Jim DeMint

Senator Lindsey Graham And The Republican Right Wing

Ronald 1 Comment

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is facing a strong reaction from his party’s right wing, another sign of the sad state of the party of Lincoln. 🙁

Graham has always had an image of being somewhat independent. He was a strong supporter, and has always been a loyal friend of Senator John McCain, who many right wing Republicans have never been thrilled about. He has shown some willingness to back the Obama Administration on environmental issues, and avoids constant criticism of some other aspects of the Obama Presidency, although he has not actually voted to support the Democrats on any specific topic up to this point.

People tend to forget that he was one of the congressmen pushing for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton ten years ago. But right wing Republicans see him as a turncoat, because he has expressed the need for the GOP to be a “big tent” party, and he certainly comes across as comparatively moderate when put along side his South Carolina colleague, Jim DeMint, arguably one of the most right wing Republican senators.

Considering that South Carolina is still in many ways a “rebel” state living in the Civil War era, it will be a challenge for Lindsey Graham to survive in office as long as his state and his party continue their march to the far right.

The attack on Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and now Lindsey Graham, is an alarm bell for the long term viability of the Republican party. When will common sense and rationality return to the party of Lincoln, TR, and Eisenhower? 🙁

The Florida Senate Republican Primary: Should Marco Rubio Be Contented?

Ronald 2 Comments

Florida has an interesting Republican Senate primary coming up in 2010 to replace Senator Mel Martinez, who resigned in September.

Governor Charlie Crist is heavily favored at this point to win the nomination over former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami.

But despite the odds in favor of Crist, the Senate primary is becoming an example of the attempt of conservatives to defeat the more moderate Governor over his very conservative opponent.

Marco Rubio has achieved two leading conservative Republican senators endorsing him, but one wonders if that is a blessing or a curse! LOL

The two are South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, both of whom are, in my estimation, two of the very worst senators we have seen in the long history of the Senate. I rated both in “another seven” when I had an entry in this blog regarding the ten worst senators of all time.

Rubio even says he disagrees with Inhofe, the leading critic of global warming, but will still accept his endorsement. But in my view, accepting endorsements from two horrible members of the Senate is not a plus for Rubio, but rather for Crist.

It is hard to imagine Rubio defeating Crist, and frankly, with the backing of DeMint and Inhofe, we would have to say that Florida would suffer under a Senator Rubio who would lean on these two senators for advice. Such advice would be poisonous in more ways than one.

Of course, the ideal result would be for Congressman Kendrick Meek of Miami, the almost certain Democratic nominee, to win the seat over either Crist or Rubio. He would be a real asset to the Senate and would represent a progressive Florida looking to the future, rather than to the past!