Graham Censured By 3rd County GOP

[ccharles000]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) got a 3rd slap on the wrist from a local county party Monday for his votes in favor of some key Dem initiatives.

Graham was censured by the Lexington Co. GOP, the 3rd-largest county party in the state. He has been censured in the past by the Greenville Co. and the Charleston Co. GOPs.

Members who voiced opposition to Graham's stances on illegal immigration, the TARP bailout and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor's nomination. Graham voted in favor of the first TARP measure and for Sotomayor.

Graham takes a stance on immigration reform closer to that of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has advocated for a comprehensive reform approach, than to Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and other conservatives who favor an enforcement-first approach.

Party officials also cited his work with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), with whom he is said to be negotiating a compromise on cap and trade legislation.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/01/graham_censured.php

[vixengrl]

1. I think it's a sign of how divided opinion has become--

I don't really see Sen. Graham as being all that moderate, myself (he's a conservative, in my book, and thinking back on statements he's made, he can be pretty partisan, too--I know he's peeved me off on occasion) and the bipartisan votes he's made have been from a pretty pragmatic or realistic p.o.v. I think he's usually made choices that have had to do with working on necessary legislation--you know, what he's been elected to do. I think it's the farther right (oh, hell, they aren't so conservative anymore, it might be better to say "further out") folks that have shifted. If they want to hack away at the middle, I wonder how the Senate is supposed to get anything done.

[stevenleser]

3. +1

[davidpdx]

2. Maybe it's time for the Republicans to run a real nutjob in the primary against him

Find a great Democrat in the state to run and with a messy primary maybe we can steal the seat.