minute meeting, arranged by Graham with input from the tea party, said media could remain as citizens but not as working journalists. Local WTMA-AM radio host Rocky D said, "I'm a tea partier" and remained in the room.
Other media members initially escorted out by Graham's communications director, Kevin Bishop, later trickled back in.
What they heard was an often lively exchange between Graham and the audience that focused on taxes, the national debt, immigration, the bank bailouts, energy policy, and Iraq and Afghanistan.
On immigration, one issue where Graham's willingness to compromise has angered some conservatives, Graham said it won't be possible to get enough Senate votes on a bill that would jail or deport the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
He told one questioner that his solution is not going to work, but the questioner replied, "You haven't heard my solution."
K.C. Meyer, a Mount Pleasant engineer, said he is considering running against Graham in 2014. "I'm just hearing the same old stuff," he said of Graham's performance. "I just wish I heard a little more fight there."
Graham recently predicted that the tea party movement will "die out," but he said Wednesday that so will the Republican Party if it doesn't come up with a coherent vision to rally around. He said Republicans mainly are doing well now because Democrats are failing.
While the meeting included applause and some verbal jousting, it was more civil than some town hall meetings held last year.
When one man claimed he was a Vietnam veteran "unlike (Sen.) John Kerry (D-Mass.)," Graham stopped him, saying, "John Kerry and I disagree, but he was in Vietnam, and you know what? President (Barack) Obama is not a Muslim. He's a liberal."
Graham's staff never alerted the media to the event, though at least a few media members received the tea party's mass e-mail, which indicated that seating would be limited to 150 on a first-come, first-serve basis and personal recording devices would not be allowed.
It didn't mention the media would be excluded.
K.C. Lombard, a Johns Island roofer and tea party member, said Graham called the meeting and set the rules. Lombard questioned whether the media should have been asked to leave.
"The whole tea party movement has been downplayed by the media, and here y'all are taking notes," he said.
Graham, who is well known for his many appearances on national news talk shows, later explained that he wanted the meeting private so tea party members would feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts.
"When you have the press there, sometimes it doesn't go as you would like," he said. "There are a lot of people who do not want to be in the newspaper."
Covering the politics of the Lowcountry, South Carolina and the nation.
The crowd was far from hostile -- or media shy. Several spoke to reporters outside, including Deborah Riegel, wife of Charleston City Councilman Dean Riegel.
She described Graham's appearance as "same old, same old," adding that she likes Graham but doesn't always agree with him. "We respectfully disagree on some things, but that's politics," she said.
Kelly McBride, a senior faculty member with the Poynter Institute in Florida and co-leader of Poynter Ethics Fellows, said the media should attend the event. While it's not uncommon for political figures to try to restrict media access, those restrictions are tougher to enforce in an era when anyone with a blog or cellphone camera can reach a large audience.
"This stuff does happen, and it's stupid," McBride said. "Who isn't a reporter these days?"
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or rbehre@postandcourier.com.
Same old dodges and diversions we've heard a thousand times before from the open borders crowd. Just enforce the border, enforce the law at the employer level, and detain illegals encountered in the normal course of law enforcement. That strategy would gradually solve most of the problem.
Graham is beyond disgusting. Anyone who still throws out the old "you can't deport 12 million people" canard should be slapped and spanked in public, that entire nonsense is so disingenuous.
The tea bagger meets the Tea Partiers.
Graham has no intention of switching parties. I’ll throw a lot on his head but his inclination is to run the Republican Party and save it from our extremist views. Maybe if it looked like he’d lose a primary challenge but I’m not even sure he would in that case.
I’d welcome it if he did. It would be easier to fill that seat with a conservative if we didn’t have to battle an incumbent. And really 51 Senate Majority doesn’t mean much when the GOP is still populated with several establishment liberals. The House is where the real power will be. Vastly more conservative and it can stop any legislation with a simple majority. We need the Senate, but only for judges and with Obama as President I don’t think we can do much there on that issue until he’s replaced.
Cocktails and/or cock tails?
Top 50 party animals
By ANNE SCHROEDER MULLINS & PATRICK GAVIN | 9/9/09 6:27 AM EDT
http://www.politico.com/click/focus/lindsey_graham.html
Though he once described himself as a “loner,” Sen. Lindsey Graham is one social senator. He can be seen everywhere from The Week forums — in support of his pal Margaret Carlson — to the Friends of Scotland Caucus cocktail reception. He’s the perfect guest: personable, knowledgeable, powerful and handy with a one-liner. The real plus? He can get along with Democrats.
(snip)
Straw man arguments. No one is saying deport or jail 12 million people.
Just do two things. First, close the border. Second, tell businesses that if they employ illegal immigrants, they are out of business. Period.
Jobs dry up and illegal immigrants go home. Problem solved.
Thank you! You’re not so bad yourself! ;-)
There he goes again.
If South Carolina doesn’t have a sore loser law, the SC tea partiers need to work on the state legislature to pass one. Gramnesty WILL pull a “Specter”
I agree with your solution, but to be fair, a lot of people DO insist on the first option.
Uh, you mean "people" like Linda Graham fer instance?
The clown makeup is perfect for this one:
Uber RINO Lindsey 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
Remember: "I ain't gay."
I do hope some Tea Partier or GOOOH member runs and defeats this craphead, but they need to start now. He’ll have the establishment and money galore.
“anyone with a blog or cellphone camera can reach a large audience. “
Well, where are they?
I was looking forward to reading some accounts of this meeting from people who were there.
Weasel pulled a good one getting the media out so he could control coverage.
“On immigration, one issue where Graham’s willingness to compromise has angered some conservatives, Graham said it won’t be possible to get enough Senate votes on a bill that would jail or deport the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.”
What kind of crap is this? There is no need for a Senate bill to do any of these things, as they are the rules already on the books. It’s insane to suggest that they need to pass a separate law to enforce statutes already in place, with penalties in place as well.
WTF?
Besides that, there is a chance for more conservative Senators as of November. So, things can change *on the ground*, Sen. Graham.
After seeing what happened to Arlan, the jumpers may decide it isn’t such a good idea.
[...asking members of the news media to leave...]
ASKING them to leave? Is Graham & Co. actually saying to the Press....”Will you please leave?, I doubt it, they are BARRING the press from his ‘secret’ meetings.
The Tea Party should make a sign and take it to every one of this weasel’s ‘meetings’....SEN. GRAHAM HAS DENIED THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF A FREE PRESS AT HIS MEETINGS...any tough questions for the senator and his answers will NOT BE HEARD outside of this location.
Graham is scared.
This was a meet and greet so he can figure out magic words but still act the same.
Graham needs to be encouraged to simply retire and not run again.
Graham doesn’t want the press present becaue RINOs like him are the problem in the GOP and he can offer no real defence for his liberal behavior .
Anyone here think that Miss Lindsey actually banned the media so that he wouldn’t be publicly embarrassed by the tea partiers?
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