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
WOW! Graham grew some cojones! Now can other Republicans do the same? It's not about agreeing with everything. But it's also not about disagreeing with everything either! You can't tell me one side is right 100% of the time. But then again, these are the same people who say the lack of tax revenue from the top 2% is not a deficit. But the tax revenue from the other 98% is tolerable. Even though people are arguing over 3% difference in taxes! Let's see: If you make $40,000/year and you paid an extra $1200 a year, you may have to let your lights get cut off. If you make $40,000,000 you may only have to not buy a house this year for resale for profit.
Lindsey Graham needs to get out of that idiotic and brainless party....join in Democratic party for people's support just like Arline Specter....okay. GOP looted this nation, this All Americans know...if they do not that is their karma...okay,,.
Republicanism is one of the strictist cults in the world. If you vary slightly, or disagree with any of them in any way, you'll be shunned, and possibly taken to the center of town and stoned to death.
That's ridiculous. That's reductive. Does the Republican Party think itself so ideologically "pure" that it's own members are rebuked for seeking compromise and bipartisanship? How can it continue to be a relevant party in the eyes of most Americans if it won't even allow moderates like Lindsey Graham? I am a registered Democrat and often disagree philosophically with Senator Graham although I respect his intelligence and work on behalf of his constituents very much. Push comes to shove, I support Graham over other Senators (even liberal ones like Ben Nelson) who I feel play politics with important issues. From what I know of him, Graham is not like that and I admire him more because of it. In my view, the Greenville County GOP ought to be censured for trying to undermine desperately needed bipartisanship in these troubled times.
i don't know much about senator graham, aside from what i see on tv or read on the vines, but we used to encourage independent thought. this lock & step garbage from both sides of the isle is disgusting. senator graham is not required to disagree with everything president obama does just because he is a dem.
I don't necessarily agree with Sen. Graham's positions....but I certainly appreciate his willingness to work across the aisle (though he needs to do it more). But these extremists that are masquerading as Republicans but who are little more than puppets to division, hatred and intolerance make me want to hurl.
there have been a lot of liberal posts on this site in the past that have thrown insults to Graham. I'm an Independent – all I can say is at least he is working with the Democrats. More Replublicans and Democrats need to get off their political band wagon and just work together to find solutions. Both parties are the party of NO. Just look at the voting records of both parties, House and Senate – 90% with their respective parties, facts don't lie.
God Bless Senator Graham, although as a Democratic
Liberal I disagree with some of his policies however
when the situation exist he uses common sense
over partisanship.
Whenever the Republican party disapproves of something or someone, I immediately start thinking that thing must have some merit. Republicans have been wrong about everything for years now (if Republican policies were so great, the reddest states would be leading the rest of the country rather than lagging behind it and suffering the worst poverty, healthcare, infant mortality, etc.), and they've wrecked our economy and destroyed many of our freedoms. So a condemnation from the Republican party is as good as a vote of confidence. Lindsay Graham must be doing something right if the GOP hates him.
Queue his next ridiculous right wing idea to appease the loonies
Wow. "..for his cooperation and support of President Obama.." How dare he take an active role in his job! Doesn't Graham know he's just supposed to block anything and everything until the Republicans/Tea Partiers "take back" Congress? I guess he didn't get the memo, and now even his own backwards-looking party has lost the ability to look back far enough to remember who started which program. Greenville never looked so stupid. And that's saying a lot.
Party Purity
Ideological Purity
Party Oaths
What next, Racial Purity? The GOP pretty much has that anyway.
Don't you just love "bipartisanship?"
So, Republicans really ARE obstructionists dressed up in obstructionist clothing. Let's not have what's good for America/Americans, because "Liberals" might get credit...
Let's let Americans suffer till Republicans can get back in power and "help" the Middle Class, like "W" did... GREAT!
So 90% conservative and in lock-step with the previous Republican president isn't good enough for them? And we're supposed to believe it's the liberals that have the "radical agenda"?
When I read stories like this, and when I read the comments that the readers of this website post to some of these political articles, it amazes me that we as a nation are still doing as well as we are. How can we still be standing when our population contains so many absolute morons!
The South Carolinians obviously can't abide a man who thinks with the large head.
....and this folks is what's wrong with our selfish country. Graham is doing the right thing by voting for what is the best for our country instead of voting what's best for his party. Our country is made up of too many people who think it's my (our) way or nothing. What happened to compromising on issues for the good of our country? Either party, GOP and Democrats need to focus on what's good for us and not just what's good for their respective parties.
The Republican Party is like an animal trying to get it's foot lose from a bear trap and gnaws off it's hand. The party is truly one of the greatest embarrassments the world has ever known!
Rebuking a Senator for doing his job, maybe crossing party boundaries every now and then – and occasionally trying to go about the nation's business – instead of constantly undermining the President's efforts and staying true to the rest of the reactionary Party Of NO agenda... this is beyond contemptible.
If anyone doesn't believe the GOP is more interested in nuking this country if they can't be in power, than actually doing something to benefit America, they only have to read something like this. At least Pres. Obama is trying to do something! Lord knows what would happen if the Congress wasn't interested in getting in his way and making him fail at every turn – we might might actually be able to get somewhere....
There is a word for this kind of "Party Over Nation" unpatriotic action, especially in these troubled times: It's Treason.
Which just goes to show you that no matter how pigheaded and conservative you are there's always some idiot who says it is not enough.
That just about says it all for the Republican Party, doesn't it? One of our finest Senators, one of our most fair and respected committee members, gets called out for doing his job.
Senator McConnell, Representative Boehner: What do you have to say about this? Your tactics have simply gone too far, they are destroying the lives of the very people who elected you and those coming after them. Time to call off the dogs when they start eating their own.
Senator Graham-the country owes you so much better than this.
lol Greenville County Republican Party. Sounds like a political powerhouse.
Finally, a Republican who cares about this country....Don't let them break you Senator Graham!!! You will outshine them all if you hand in there..
This is a perfect example of what's wrong with politics in general and the Republican party in particular. Any attempt at bipartisanship is seen as disloyalty to the party and the sort of nonsense that Senator Graham has had to endure at the hands of the extremists in his own party is the result.
The Republicans need to remember (1) Bipartisanship is what stops gridlock; (2) Elections have consequences and trying to reach out to the party in power to work out a solution is not disloyalty; (3) There is nothing wrong with compromise, especially when your party is not in power. Between tea party extremists who are clueless of what democracy truly is, the extreme right wing that controls the Republican party these days, and the media talk show hosts that continue to foster the idea that one can never compromise with one's political opponents, I am truly afraid for the future of this country.