Once upon a time, Lindsey Graham may have held a modicum of dignity, a crumb of trustworthiness, maybe even a dash of gravitas. No one now alive can recall seeing any of these qualities, but … it’s possible. However, that’s certainly not the case now. As if watching Graham go from “never Trumper” to butt-kisser extraordinaire wasn’t enough to demonstrate that he long ago received a full spine-ectomy, Graham laid out his gutlessness and lack of honor over the last few weeks in terms that make the word “blatant” seem not blatant enough.
In his efforts to cover up for Mitch McConnell’s unforgivable treatment of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, Graham went full speed into claims that it was all about (high questionable) consistency, and following (nonexistent) rules, and (absolutely not) doing the right thing. It all culminated in the statement that will define Graham forever as someone who put the last remaining shred of his public trust on the line … and then stepped on it.
Graham’s cooperation in rushing through the last minute appointment of Amy Coney Barrett was critical to McConnell’s scheme to pack the Court. So, for just a few minutes there, Republicans acted as if the senator from South Carolina was almost human, while they waited for him to both blow up his own soul and violate Senate rules to get Barrett out of the Judiciary Committee. And now, having gotten the last possible thing that they wanted out of Lindsey Graham, Republicans are ready to go back to blowing their nose on him, wadding him up, and discarding him like a used Kleenex.
And even Fox News is ready to throw that snotrag away.
There really is absolutely no way to twist, squint, or wish away the statement that Graham made to support ignoring Garland.
The specificity of the statement is actually amazing.
“If Ted Cruz or Donald Trump get to be president, they’ve all asked us not to confirm or take up a selection by President Obama. So, if a vacancy occurs in their last year of their first term, guess what? You will use their words against them. I want you to use my words against me.
If there’s a Republican president in 2016, and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say ‘Lindsey Graham said let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.’ And you can use my words against me, and you’d be absolutely right.”
Of course, Graham’s words were not worth spit when the choice came to sticking by what he had said or attempting to get an approving pat on the head from Donald Trump. Instead, Graham hustled Barret through her hearing, and ignored the rule saying that at least two minority members had to be present for a committee vote. So that’s done.
And since it is done, Republicans are once again done pretending they have to be nice to Graham. On his Friday program, Fox’s stock analyst turned gravel-throated loon, Lou Dobbs, made it clear that it was once again Lindsey Season.
“Well just to be clear,” said Dobbs. “I don’t know why anyone in the great state of South Carolina would ever vote for Lindsey Graham.” Dobbs then laid the failure of Trump to be able to lock up Obama, Biden, Clinton, and everyone else with a “D” after their names on Graham, before finishing off with, “Graham has betrayed President Trump at almost every turn, he has betrayed the American people and his oath of office, he’s done absolutely nothing to investigate Obamagate except to tell everyone ‘stay tuned,’ time and time again, ‘stay tuned.’ Senator Graham needs to be tuned out in South Carolina.”
While Daily Kos is never going to endorse what passes for Lou Dobb’s reasoning, it’s safe to say that on this point there is absolute agreement: No one in the state of South Carolina should vote for Lindsey Graham. Fortunately, there is a fantastic alternative in the form of Democratic candidate Jaime Harrison.
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