Charleston GOP Censures Sen. Graham

[ccharles000]

The Charleston County, S.C., Republican Party has formally censured Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) over his efforts to work with Democrats and other GOP moderates on a host of hot-button issues, the Charleston Post and Courier reported Wednesday.

Graham, a conservative with an independent streak, has come under fire from some Republicans for his backing of the Troubled Assets Relief Program last year and his work with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) on climate change legislation this year. Graham, who secured a second term in 2008, has also been at the center of bipartisan negotiations on controversial issues such as immigration reform.

Graham has also angered conservative activists for his criticism of “tea party” protesters and others who have sought to impose a strict ideological litmus test on Republican lawmakers.

Charleston County GOP Chairwoman Lin Bennett told the Post and Courier that the unanimous censure vote was “an effort to get his attention. They’re just fed up, and they want him to know they’re fed up.”

The county GOP is closely connected to the tea party movement: According to its Web Site, the party apparatus worked with a local group of protesters to identify and support conservatives running in local, nonpartisan elections.

“A local group of conservatives from the Tea Party Organization, 9.12 and members of the Charleston GOP met and interviewed candidates for local races. They have made the following recommendations for local offices which we support. These candidates have been identified as conservative candidates for these local non-partisan elections. We are asking your support of these individuals through volunteer efforts or cash donations. Please pick one and help them get elected,” the Web Site says.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/40516-1.html?type=printer_friendly

[phleshdef]

1. What does being formally censured by your state party even mean?

[Moosepoop]

23. It's not even at the state level...

It's just one county's GOP (Charleston County). I don't think it means much at all, they said themselves that it was just an effort to "get his attention."

[Arugula Latte]

2. Yay! Repuke Civil War!

:bounce:

[RepublicanElephant]

8. ...and in south carolina... probably ft. sumter. nt

[Arugula Latte]

13. One side can wear gray with a Confederate flag on the arm.

The other side can wear, um, gray with a Confederate flag on the arm.

And Lindsay Graham can play Ashley Wilkes. :)

[Arkana]

3. Oh my God.

Because he wants to try and get things done rather than act like an ass, they're pissed?

Jesus fucking Christ.

[damonm]

6. Oooooo....yer gonna burn....

'cuz you just said Jeebus was fucking himself.... :silly:

[FSogol]

4. LOL, South Fails to Rise Again. n/t

[NC_Nurse]

5. Brilliant strategy.

:eyes:

What complete assholes.

[HughMoran]

7. The party of NO & DON'T YOU DARE!

The thing that is scary about these people is that if they ever did get control, we'd be in for serious self-destruction as a nation.

[Engineer4Obama]

9. Stephen Colbert should run for his seat

It'd be fun to watch.

[struggle4progress]

10. Lindsey Graham isn't even close to the center: he's extremely conservative. Conclusion:

the Charleston GOP consists of real whackadoodles

[agentS]

15. So what's he got to lose then by ignoring these putzs?

Yeah, I know it's SC and all, but SC Rethugs have been rather weaksauce due to the adulterous big-spending governor, their closet case Lt. Governor and their pill-popping, hooker-hiring, sex-toy wielding, cemetery-visiting assistant attorney general. I don't think he has all that much to worry about from these teabag nutcases.

[NewJeffCT]

24. Agreed - Graham is far right

However, the mainstream of the Republic Party these days is well beyond Graham's right-wingedness.

[NewJeffCT]

25. Agreed - Graham is far right

However, the mainstream of the Republic Party these days is well beyond Graham's right-wingedness.

[Bitwit1234]

11. I am glad the dumb bunnies are siding with the Tea Partiers

there are still enough real republicans out there who don't like this violent and hateful group...just goes to show you the sided with a democrat over a tea partier in New York didn't them.

[timeforpeace]

12. The GOP in general hates that guy. He's closer to our side than Lieberman.

[Odin2005]

14. Wow. Just fucking wow!

:wow:

[Joe Bacon]

16. Well, Praise Jesus that they didn't bring up Log Cabin Lindsay's personal life!

:rofl:

[Joe Bacon]

17. They didn't bring up the log cabin!

I wonder why?

[Are_grits_groceries]

19. Because the people in Charleston are POlite.

Unless Lindsey does something so obvious they can't ignore it, they will pretend not a thing is different.

[GoCubsGo]

21. Yep. It's the same reason they didn't speak of Essie Mae...

...Thurmond. At least not in public. Around here, we all knew about her long before the rest of the country did. And, this is the excuse they all made for him: He was a Democrat at the time. Because we all know that it's only Democrats who do things like that...

[Cass]

18. Only the fringiest of the fringe are welcome in their new republican teabag party.

This is going to get interesting.

[Are_grits_groceries]

20. This is going to be good.

On the one side you have Graham who is a RW Rethug.

On the other hand you have the Teapotters who are hanging off the very edge of the RW and using maps that say 'Here be dragons.' Jim DeMint is their leader.

Graham looks downright moderate compared to the others.

The real unknown is what will happen until Graham has to run again. He was re-elected in 2008. He has a lot more breathing room than House members and some other Senators. I'll bet that is figuring in some of his positions.

2014 is a lifetime away in politics. There is no telling what the issues or political parties will look like then.

[LynnTheDem]

22. Oh good...another soon-to-be (I) or (D) senator. Another (R) loss!

Most excellent!

[NewJeffCT]

26. Before Bush, Graham would have been a RW extremist

however, Graham is now a "moderate" in a party whose mainstream is now well beyond extreme

[TheKentuckian]

27. Damn, I didn't know conservative now meant a pre-Magna Carta

worldview. Are they going to demand the Pharaohs be brought back or is that form of government too newtimey and liberal for them as well?

[Number23]

28. Damn. Too late to rec but that's a hell of a read

Thanks for posting, charles.

[Monk06]

29. So the Charleston GOP promote a bunch of bottom feeding local county

GOP hacks as Conservative tell you to vote
for them just because they say so and they
think they will purge the GOP of RINOs

So that's the theory? That's how they are
going to take back the White House?

The teabaggers are 100% full on delusional.
There is no upward threshold for their brand
of stupid.