Graham Knocks Cruz On Guns And Tyranny: 'We Tried That Once... I'm Not Looking For An Insurrection'

Talking Points Memo ^ | 4/16/2015 | Sahil Kapor

[VinL]

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz's argument that the Second Amendment provides the "ultimate check against government tyranny" is a bit too extreme for potential 2016 rival and fellow Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

"Well, we tried that once in South Carolina. I wouldn't go down that road again," Graham said, in an apparent reference to the Civil War. "I think an informed electorate is probably a better check than, you know, guns in the streets."

Speaking to a few reporters near the Senate floor Thursday, Graham was answering questions from TPM about the Texas firebrand and presidential candidate's argument made in a fundraising email that the Second Amendment confers a right to revolt against the government.

"The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution isn't for just protecting hunting rights, and it's not only to safeguard your right to target practice. It is a Constitutional right to protect your children, your family, your home, our lives, and to serve as the ultimate check against governmental tyranny -- for the protection of liberty," Cruz wrote in the email Thursday, with the subject line "2nd Amendment against tyranny."

Graham demurred. "I'm not looking for an insurrection. I'm looking to defeat Hillary," he said. "We're not going to out-gun her."

While a consistent supporter of gun rights, Graham voiced a more mainstream legal view of the Second Amendment, as the Supreme Court first articulated in the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, that individuals have a right to possess a firearm for lawful self-defense.

"I think the Second Amendment allows people to protect their homes and their property and be secure in their persons," the senator said. "I think in a democracy the best check on government is voter participation. I think the First Amendment probably protects us more there."

[tet68]

“Well, we tried that once in South Carolina. I wouldn’t go down that road again,” Graham said, in an apparent reference to the Civil War. “I think an informed electorate is probably a better check than, you know, guns in the streets.”

Dear Mr. Graham, without “guns in the streets” you’ll
go down whatever road the government tells you to go down,
even the road to the ovens.

Never Again.

[Finny]

Graham demurred. "I'm not looking for an insurrection. I'm looking to defeat Hillary," he said. "We're not going to out-gun her."

Going defense, thinking defense, acting defense. Reacting to the other guy. Just trying to hold the ground, prevent them from getting any further. Stop Hillary, that's all that counts!

Meanwhile, on every kind of front, Cruz is going offense. Stating outright -- repeal Obamacare and Common Core while you're at it. Making it clear: he's a "denier" of global warming. Stating plainly: The 2nd Amendment protects your right to protect yourself, home, family, and nation from harm including harm of government tyranny.

Going offense. Advancing forward.

God bless Ted Cruz.

[RC one]

"I think an informed electorate is probably a better check than, you know, guns in the streets."

an informed electorate elected Obama so I have to disagree.

[marktwain]

an (mis)informed electorate elected Obama so I have to disagree.

There, corrected it.

[semaj]

There is actually an unstated message in his comment. He apparently knows something we don’t. maintain the status quo and go peaceful into the dark night, or elect someone like Cruz and....

[RC one]

I know plenty of democrats that I wouldn’t call misinformed-they’re just liberal democrats. They knew what they were voting for.

[TomGuy]

This from the guy who, with his pal John McCain, has been trying to get ‘guns’ (troops) into most of the Middle Eastern countries and create leadership changes there.

Is Graham so ignorant that he does not realize ‘guns’ are why we do not have insurrections even couple of decades like other countries do?

[Talisker]

Graham is an ass.

[VinL]

Hey RitaOK- long time since Newt! Read one of your comments about ‘not attacking other conservatives’ and I though- well, Rita’s still on her game.

I don’t know if you’re fully on board with Sen. Cruz, but, if so, hopefully he’ll fare better than Newt.

[TomGuy]

So you're saying that the Revolution was a road we don't want to go down again?

I think he is referring to that other dust-up several decades later -- that squabble with the northern states.

[Talisker]

Thank God, the Founders Gave Americans the Right of the 2nd when the Ballot Box has failed!

Actually, the Constitution is the Founders thanking God for giving Americans the 2nd.

