Thread: Resolution By SC Republicans Condemning Lindsay Graham

Note regarding the major substance of the resolution and that Republicans are pretty much disgusted with Graham. The says that Graham is not invited to anymore Republican Party meetings in Greenville County. This is Graham's hometown!

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Charleston Republicans Censure Graham



It’s not just those kooky, Bible-thumpin’ Upstate S.C. Republicans …

On Monday night, Republicans from moderate, laid-back (and environmentally-friendly) Charleston, S.C. got into the act, formally censuring U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for a litany of offenses, including his support of a so-called “pro-environmental” bill.

Yet while the censure resolution focused significant attention on Graham’s partnership with left-wing Democrats on a “Cap & Trade” energy tax hike, Charleston Republicans also included several strongly-worded personal criticisms aimed at the “third Senator from New York.”

“Lindsey Graham continues to hold the Republican Party hostage and undermines Republican leadership and party solidarity for his own benefit,” the resolution reads. It then notes that Graham “continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom, rule of law, and fiscal conservatism.”

Here is the complete text of the censure resolution as provided to FITS:

Whereas, U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (SC) and John Kerry (MA) have called for a bipartisan bill dealing with “climate change” via a “Cap & Trade” energy bill;
Whereas, the basis of Cap & Trade – global warming caused by carbon emissions – is still in doubt as evidenced by the past decade of cooling temperatures;
Whereas, the people of South Carolina can ill afford the job-killing Cap & Trade bill’s ripple effects on our state’s economy and on personal energy bills;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham supported TARP and has shown a willingness to discuss nationalizing U.S. banking institutions;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has shown a condescending attitude toward his constituents by calling them “bigots” when they oppose his stance on amnesty for illegal aliens;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has stated on many occasions that his primary concern is to “be relevant”;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham continues to hold the Republican Party hostage and undermines Republican leadership and party solidarity for his own benefit by joining the “Gang of 10″ and the “Gang of 14″;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham – in the name of bipartisanship – continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom, rule of law, and fiscal conservatism.
Therefore, let it be resolved: The Charleston County Republican Party Executive Committee respectfully requests, with sincere sadness that the South Carolina Republican Party withdraw their resolution commending U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and that the Charleston Country Republican Party censure U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham for many of the positions he has taken that do not represent the wishes of the people of Charleston County SC, such as: passing a “Cap & Trade” energy bill, bailing out banks, and granting amnesty for illegal aliens.

Wow … don’t hold back, Charleston!

Anyway, this is not the first time Graham has been censured by a local Republican Party. In 2007, the Greenville GOP censured Graham for his position on illegal immigration.

As FITS has noted in previous posts, Graham has clearly been spoiling for a fight with the party’s fiscal conservative wing for months now.

Looks like he’s got it …

Lindsey Graham ...

http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/11/10/c...ensure-graham/

[quote][size=150]the Charleston Country Republican Party censure U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham for many of the positions he has taken that do not represent the wishes of the people of South Carolina, such as: passing a “Cap & Tradeâ€

Just recently, Graham has been trying to save his sorry bacon with hints of 'submitting legislation' amending the 14th Amendment that would end the loophole for the anchor babies of illegal aliens and "tourist aliens" allowing their children to become automatic U.S. citizens at birth.

2 LITTLE 2 LATE, LINDSEY

We saw right through your sorry carcass!

Jon Kyl and the rest of the Republican Party had better sit up and smell the coffee.


GOP Sen. Jon Kyl Calls For Congressional Anchor Baby Hearing

http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-208081-0-da ... rasc-.html

14th Amendment Citizenship: Citizen or citizen?

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1099151-.html#1099151

Is the South Carolina Republican Party going to withhold funding any future election campaigns because he does not represent the tenants of the Republican Party?

That is the problem, they need to start now grooming and funding a legitimate conservative candidate to run against him. Otherwise, there is no reason to even have a South Carolina Republican Party.

Originally Posted by GaPatriot

Is the South Carolina Republican Party going to withhold funding any future election campaigns because he does not represent the tenants of the Republican Party?

