THE GRAHAM CENSURE
(or Paulites Run Wild)
Malkin was gleeful as she announced that “Shamnesty” Graham has been censured by the Ex. Committee of the Greenville County GOP. Problem is, she never bothered to examine the story very closely. If so, she would have discovered those behind the censure are Ron Paul supporters, and not your “Normal” Republicans. There’s a difference.
Dan Hoover’s Gvlle News piece on the Gville Co Executive Committee’s vote to censure Lindsey:
“…Graham was censured for his continuing “to adamantly support legalization of illegal immigrants in spite of” thousands of communications of “strong opposition” from local grassroots Republicans and comments made to a Hispanic civil rights organization.
Samuel Harms, county GOP chairman, said told The Greenville News the Graham resolution “shows that the grassroots conservative activists of the party are thoroughly fed up with Lindsey Graham and his statements that we are bigots who will be told to shut up because we do not support amnesty for illegal immigrants.”
He referred to remarks attributed to Graham at the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.
Harms predicted that the videotape of the comment “is going to haunt” Graham if a serious primary challenger emerges next year.
But Rick Beltram, Spartanburg County GOP chairman, is skeptical of any long-term impact on Graham.
“This was a small group of extremist Republicans who wanted to have a voice and in an emotion moment, blurted it out,” he said.
Greenville traditionally has the state’s heaviest Republican primary vote, often 10 percent or more of all votes cast.
Sen. Lewis Vaughn, R-Taylors, said the vote shows that Graham “has really angered a lot of people and its going to send him a message.”
The resolution was amended to also censure Graham “for many of the positions he has taken that do not represent the wishes of the people of South Carolina…” That amendment deleted a request, “with sincere sadness, that …Graham resign as a member of the Republican Party.”
Harms who was presiding over the meeting, said the voice vote was nearly unanimous and “I could not hear a ‘no.’”
The bipartisan immigration reform bill, pushed by President Bush and Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Graham, roiled state and local GOP circles with some conservatives contending its provisions for a path to legal status for millions of illegal immigrants represented amnesty….”
The Censure from a “Christian” conservative viewpoint.
“…The Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committee passed a resolution Monday to censure Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The resolution that passed with a majority vote of representatives from 60 of Greenville’s 105 organized Republican precincts follows:
Whereas, the 2001 Greenville County Republican Convention passed a resolution opposing any legalization of illegal immigrants;
Whereas, the Greenville County Executive Committee in 2004 and 2006 passed resolutions opposing any legalization of illegal immigrants;
Whereas, thousands of grass-roots, self-described Republicans, here in Greenville County have sent e-mails, faxes, letters, made telephone calls, and showed up at events to express their strong opposition to any legalization of illegal immigrants;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham continues to adamantly support legalization of illegal immigrants in spite of the evidence stated above;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham expressed contempt for grassroots Republicans, conservatives, and anti-illegal immigration activists by calling them “bigots” who will be told to “shut up,” before the National La Raza Conference.
Therefore, let it be resolved: That the Greenville County Executive Committee respectfully requests, with sincere sadness to censure Sen. Lindsey Graham for many of the positions which he has taken that do not represent the wishes of the people of South Carolina, such as: Immigration, border security, McCain-Feingold, and participation in the “Gang of 14.”…”
Whereas, thousands of grass-roots, self-described Republicans, here in Greenville County have sent e-mails, faxes, letters, made telephone calls, and showed up at events to express their strong opposition to any legalization of illegal immigrants;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham continues to adamantly support legalization of illegal immigrants in spite of the evidence stated above;
Whereas, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham expressed contempt for grassroots Republicans, conservatives, and anti-illegal immigration activists by calling them “bigots” who will be told to “shut up,” before the National La Raza Conference.
Therefore, let it be resolved: That the Greenville County Executive Committee respectfully requests, with sincere sadness to censure Sen. Lindsey Graham for many of the positions which he has taken that do not represent the wishes of the people of South Carolina, such as: Immigration, border security, McCain-Feingold, and participation in the “Gang of 14.”…”
I love the way “Christians” like Samuel Harms of the Gvlle GOP act when it comes to immigration. There is such a complete break with the reality of Christ.
