Punish Putin, But Not at the Expense of South Carolina’s Business Community

By Tom Swatzel

South Carolina has a strong tradition of supporting our national security, and no one embodies that heritage more than Sen. Lindsey Graham. His efforts to crack down on Russia for election interference and other bad behavior are motivated by the best of intentions.

But economic security is an increasingly important part of national security, especially in this era of cross-border travel and trade. Unfortunately, a bill in Sen. Graham’s committee — the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act — would imperil our economic security, especially in South Carolina.

DASKA does the opposite of its stated purpose: it would actually target U.S. companies instead of the Kremlin. As it is written, DASKA would force many of the nearly 3,000 U.S. companies doing business in Russia to leave joint ventures with Russian firms or exit the Russian market. The Russians would then take over those projects, enriching them at our expense, or partner with other U.S. adversaries like China.

How does that help our economic and national security?

Even worse, DASKA’s effects would ripple down the global supply chain, disrupting and damaging the tens of thousands of small U.S. businesses that equip major companies with supplies and parts. Many of those companies are in South Carolina.

Take Boeing suppliers, for starters. Boeing’s decision in 2009 to choose South Carolina for its first commercial airplane assembly plant outside of Washington state was a huge development. 

The aerospace giant has since followed through by investing more than $2 billion in South Carolina, building a vast presence that includes a 787 Dreamliner assembly and delivery facility; a research and technology center; and a decorative paint facility.

But DASKA would undo much of that economic progress. With Boeing having also invested billions of dollars in Russia, the legislation would make it much harder for the company to acquire crucial titanium needed to build its planes, since Russia is the source for the vast majority of that titanium.

That would mean negative effects for Boeing and for the nearly 300 South Carolina firms that are Boeing suppliers and vendors. Among them are Safran Electrical and Power Charleston, which doubled its square footage and moved into a new facility to accommodate Boeing work, and Composite Resources, a 50-employee Rock Hill-based Boeing supplier that has hired new workers in recent years.

Why would we hurt vital South Carolina small businesses in the name of punishing Vladimir Putin?

Aerospace is not the only crucial South Carolina industry that DASKA would target. The bill would also severely damage the agribusiness sector, especially firms such as Cargill, which has a major presence in Russia.

As employers across our state know, agribusiness is “the true homegrown industry of South Carolina,” with an annual economic impact of more than $41 billion. Cargill is among the agribusiness players in South Carolina which in 2016 purchased a Columbia-based beef processing plant, then invested further in the same facility.

As if all that weren’t alarming enough, DASKA would also significantly harm U.S. energy companies that employ hundreds of thousands of Americans and help ensure our energy security. Among them are ExxonMobil and other American energy companies, which have extensive business in Russia. 

That won't help the largest energy economy in the eastern United States - located right here in the Carolinas.  With South Carolina’s economy booming and the state’s unemployment rate significantly below the national average, it makes little sense to put at risk all we have accomplished with a well-intentioned but deeply flawed sanctions bill. Congress can and should fix DASKA. We need to sanction Putin, not U.S. companies.

Tom Swatzel is a former Georgetown County councilman and county Republican Party chairman who lives in Murrells Inlet.

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Lindsey Graham -- Working to Bring Third World Terrorists to America

Senators Graham and Leahy

South Carolina's delusional presidential candidate, Lindsey Graham, is working hard, across the aisle, to earn his 0% support in presidential preference polls.  He has now joined Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in introducing the Middle East Refugee Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (S-2145), which will provide $1 billion in funding to resettle refugees in the United States.  The legislation could resettle as many as 100,000 refugees over two years, compared with the Obama administration's plan to resettle a mere 10,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 16 and 25,000 in Fiscal Year 17.

Graham's latest treasonous act comes after FBI leaders stated in Senate hearings earlier this year that massive resettlement of refugees in the United States poses national security concerns and that the Bureau has no system to determine which refugees pose a threat to the United States.  The new refugees would also pose a massive chain migration nightmare.

Lindsey Graham: Socialist Ratcheteer

Hannity interview illustrates GOP’s real problem.

It all began so innocently.

Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican and newly minted if long-shot 2016 presidential candidate, sat down with NBC’s Chuck Todd for an interview. Riding along in the back seat of (presumably) an SUV, the two discuss Graham’s presidential ambition. Todd poses a question wondering about what Graham thinks of the country’s current state of polarization. In a bit of a windy answer Graham blames talk radio, cable TV, and money. Then he tosses the kind of political flare that rarely gets tossed in today’s carefully restrained and tailored-for-public-consumption politics.

