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Immigration bill’s fallen soldiers
By: Josh Kraushaar
June 30, 2007 09:17 AM EST

As supporters of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill continue to mourn its collapse this week, key Republican backers must also brace for potentially stinging political repercussions from their party’s base.

Here’s a look at the fallout for congressional Republicans (not named McCain) most adversely impacted by the defeat of one of the Bush administration’s key domestic priorities:

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham Like Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Graham has styled himself as a maverick during his first term in the Senate. He helped draft the compromise immigration legislation and was one of its most outspoken backers.

And like McCain, his approval ratings have dipped since he took up immigration reform as a key issue. In a poll conducted in June, Graham scored just a 31 percent approval rating among South Carolina voters. More Republicans (45 percent) than Democrats (32 percent) disapproved of his performance.

The poll was conducted by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion and surveyed 790 South Carolina voters on June 18 and 19.

Graham’s campaign questions the poll’s methodology but admits that the immigration bill has been unpopular throughout the state, particularly among Republicans.

Graham has drawn sharp criticism from conservative talk show hosts and the Republican faithful. Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has referred to Graham as “Lindsey Grahamnesty,â€