That is the problem, they need to start now grooming and funding a legitimate conservative candidate to run against him. Otherwise, there is no reason to even have a South Carolina Republican Party.

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The Republicans in the rest of the country can learn a thing or two from the Greenville County GOP.

MESSAGE: WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR EMPTY PROMISES - WE WANT ACTION!

This November will be a huge shakeout not only for the Party of The Rat, but also the Party of The Liars.

They know who they are.

I wish the GA Republican Party had done half as much.

Johnny Isakson ran unopposed. No one seems to remember the picture of him with Kennedy and McCain smiling after they came up with that great amnesty bill, where illegal gang members only had to SAY they renounced their gang life and they can stay. That was my favorite provision. I also liked the part where they would pay a fine and back taxes. Sure, they will, don't cha know?

Then, after a speech by Sharon Angle where she outlined some tough choices we need to make and sacrifices ahead to bring down our debt, Isakson said that he agreed but it was not a speech to make to the great unwashed. That's how he feels about us - his constituents and his employer as well, he is supposed to work for us. He later apologized insincerely.

Isakson also used to be a Democrat until our state changed its leaning and he changed for electability.

He ran unopposed. Unopposed. Shame on our Republican Party.

S.C. GOP castigates Lindsey Graham


By ANDY BARR | 11/13/09 4:45 AM EDT

His support for immigration reform and the Troubled Asset Relief Program, as well as his work with the Obama administration on Guantanamo Bay and his reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker, has rubbed many South Carolina Republicans the wrong way. In 2008, Graham won just 67 percent in the GOP primary—an uninspired performance for an incumbent.

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham's decision to work with Senate Democratic leaders on cap-and-trade legislation has sparked a mutiny back home, culminating in an scathing rebuke from the Republican Party in one of the most populous counties in the South Carolina. AP Photo

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham’s decision to work with Senate Democratic leaders on cap-and-trade legislation has sparked a mutiny back home, culminating in an scathing rebuke from the Republican Party in one of the most populous counties in the South Carolina.

In a harshly-worded resolution approved Monday, the Charleston County Republican Party condemned Graham for undermining “Republican leadership and party solidarity for his own benefit” and tarnishing “the ideals of freedom, rule of law, and fiscal conservatism.”

The resolution recited a litany of grievances against Graham beyond his position on climate change legislation.

“Graham has shown a condescending attitude toward his constituents by calling them ‘bigots’ when they opposed his stance on amnesty for illegal aliens,” read one portion of the resolution.

Conservative discontent with Graham at home has been bubbling in recent years. His support for immigration reform and the Troubled Asset Relief Program, as well as his work with the Obama administration on Guantanamo Bay and his reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker, has rubbed many South Carolina Republicans the wrong way. In 2008, Graham won just 67 percent in the GOP primary—an uninspired performance for an incumbent.

Several top Republicans described passage of the anti-Graham resolution as a cathartic experience.

“The cap-and-trade issue pushed it over the edge for our members,” said Charleston County GOP Chair Lin Bennett. “He’s very condescending. He tells us things like he is trying to be relevant and that he has to do this give-and-take thing. We all understand that, but we also want him to be true to us.”

For some GOP activists, even the prospect of Graham teaming up with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to work on a climate bill is more than they can bear. A number of them told POLITICO that Graham is at par with or is perhaps less popular than embattled GOP Gov. Mark Sanford, whose extramarital affair has politically crippled him and seriously damaged the Republican brand.

“There is just so much going on at the national level that is so frustrating to conservatives and they don’t think he is doing anything for them,” Bennett said.

On the other side of the state from Charleston, Pickens County Republican Party Chairman Phillip Bowers agreed that among South Carolina Republicans, Graham has less fans than Sanford—despite the fact that the governor faces the threat of impeachment.

“Most people are still on board with Mark Sanford. From a fiscal standpoint, Mark is still in the game,” Bowers said. “There is a lot of frustration with Lindsey right now.”

One high ranking state Republican official said despite Sanford’s personal indiscretions, activists continue to view him as ideologically in sync with the party.