To illustrate his point, Graham conjures a scene of modern media covering the Constitutional Convention in 1787 Philadelphia, replete with satellite trucks surrounding Independence Hall and Ben Franklin exiting the building only to be besieged by Fox’s Sean Hannity and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Translation: the two hosts are polarizing.

Hannity picked up on this, inviting Graham on his television show to discuss. Fatefully, Graham agreed. And in the doing (seen here) Graham quickly proceeded to illustrate exactly the problem that faces the Republican Party and the nation.

Read more at The American Spectator >>

 

Bill Connor Has the Washington Political and Media Elites Worried

Meet the Press Discusses Bill Connor's 'Graham for Hillary' Ad

In the eyes of the Washington media and political elites, Lindsey Graham is the very model of what a Republican Senator should be -- apologetic for his party and his constituents, the reliable houseboy for Democrats on key votes, who goes beyond compromise to being a traitorous Quisling, so that he can be a regular guest on their Sunday news shows and at their parties in Georgetown.

As the following clip suggests, the elites are fearful their dutiful servant, Lindsey, might be challenged by someone who is actually a real Republican, grounded in conservative principle and dedicated to restoring the Constitutional republic and fiscal sanity.  They have reason to be worried; Bill Connor is on the move to ensure South Carolina has two conservative votes in the United States Senate and that Graham's betrayal is finally ended.  

Lindsey Graham Apologizes for McCain Tantrum at Syrian Christian Leader Meeting

This is an extraordinary story that exposes, among other things, how far U.S. foreign policy has strayed from the ideals for which we once stood in the world.  It is not surprising that John McCain would show contempt for Syria's persecuted Christians; he's shown contempt and hostility toward POW families for decades.  But when his behavior becomes so unstable that even his boot-licking friend, Lindsey Graham, feels compelled to apologize for him, one knows the crazy old man is off his meds again.

Hell-bent on arming opposition forces in Syria—despite strong evidence that they’re run by Islamic terrorists—John McCain displayed behavior unbecoming of a United States Senator during a recent meeting with Syrian Christian leaders touring Capitol Hill.

The delegation of Syrian clergy came to Washington to raise awareness among lawmakers of the growing crisis among the region’s minority Christian community. Christians make up about 10% of the Syrian population and they are being targeted and ruthlessly murdered by radical elements of the rebel forces, according to the visiting church officials. They say the media and human rights groups in the west have been largely silent on the ordeal of the Christians in Syria.

A number of churches have been destroyed or burned, children were killed when rebels fired mortar rockets at an Armenian Christian school in Damascus and countless others have been abducted by Islamic fighters, the Syrian delegation reveals in a statement published by the research group, Westminster Institute, that brought them to Washington. Eleven nuns have also been abducted and are still in captivity and two bishops are still missing after getting kidnapped during a humanitarian mission.

But Senator McCain, an Arizona Republican, evidently doesn’t want to hear negative stories about the rebels he’s working to arm. So he stormed out of a closed-door meeting with the Syrian clergy officials last week. Held in the Senate Arms Services Committee meeting room, the reunion also included senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Graham is a Republican and the rest are Democrats.

McCain marched into the committee room yelling, according to a high-level source that attended the meeting, and quickly stormed out. “He was incredibly rude,” the source told Judicial Watch “because he didn’t think the Syrian church leaders should even be allowed in the room.” Following the shameful tantrum McCain reentered the room and sat briefly but refused to make eye contact with the participants, instead ignoring them by looking down at what appeared to be random papers.

The outburst was so embarrassing that Senator Graham, also an advocate of U.S. military intervention in Syria, apologized for McCain’s disturbing outburst. “Graham actually apologized to the group for McCain’s behavior,” according to the source, who sat through the entire meeting. “It was truly unbelievable.”

Read more at The Judicial Watch Blog: Corruption Chronicles >>

Bill Connor Announces Campaign Steering Committee for US Senate Race

Bill with his wife Susan and their children Peyton, Brenna, and Will.

There's a strong tide moving in South Carolina to finally end the traitorous Senate career of Lindsey Graham and send in his place Bill Connor, a thoughtful, solid conservative, a Citadel graduate, who has served his country as an Airborne Ranger Infantry officer and Afghanistan combat veteran. Bill currently serves as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army reserves.   A dedicated family man and devout Christian, there will be no question as to whose interests Bill represents.  He will fight for the common-sense, kitchen table, family values of the citizens of South Carolina.

