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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Fascinating. You'd figure in a State as poor off as SC that they would be more in support for Obama's agenda.
But, I guess leading the passage of healthcare reform, financial reform, economic stimulus and other considerable legislative victories don't count. I suppose they just want more destruction of our country and invasions of foreign countries based on lies.
The one that bothers me the most is healthcare reform: how can a state so full of so-called Christians support the Republican agenda of denying their fellow human beings health care?
So basically they are censuring him for cooperating with the lawful govt fo the US? What a bunch of racist morons.
Lindsey with a few exceptions has always been among the more rationale, least toxic members of an increasingly anti-American Republican party and its gastrointestinal by-product, the Tea Parties. The Republican Masters of Disaster are so detached from what is happening on this planet, as opposed to their alternative right-wing universe, that they actually see W's administration as some kind of golden age and just refused to hear the rest of the world snickering. I feel for Lindsey but a lateral move to the Democrats would be suicide in the last state to produce a public school system.
Conservatives and religious folk drawing the line in the sand is nothing new. You stay on that side of the line and we, the godly and untainted will stay on this side of the line. Their line keeps getting longer and longer. Gay people have been placed (plopped) on the wrong side of the line for generations. Many conservatives are finding their constituents distasteful for the first time, now that they have been designated to cross over to this seemingly wrong side. Fact is, the air is cleaner and more refreshing on this side. Less hot air and fumes have cleared the mind for more temporal thinking.
Amazing!!! A compromising Republican??? Can't be, not possible. There's no such thing. Better start goose stepping in line or you're history Lindsey!!
"formal rebuke of Senator Graham for his cooperation and support of President Obama and the Democratic Party's liberal agenda for the United States"
There you go, the GOP has formally put into writing confirming it's narrow minded philosophy. The Grand Oil Party's "it's our way or the highway" mantra is fast becoming the laughing stock of the Nation.
Tell me if I am wrong here but didn't we just reject George W. Bush and the Republican Party's Conservative agenda for the United States?
Tell me if I am wrong but hasn't the question of "tax cuts", "free market", and "capitalism" in their from been asked and answered as to does it work?
Typical right wingers, always the first to tell you what it is wrong and who is to blame but never offer viable ideas of how to fix it other than the ideas of the past....
Besides why should we really care what South Carolina Republicans really think afterall, they gave us racist Strom Thurmond, adulterous Mark Sanford, and loud mouth Joe Wilson. I would think they would look to Lindsay Graham as the "sane voice" of their state and party.
Obama bought the white house in the last election,Obama bought
critical votes in the biggest scam ever against the people and in
their name without the peoples wishes. My question to the senator is
have you been bought as well----against the peoples wishes.
Yes you may differ from your party,but you may not differ from the
will of the people.
Isn't it "We the people..." not "We the republicans"? Another example of the republicans acting as dictators. You either think excactly alike or you get censured, or better yet throen out. Maybe they should enter their respective houses doing the goose step? They may win the elections this November but that does not mean they are the party of favor. This country is made up mostly of moderates which is why each party fails when they control both houses and the White House. It's why Bush failed and why Obama is failing. It's also why Reagan and Clinton succeeded. Both were disliked by their opposing parties. I'm sooo glad I'm an Independant. It allows me to look at both republicans and democrats and laugh at how much they both act alike.
Looks like the GOP wants to emulate the political system in some countries where crossing the party line is not allowed.
Graham, Collins and Snowe – way to go!!!!!!!!
Once again the GOP can't stand the truth, even from a member of their own party. Must mean he's on to something.
What party is it that dosen't want to be bipartisan? I think we all know.
What more proof do the American voters need that the GOP just wants our President to fail......no matter what. To censure one of their own because he supports some of the President's agenda is absolutely disgusting. Chin up, Lindsey, you are the one who is doing what is best for this Country. You are a true Patriot.....Country First....Party Second.
During the Revolutionary War, the Indians who joined the British were baptized and given Christian names so they could be loyal subjects of the King. The only problem was that they continued to scalp their victims. Conservatives can go to church, wave the flag and act like loyal subjects. But they are still scalping away at anything not native to their savage thinking.
What a pity, an elected official who chose to put the country ahead of the party – and they will ruin him for it. I applaud Senator Graham for having the courage to do this. We are getting stronger at polarization and weaker on statemanship.
Lame. He's the only GOPer I kinda respect for not caving to those weirdo Tea Partiers.
I appreciate a man with convictions...but I'm not Sure if this is an example of That. He needs to represent his constituency, not be a maverick nor a diplomat.
While I generally support Democrats, it's clear that Senator Graham is a good and decent politician. We need 99 more like him.
So sad to see the Republican party become the ultimate party of NO. Although I do not agree with Lindsey Graham on many things, I would be proud to have a senator as committed to doing the work of government as he is. I only wish all senators, both Democrat and Republican, would be as open to working for what is good for the USA rather than what is good for their parties and no one else. Kudos to Graham for being the kind of senator we'd all like to have represent us.
Now they need to censure Ronald Reagan for raising taxes, supporting the Brady bill, and granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. These same people worship Reagan as the patron saint of the right wing conservative movement, but if he were in office right now they would be screaming for his head.
There's a difference between being conservative and just plain ignorant.
Where is it written that in order to be a Republican, you have to be against EVERYTHING the Democrats are for, country be damned?
It's a good thing for Graham that he's not up for reelection this year because he'd have a primary contender and I don't think he'd make it to the general election. I doubt that he will win reelection the next time he has to run.
I thought that the GOP viewed not supporting the President during a "time of war" as "treasonous". Oh well, I'm sure he can count on support from Saint Sarah for 'bein' mavericky" and standing up to his party on certain issues, just like Senator McCain.
Sen. Graham should wear this censure as a badge of honor. He is one of the few members of Congress of either party to truly work across party lines, even though he is a staunch conservative. He is the promise delivered, among so many who talk the talk and nothing more. I am a died-in-the-wool liberal, but Sen. Graham is a man among men in a state with absolutely no desire to work with others at all. South Carolina should be ashamed of themselves for this treatment of a long time public servant of that state, but I fear they do not know the meaning of the word.
Nice to see one sc republican breaking away from the just say no ethos.