Thread: Graham Spared from Censure by One Vote

Graham Spared from Censure by One Vote

By - John Boyanoski
(August 24, 2007)
http://campaignsandelections.com/SC/articles/?ID=562

People were shaking Steve Adams' hands as if he was a church minister and they were leaving the vestibule Thursday.

There was a lot of "good efforts" and "proud of yous" said as they shuffled out of the Spartanburg County GOP executive meeting. The reason for the display was Adams had tried to call for a censure of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., but was thwarted by a lack of voting members.

Two censure motions were made, but it was Adams' that caused the stir as he approached the podium carrying several slips of paper with hand-written notes and talking points on them. The other motion was passed up silently on a typed sheet of paper and like Adams' query, it talked about Graham's stance on illegal immigration.

However, Rick Beltram, the county's GOP chairman, said only 43 of the county's 85 voting precinct chairmen showed up for the event. That was one vote short of quorum, so any new motions were delayed until the November meeting, he said. That included the censure votes.

Beltram had been critical of the recent GOP vote to censure Graham in nearby Greenville County because it did not have quorum, which is why he wanted quorum at his county's event.

Adams said afterward that he felt unjustly thwarted. His beef with the first-term senator is Graham's backing of a now-defunct illegal immigration bill that would have provided amnesty.

"If you don't censure him, what else can you do," Adams said.

There was a strong anti-Graham element in the crowd. About four people held signs stating "Dump Graham" "No Amnesty For Graham in 2008" as bolts of lighting flashed in the sky overheard. There were loud applause for political neophyte Tim Carnes of Greenville is running against Graham.

However, people applauded a Graham spokesman who took the stage as well. Graham's team placed fliers on each of the large round tables espousing his stance on things such as border security and immigration. They also handled out water bottles with Graham stickers on them.

Graham has created one of the biggest campaign war chests in the nation for his 2008 re-election, which makes his defeat a very tough battle for any challenger.

Chip Felkel, a Republican political consultant, said it is very tough for an incumbent to lose in South Carolina and Graham still has a strong conservative base in the state.

"There will be residue, but in the end I don't think it will hinder him," Felkel said.

And while anti-Graham Web Sites have become an cottage industry of sorts in the last few months, many of them haven't been updated in weeks, which may show the fury is dieing down.

"I think they were a nice diversion for people with little to do," Felkel said.

Scott Farmer, who spoke for Graham Thursday, said the upcoming report on Iraq will be a big test for the senator.

"We are in for a fight," he said.

Felkel said a strong report will show Graham has been doing the right thing.


It wasn't all immigration and Graham talk. Close to 300 people packed a parking lot to get free ice cream and hear speakers the presidential campaigns of U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whose wife Ann spoke.

John Boyanoski can be reached at jboyanoski@scpols.com.

So they think the anti-Graham movement is dying out?

Graham has created one of the biggest campaign war chests in the nation for his 2008 re-election, which makes his defeat a very tough battle for any challenger

I hope the good people of South Carolina will prove that their senate seat can't be bought and vote him out.

Don't worry, most of in SC will send a message to Senator Graham on election day. He is not fooling anyone but himself. He has as much chance to convince us he has changed as Bush does of convincing us he is for tough immigration laws.

Originally Posted by Nouveauxpoor

Graham has created one of the biggest campaign war chests in the nation for his 2008 re-election, which makes his defeat a very tough battle for any challenger

I hope the good people of South Carolina will prove that their senate seat can't be bought and vote him out.

I have heard that Sen. Graham's "war chest" for re-election is $4 million dollars. Money usually wins but, hopefully, there could be an exception here.

After President Bush I, Governors Beasley and Hodges ALL being defeated for being back-stabbing turncoats, it would seem that Lindsey lacks a knowledge of recent history.

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The only thing I've been able to tell about Graham's money making a difference is that he's running radio commercials when others can't afford to. His commercials are so full of lies, it's hilarious to listen to.

His commercials scrupulously avoid discussing the illegal alien invasion in an attempt to not remind folks of his amnesty bill. The object of the commercial seems to be to link his name with "conservative" over and over again. It'd be a lot more accurate to link his name with "traitor" over and over again:

LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM=TRAITOR . . .

There used to be a website called www.dumplindsey.com

or could be .org

I wonder if it is still there.