Bill Connor won't be calling his constituents racists because they believe, in this age of terrorism, that the borders of our nation should be secured and our laws on immigration obeyed, unlike Senator Graham who wants to reward law breakers with amnesty.

Bill Connor doesn't believe that government is the solution to all of America's problems; he believes that government is the problem.  In this regard, he won't be calling, as did Lindsey Graham, for the nationalization of US banks, or any other enterprises best left to the private sector.

Bill Connor, unlike Lindsey Graham, will support the Republican Platform, not join with Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats in filibustering against GOP-backed tort reform legislation.

Bill Connor, unlike Lindsey Graham, knows that America's economy is groaning under the weight of excessive taxes and massive regulation.  Unlike Lindsey Graham, he won't be supporting Democrat plans for cap and trade legislation and the massive tax increases that would entail.

Bill Connor will dedicate himself to serving the best interests of his constituents and the security and strategic interests of our country, not Wall Street banksters, as did Senator Graham, when he voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) with its massive debt increases and expansion of the federal government.

Bill Connor has fought to defend the God-given rights and freedoms Americans thought were protected by the U. S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  He surely won't be supporting, as does Senator Graham, the fingerprinting and imposition of ID cards on law-abiding Americans, the establishment of biometric data banks, and the massive spying and data mining being carried out by the NSA and other agencies of the federal government.

Bill Connor reveres and will honor the principles upon which our nation, under God, was founded.  He knows that a radical re-commitment to  the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is essential if American freedoms and greatness are to be restored.  Unlike Senator Graham, he won't be voting to place left-wing extremists on the Supreme Court.

Finally, as a combat veteran, Bill Connor knows that the men and women of the Armed Services should never be put in harms way to carry out any mission that does not directly serve the safety, security, strategic interests and freedom of the American people.  We can no longer afford to play policeman, banker and Santa Claus to the whole world.

For these reasons and so many more, your editor is pleased and honored to serve on Bill Connor's Campaign Steering Committee, which was announced yesterday.  

Bill's election is vital to South Carolina; we can no longer afford to have the conservative votes of  Senator Tim Scott cancelled out by Lindsey Graham, who only pretends to be a conservative every six years.  But this election is also crucial to all Americans who care about righting our ship of state and steering a far different course than that taken by Obama and Graham.  Bill's campaign needs the prayers, financial support and encouragement of all Americans who love and care about our country.  Bill Connor has fought for America his entire adult life.  Now he has undertaken a battle that will determine whether we continue to live in the country bequeathed to us by America's founders -- a land of freedom, faith, hope and opportunity.  Upon this battle depends the future of your children and grandchildren.  Let's ensure that Bill Connor will be fighting for us in the United States Senate.

    

Huckabee Finds Himself Aboard the Titanic and Wants OFF!

For months now, conservative talk radio stations throughout South Carolina have been airing a message from Governor Mike Huckabee telling us how grateful we should be for the "conservative" leadership of Senator Lindsey Graham.  The ads, paid for by a pro-amnesty for illegal immigrants front-group with the misleading name of South Carolina Conservative Action Alliance, have also touted Graham's inclination to intervene in every war raging on the planet.

Such ads obviously sounded, in the months before a GOP Primary for the Senate nomination, like an endorsement.  But apparently Governor Huckabee, with political ambitions of his own, hasn't been to South Carolina in awhile, or has just been informed that he booked passage on a sinking ship.

On Thursday evening he posted the following message on his website:

To be clear, I haven’t endorsed Lindsey Graham for Senate.

Obviously, Senator Graham’s people are using the ‘Thank you’ ad and treating it like an endorsement, but neither the PAC nor I personally have endorsed in the South Carolina Senate race. Please help me by sharing this statement with your friends across South Carolina so voters understand where I stand.

Clearly, anyone who has been in politics as long as you have, Governor, should have known that such radio ads would be used and received as a political endorsement, particularly in the months preceding a hotly contested primary.   No need for panic, however, there is a lifeboat -- may we suggest that you endorse the real conservative in the race - our next U.S. Senator, Bill Connor.

GOP Establishment and TEA Party Leaders Agree: Lose Lindsey

Why Lindsey Graham is bad for South Carolina

From The Post and Courier
By Dianne Belsom and Kevin Thomas

The tea party is a political movement, not a political party, and it began as a spontaneous reaction to the overreach of the federal government. Spurred on by Rick Santelli's rant, I (Dianne Belsom) organized a Tax-Day Tea Party Rally in April 2009 in my town of Laurens.