[American Constitutionalist]

Linda’s notion of a informed electorate is : Obama Phone , we’ez want our free stuff, Obama phonez.

Hey Dirty Fairy Lizzy ?

What about voter fraud ?

Put a stop to voter fraud and governmemt corruption..

[Osage Orange]

"I think the Second Amendment allows people to protect their homes and their property and be secure in their persons," the senator said. "I think in a democracy the best check on government is voter participation. I think the First Amendment probably protects us more there."

Lindsey is just a moron...( Another Poster Boy for TERM LIMITS...)

The 2nd guarantees the 1st!!..

Here we have sitting Pol's in Washington that don't understand how and why their own Country was founded...!!!

They don't understand the FOUNDATION....nor the FABRIC that held that FOUNDATION together!!

[Hostage]

Lol!

[American Constitutionalist]

Irresponsible and provocative

[Osage Orange]

Good post!

[RitaOK]

Hi, Vin, you’re BACK! Great to see you again. I am on board for Cruz and proud of our whole field to date. Umm, I mean, up-to-now. :)

I hope and ‘am suggesting that we all try to be delegates this cycle, and to start encouraging FReepers to do just that. Delegate commitment for Cruz needs be prepared for our precinct, county and state convention meetings. He is a shoe-in in my country, but he may have to be fought for elsewhere.

I was thinking, when I saw your name, that we get to hear from you every four years. Who are you working for now? Thank you, very much for pinging me.

Also, do you know anything about the National Journal story on the secretive Conservative Convention being planned and pushed up because of the early contest already beginning? They want to unite around a single pick for one conservative to run against the Establishment, and have invited most all the current candidates in to speak for 60 minutes, including Christy.

[Vigilanteman]

Lindsey girl might want to refresh his memory on what happened at the Battle of the Cowpens in his home state. It was the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the South; as significant, albeit on a smaller scale, as the Battle of Saratoga up north.

[MeganC]

I’m a better man than Lindsey Graham is!

[familyop]

Last resort would have been a better choice of words.

http://www.dict.org/bin/Dict?Form=Dict2&Database=*&Query=ultimate

Ultimate \Ul”ti*mate\, a. [LL. ultimatus last, extreme, fr. L.
ultimare to come to an end, fr. ultimus the farthest, last,
superl. from the same source as ulterior. See Ulterior, and
cf. Ultimatum.]
1. Farthest; most remote in space or time; extreme; last;
final.
[1913 Webster]

My harbor, and my ultimate repose. —Milton.
[1913 Webster]

Many actions apt to procure fame are not conductive
to this our ultimate happiness. —Addison.
[1913 Webster]

2. Last in a train of progression or consequences; tended
toward by all that precedes; arrived at, as the last
result; final.
[1913 Webster]

Those ultimate truths and those universal laws of
thought which we can not rationally contradict.
—Coleridge.
[1913 Webster]

3. Incapable of further analysis; incapable of further
division or separation; constituent; elemental; as, an
ultimate particle; an ultimate constituent of matter.
[1913 Webster]

Ultimate analysis (Chem.), organic analysis. See under
Organic.

Ultimate belief. See under Belief.

Ultimate ratio (Math.), the limiting value of a ratio, or
that toward which a series tends, and which it does not
pass.
[1913 Webster]

Syn: Final; conclusive. See Final.
[1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

Ultimate \Ul”ti*mate\, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Ultimated; p.
pr. & vb. n. Ultimating.]
1. To come or bring to an end or issue; to eventuate; to end.
[R.]
[1913 Webster]

2. To come or bring into use or practice. [R.]
[1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :

ultimate
adj 1: furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or
extreme; “the ultimate achievement”; “the ultimate
question”; “man’s ultimate destiny”; “the ultimate
insult”; “one’s ultimate goal in life” [ant: proximate]
2: being the last or concluding element of a series; “the
ultimate sonata of that opus”; “a distinction between the
verb and noun senses of `conflict’ is that in the verb the
stress is on the ultimate (or last) syllable”
n 1: the finest or most superior quality of its kind; “the
ultimate in luxury”