“They still understand what Mark Sanford is about, they are just disappointed by the girl,” the official said. “Lindsey just continues to anger the base. He could calm them down, but Lindsey doesn’t have the patience or lack of ego to make the effort.”

Graham declined an opportunity to comment for this story. In a statement to POLITICO, the senator’s communications director, Kevin Bishop, defended Graham’s conservative credentials.

“Senator Graham has a lifetime conservative voting record of 90 percent and last year was rated the 15th most conservative senator by National Journal,” Bishop said. “Like former President Reagan, he strongly believes elected officials need to find common ground and work together to solve difficult problems like making our nation energy independent and protecting our environment.”

“Working to solve problems and being conservative are not mutually exclusive. You can do both and that’s what people in South Carolina elected him to do,” he added. “Senator Graham will continue to pursue the same common-sense conservative agenda in his second term in the U.S. Senate as he did in his first.”

Still, some frustrated local party leaders think Graham is fortunate that he’s not up for re-election until 2014.

“He wouldn’t win re-election today,” said Calhoun County GOP Chairman John Nelson. “Instead of standing on conservative values, he likes to pick and choose things that make him look statesman-like to all these liberals.”



“He’d have a difficult time,” added Robert Johnson, chairman of the Chesterfield County Republican Party. “With the number of years he has left in his term, things might change. But South Carolina is very conservative and votes for conservative senators.”

“Senator Graham has become a real liberal in my opinion,” Johnson said. “He’s gone further in that direction than he should.”

South Carolina elected officials were reluctant to talk about Graham’s standing with the rank-and-file, but those who offered opinions had some sympathy for Graham.

“I don’t always agree with Lindsey Graham, but I’ve respected him,” said GOP Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who is preparing a run for governor. “I do know that a lot of folks in the state have their issues with him.”

Republican animosity toward Graham has been encouraged by outside groups fighting against the climate bill, and they’ve been joined by tea party movement activists who are also less than enamored with Graham.

The American Energy Alliance has already spent $300,000 on statewide radio and television ads since October 27th attacking Graham over his cap-and-trade position, and a spokesman for the group said more ad buys are planned.

Charleston Tea Party organizer Greg Deitz said that Graham is a top target of the tea party movement, which has a strong following in South Carolina.

“I’d love to put him out of office. I’m making that a tea party goal to get scoundrels like Lindsey Graham out of office,” Dietz said. “How’d he win re-election? That’s a damn mystery to me because everyone I talk to swears they didn’t vote for him in the primary.”

“As soon as he had his ticket punched he did his own thing,” the tea party organizer added.

Graham defended his cap-and-trade position this week in a column that appeared in the Palmetto Scoop, a conservative web-based publication followed closely by state political insiders, arguing that the bill would help the country become more energy independent and aid South Carolina’s ailing economy.

“In this debate, I have set aside the extremes—those who offer doom-and-gloom street corner prophecies and those who refuse to even entertain the thought that our current way of doing business is harming our environment in any way,” Graham wrote. “Both sides prefer to talk past each other. They have yet to embrace the fact that if we work together, we can balance environmental protection with the needs of business. The Boxer-Kerry legislation and Waxman-Markey, as currently written, both fall short of the mark.”

His explanation isn’t enough, even for some allies.

“I know a lot of people who have been staunchly behind Senator Graham in a number of areas who are starting to question their support of him because of this bill,” said Chester County GOP Chairman Sandra Stroman.

“His popularity has waned,” she said. “We’re very conservative in South Carolina and I see Senator Graham as being a moderate. I support a big tent for the party, but I still want our elected officials to represent our views.”

Another top Republican official said Graham’s problem is that he “is not voting the way Republicans want him to vote, it’s as simple as that.”

Asked about the Charleston County resolution slamming Graham, the official joked, “You know, the folks from Charleston fired on Fort Sumter first, too.”

“Privately I’ve heard Lindsey talk about how frustrated he is with the base,” the official added, “and I’m like ‘[expletive], why do you think that is?’”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories...476_Page1.html

Lindsey Graham Likely to Face Several Primary Challengers