Evidently our fun little bunch of Ron Paul extremists are the ones who rammed this thing through the Gville County GOP Ex. Committee meeting. Or as the Palmetto Scoop puts it, Lindsey better have a good spam blocker. Trust me, I know. I still don’t understand how these yahoos have so much time on their hands. Don’t they have lives?
And more behind the scenes behind the “censure”. And the FTS take.
From The State
“…Graham’s recent focus on policies conservatives favor hasn’t stopped the calls for Republican challengers to step forward to take Graham on in primary elections next year. Internet chat rooms dedicated to conservative politics have taken to calling Graham a RINO — Republican In Name Only.
But the anti-Graham chatter has not drawn a well-known, well-funded candidate who could pose a serious challenge. One reason Graham hasn’t drawn such a challenge is his $4 million campaign war chest, one of the richest in Congress.
Graham thinks his record should please conservatives. “I think I’ve been a good senator for the conservative cause,” Graham said, noting he plans to stay in the public eye and to run on his conservative record on abortion, federal judges, earmarks and other issues. State Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, who met with Graham and Chertoff, said Republicans there praised Graham at a county party meeting he attended Monday.
It’s those Republicans Graham is talking about when he says there are conservatives in his corner and advocating immigration reform.
“The problem doesn’t get solved by saying no (to reform),” Graham said. “That’s why I’m going to get back up on the horse. As a U.S. citizen, I feel I owe more to South Carolinians than to say ‘no.’”…”
But the anti-Graham chatter has not drawn a well-known, well-funded candidate who could pose a serious challenge. One reason Graham hasn’t drawn such a challenge is his $4 million campaign war chest, one of the richest in Congress.
Graham thinks his record should please conservatives. “I think I’ve been a good senator for the conservative cause,” Graham said, noting he plans to stay in the public eye and to run on his conservative record on abortion, federal judges, earmarks and other issues. State Sen. Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, who met with Graham and Chertoff, said Republicans there praised Graham at a county party meeting he attended Monday.
It’s those Republicans Graham is talking about when he says there are conservatives in his corner and advocating immigration reform.
“The problem doesn’t get solved by saying no (to reform),” Graham said. “That’s why I’m going to get back up on the horse. As a U.S. citizen, I feel I owe more to South Carolinians than to say ‘no.’”…”
“…”It’s a small group of people getting in a room, having their say. It sort of speaks for itself in terms of where it’s coming from,” Graham said.
Twice, during the conversation, he mentioned GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul and his supporters, many of whom were in the room. How many were committee members and eligible to vote isn’t certain.
“There’s no way I’m ever going to agree with the Ron Paul crowd.”
The resolution, approved on a voice vote, focused on Graham’s support for the recently failed immigration reform bill that would have created a path to legal status for many of the 12 million illegal immigrants. Opponents, including plenty of South Carolina conservative activists, read it as amnesty, something the Greenville party has twice gone on record in opposing.
Also, the resolution rebuked Graham for comments made to a Latino civil rights group that some took as a slam at anyone who opposed the bill.
“Sometimes you make people mad,” Graham said.
Oh, and if those folks think he’s not a conservative, he suggests they check out his 91 percent lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union….”
Twice, during the conversation, he mentioned GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul and his supporters, many of whom were in the room. How many were committee members and eligible to vote isn’t certain.
“There’s no way I’m ever going to agree with the Ron Paul crowd.”
The resolution, approved on a voice vote, focused on Graham’s support for the recently failed immigration reform bill that would have created a path to legal status for many of the 12 million illegal immigrants. Opponents, including plenty of South Carolina conservative activists, read it as amnesty, something the Greenville party has twice gone on record in opposing.
Also, the resolution rebuked Graham for comments made to a Latino civil rights group that some took as a slam at anyone who opposed the bill.
“Sometimes you make people mad,” Graham said.
Oh, and if those folks think he’s not a conservative, he suggests they check out his 91 percent lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union….”
January 30th, 2010 on 9:40 am
This is an old event, but I just read it.
You weren’t there – you don’t know what happened.
I was there, I helped draft the resolution.
I am, never was, a Ron Paul supporter (although I prefer him to a RINO)
Ron Paul supporter were there, but very few were a part of the Executive Committee and could not vote. This was grass root Republicans, tired to Lindsey Graham.
January 30th, 2010 on 4:54 pm
I don’t believe anyone who was a part of the sham.
SJR