Modeled After Sen. Graham

Two years ago when I traveled for the campaign of John Edwards I never dreamed I would be writing about modeling myself after Lindsey Graham because at the time I didn’t know who he was and hadn’t cared much to watch C-SPAN. I began watching C-SPAN during the campaign hoping to see John Edwards give the blockbuster speech on the Senate floor that would set me swooning. However, this never happened because John Edwards was out campaigning.

Discovery of Sen. Graham
One day while listening to the Senate proceedings I heard a refreshingly eager voice. He was talking about trade and jobs. It was enough to make me wonder about the speaker. I turned around and watched as the gentleman spoke and I saw that it was Lindsey Graham. I had just returned from campaigning in Milwaukee at this time. I couldn’t believe that in the middle of a campaign I was getting interested in someone else; on the other side no less. Sen. Graham had captured my attention and I did research to find out more about his life, career, and positions. The more I looked into it the more I admired him and decided that he was the person upon which I wanted to model myself.

Disagreement, Defense, and Support
I disagree with him sometimes and other times I wonder what he is thinking, but this never makes me question his status as my role model.

We tend to question those items we disagree with more than that with which we agree. However, I chose to adopt his idea of compromising and finding a middle ground in order to get something done. The largest example of this is the judicial compromise, which he took flak for, but I found it easy to defend.

I know I have moved slightly left (populist-leaning conservative to populist conservative) over the last two years and appearantly Sen. Graham has also, at least on immigration. He has a populist streak that causes his independent, some would say maverick, actions. I share this streak and the desire to help people. I share the willingness to challenge orthodoxy when necessary, like in supporting a payroll tax cap increase to pay for the transition cost of the Social Security reform.

I do not agree with his support of the Marriage Protection Amendment for Constitutional reasons, but I honor his wish to support it. I will also defend his vote for the nuclear option should it become necessary. I hope this option never returns to the debate and never sees the light of day again.

Conclusion
I choose to model myself after Sen. Graham because of his willingness to compromise and stand for principles, as well as his life being a model of the American Dream.

• Response to Lindsey Graham is Starting to Really Disappoint Me, by Mike Reino at SC6

Lindsey Graham Doesn’t Disappoint Me

Response to Mike Reino at SC6.

I started out volunteering for the Presidential campaign of John Edwards two years ago. I went to Iowa and Milwaukee as a volunteer. I cam home from one of these trips and I was watching the Senate on C-SPAN 2 when I happened across a specch by Lindsey Graham, who was the Jr senator from South Carolina at th time. The speech was about trade. I remembering who would dare present the unorthodox position that he did.

I have followed his Senate career for the last two years and have defended him every chance I get becasue I do plan to pattern myself after him. I like his style of hammering out compromises and tackling current and controversial issues head on without fear.

Inspite of the high praise I do sometimes wonder what he is thinkig, but it is just a disagreement to me and not a dispointment. There is much wrong with the Senate version of the immigration bill, however, I think his heart is in the right place. There is another problem with this issue besides the agency not being able to handle the influx and that is the executive department’s lax enforcement. Sen. Graham is only trying to assist in fixing a problem that the President could have fixed quickly with an executive order that demanded stepped up enforcement of existing law. The solution is not perfect, but that is why we have a conference committee.

I understand the perils of the immigration issues becasue I live in Chicago and have a difficult time finding employment because I don’t speak Spanish. I also understanfd that until we enforce the fines on employers for hiring illegals than we will have the problem.

I do think that Lindsey is caught up in the spirit of comproise as he tends to be because he wants the Senate to work together. It is unfortunate that John McCain and the rest you name are so derided. I do not think that Lindsey should be beat based on the Groupof 14 becasue we still got our judges. Did we really want to destry to Senate and change forever the way it works? I don’t. I like judicial compromise because it has given good judges positions. Some still won’t make it, but that is the process.

I do not think that the second is as plausible as the first. Lindsey made some of the most passionate and compassionate speeches I saw from anyone on this issue. I am sure he recieved som contributions from business interests, but so did all the senators. This is not as much the problem as his bleeding heart may be on the issue.

I am and always will be more like Lindsey Graham than Jim DeMint. I am still not a Fair Tax supporter and will remain a compromiser for the overall good.