Another censure resolution for Lindsey Graham
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/03/art.graham.0720e.gi.jpg caption =" Sen. Lindsey Graham was censured by yet another GOP state county party Monday night."]Washington (CNN) – Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who often finds himself out of step with the most conservative elements of his party, was censured by yet another GOP county party committee Monday night.
In recent months, Graham has been censured by GOP party committees in Lexington and Charleston counties. On Monday, the Greenville GOP Executive Committee passed a censure resolution by a vote of 61-2.
"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Greenville County Republican Party hereby issues this formal rebuke of Senator Graham for his cooperation and support of President Obama and the Democratic Party's liberal agenda for the United States," the resolution reads.
The resolution says Graham will no longer be invited to participate in meetings or other events sponsored by the Greenville County Republican Party, and alleges Graham has "abandoned the Republican platform."
As evidence, the resolution cites Graham's votes in favor of TARP, his stance on immigration and his vote in favor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Graham has said he will also vote for Elena Kagan, President Obama's second nominee to the high court.
"While some of our friends in Greenville may not want to meet with Senator Graham, his door will always be open to them. Senator Graham respects those who disagree with him, but he strongly believes we need to keep an open dialogue," Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop said Tuesday in a statement to CNN.
Bishop went on to note that two of the Greenville County GOP's policy complaints were supported by former President George W. Bush, and that the same party committee censured Graham in 2007.
"In this last session of Congress, Senator Graham has voted with the Republican leadership over 92 percent of the time. And according to the American Conservative Union, he has a 90 percent lifetime conservative voting record. As to his votes on TARP and his support for immigration reform, on both issues he was following the leadership of our Republican President George W. Bush," Bishop said.
In January, the Lexington County Republican Party's censured Graham for supporting the 2008 financial bailout and working towards a compromise on cap-and-trade legislation.
At the time, Graham defended his conservative credentials.
"I have tried my best to be a conservative that can grow and build this party," Graham said, according to The State newspaper. "They have no desire to do that – I do."
- CNN's Peter Hamby contributed to this report
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An elected official like Lindsay Graham has a obligation to look beyond very narrow partisan interests if he is to do his job diligently. Sould like the county committee is a bunch of gubber hicks who really can't see the forest through the trees. The committee probably wants to go back to 1861 and refight the Civil War – may be the result will be different this time.
The GOP cannot stand anyone who is capable of independent thought. SC needs more people like Lindsey Graham. While I do not always agree with him, I admire his refusal to become a puppet and another dittohead.
It's good to see a representative putting honest committment to those he serves over patently riduculous partisan politics.
Kudos to the Senator for doing his job, and a Bronx cheer to those biased members of the GOBP!!!!!
Really, he's being "punished" by a bunch of pot bellied, confederate flag wavers for doing his job. If Greenville county is so insulted by TARP, kindly return any funds your county has received to the federal government and the tax payers ASAP.
This is the Tea Party applying the right-wing purity test to Graham. He's to moderate. Not far enough to the right. Too willing to compromise. Not willing to obstruct on every single issue the president supports.
Boy, this country is in for a very rough time. The lunatics and ideologues are going to take over if moderates and liberals don't get off their asses and vote in November.
You know the Republican Party has gone over the edge when Lindsey Graham is censured for not being conservative enough.
How sad and ridiculous is the GOP that it censures one of its own members for working in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. The polarization of our political system, led by Republicans, has become a cancer on the American culture. A party that has become a bastion of negativity and obstructionism is no longer looking out for the good of this country and its citizens and should be kept from power.
If they're mad now, wait til they find out he's gay!!!
Just goes to show the republicans don't care about this country. All they want is to be in power so they can steal, rape and pillage and pass laws to benefit their masters, the corporations.
If a republican is FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE the rest of the A-holes that make up the republican party don't like it....wouldn't it be nice wouldn't it be love-er-ly if those radical republicans and tea bags were to go away way way and we never hear from them again. Maybe they country would start to get back to be America again. The land of the brave and the home of the free.
Senator Graham is discovering what happens when one of the sheep strays from the flock.
Finally a thinking statesman has spoken out in the Republican party. Where are the rest? I am a lifelong Democrat, but I respect Sen Graham for sticking with what he believes and trying to find a way for bipartisanship to fix America. He is fighting against the Party of No but doesn't seem to have much help from other Republicans. I guess they're all afraid of the tea partiers.
What Pattern republicans are forming nowadays? They did this to Charley Cristi of Florida and now to Lindsey Graham. Yet they claim the President hasn't fulfilled his promise of uniting people. Who is the main divider here if not them!
Never thought I'd be supporting Sen. Graham, but I admire his positions that have gotten h censured in Greenville Coumty. He has realized that this is about our country, not party politics
Yes and these people will support people who wear hats with tea bags, dress up in outfits thats as out dated as their ideolgy. Yes, people wearing clothes from 1700's and carrying signs of hilter and tea bags on their hats are the ones that we should take serious. No, I will take lindsey any day over these fools. As an indep, the more I see the tea baggers, the more I move to voting for a democrat, any democrat.
It would figure that one of the few Republicans who isn't foaming at the mouth would be censured by the rest who are.
and these are the people who claim the "christian" high ground, because compromise and a willingness to listen to others is of course against god and the founding fathers???, jeeeeeeeeez how do these people fool so many in this country????
Lindsey Graham has got integrity. He is looking beyond politics and desires for our country to move forward. Why can't the conservative party see the bigger picture?
Is there something in the water in So. Carolina or something? Teeing off on the guy 61-2 simply because he was a stand-up guy and actually agreed with Obama on something? If Obama said he was for saving puppies and kittens, the GOP would find some rationale to be against it, just to be the party of unified opposition.
GOP'ers are sure about November's upcoming results, huh?.......
While I don't agree with Senator Grahams over all policies and votes in Support of Rethugs, especially when it comes to filibuster's...I will say he is one of the leaders who actually attempts to lead and work with all members of Congress. As he once said, "Elections have consequences." I believe Graham is looking out for the next Republican President. He's also a Republican (as opposed to a Rethug) this Democrat can believe in.
That said, what does the party do? They open their mouths and remove all doubt regarding their stupidity, and then firmly stick their foot it it. A party that would grandize Sarah Palin and censure Lindsay Graham shows just how much trouble, lack of leadership and lack of direction they clear thrive on They are becoming more irrelevant as each day passes.
Lindsay Graham is probably the only Republican today with the credibility to run for President.
This is sad, since it puts into perspective just how isolated the extreme right-wing Republican party is. If I were a Republican with any notions as to keeping my party a national organization I would immediatelyrepudiate these characters.
So Republicans aren't allowed to vote with Pres. Obama even if they agree with him?
This is very disturbing!
And this is the party that most of you want running the country.
Wow – so now an office-holder gets censured for working with the other side of the aisle with actualling TALKING to them and MEDIATING to – oh I don't know – get things actually DONE? Sad state – so, does he get praise if he votes against EVERYTHING the other side of the aisle puts forward? Oh, I forgot, the republicans already do this.
As someone born and raised in Greenville, all Ican say is thank God i left. Another reason for SC, Greenville in this case, to be called the place of people who really don't seem to have much to do. SC, including Greenville, has one of the country's worst education rates(for decades) and high unemployment among other things and this is the way they find to spend their time-no wonder its in the shape its in..
Was there any doubt that the GOP only wants to say no? Any free thinkers are brought back to the "Borg" that is the current GOP. Note that this is not Reagan's GOP.