However, it quickly became clear that our movement wasn't so much about taxes as it was about freedom, and it also quickly became clear as to which of our elected representatives were on our side.

Lindsey Graham Supporter Mike Huckabee Defends Phil Robertson and is "Interested" in a 2016 Presidential Run

According to a story in The Christian Post, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has defended "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson, while also revealing that he is considering another run for the presidency in 2016.

It is good that Governor Huckabee is not bowed by an intolerant, anti-Christian agenda and speech code.  We also respect Governor Huckabee's right to speak out on behalf of any candidates that he chooses to endorse.  However, despite our past support for Governor Huckabee, we will not be supporting him in the future because he has foolishly and unnecessarily chosen to intervene in the South Carolina GOP Primary for the United States Senate.  Huckabee is currently featured in radio spots being run throughout South Carolina touting the "conservative" Lindsey Graham (a symptom of Graham's multiple personality disorder that manifests itself every six years).

As we have said many times, Lindsey Graham does not represent the people of South Carolina; he has been a far better ally of Barack Hussein Obama.  His votes on major issues routinely cancel-out the votes of South Carolina's conservative United States Senator, and his ideas about America's role in the world, our Constitution and its defense of God-given rights are anathema to most Republicans.  He believes in a tyrannical, big, interventionist government and has played a key role in transforming a conservative Supreme Court into one that has upheld Obamacare.

At least four conservatives will challenge Lindsey Graham in next year's GOP primary.  We  think Bill Connor is the very best of these choices, but any one of them would be far superior to Lindsey Graham.  In fact, we expect a runoff and seriously doubt that Lindsey Graham will be in that runoff.

Mike Huckabee has shown disregard for the political future of our state and country and contempt for the conservative movement with his endorsement of Lindsey Graham.

Riding the wave of a national backlash over the persecution of Phil Robertson is too little, too late, Governor.  We know Lindsey Graham very well here in South Carolina; it is you, Governor, we apparently misjudged.


 

Will Lindsey Graham Face a Serious Primary Challenge?

By Javan Browder

It’s becoming more and more clear that Senator Lindsey Graham is on shaky ground with the GOP electorate in SC.  Multiple county GOP groups have recently passed censure measures against him, and by overwhelmingly large margins, with other counties soon to vote on similar censure measures.

A recent poll conducted by Landmark Communications and Rosetta Stone Communications showed that Graham only reaches 42% of the vote against his field of primary challengers, and still falls short of 50% against any of them in a head to head matchup.

Adding to voter frustration over Graham, is his recent vote in favor of cloture on the Senate version of the Harry Reid amended CR bill which allowed full funding for Obamacare, something the House had stripped out in its version before sending it to the Senate. The cloture vote required at least 60 votes, so it could not pass without at least 6 republican votes, and once cloture was invoked it meant that the bill would be voted on as is with the Obamacare funding and only need 51 votes to pass.  Many conservatives believe the process was a setup between the powers that be in both parties. That was the main purpose of Senator Ted Cruz’s 21 hour filibuster, to try and bring attention to the fix. Though Graham did vote against the actual bill, by voting for cloture, many conservatives feel that he cast a de-facto vote in favor of Obamacare funding.

Read more at South Carolina Conservative Dot Com >>

Another County GOP Organization Censures Lindsey Graham

The Fairfield County Republican Party last night voted 82% to 18% to censure Senator Lindsey Graham for "his repeated comments and votes against our party platform."  In the following message, Fairfield County Republican Chairman Kevin Thomas urges fellow Republicans statewide "to bring this resolution to censure Senator Graham to your county party and endorse one of his opponents, a candidate more like Senator DeMint and less like Senator Graham." 

SCGOP Members,

I hate having to write this email but my convictions make me feel obligated to do so.  Last night the Fairfield County Republican Party, at a regular monthly meeting, voted 82% for and 18% against censuring  U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham for his repeated comments and votes against our party platform.

I know some of you are supporters of Senator Graham and others of you feel that censures are a waste of time.  I once was a supporter of Senator Grahams, but when he time after time strays from our party platform, we felt that we must show our displeasure with his actions.  Earlier this year, I met with Senator Graham’s staff in Greenville and requested that he meet with the Fairfield County Republican Party.  After numerous follow ups I almost gave up.  At the end of the summer as I began to schedule Senator Graham’s primary opponents to speak to the FCGOP, I again requested Senator Graham to speak to our party.  I was told that my request would be sent to his scheduler.  After I attended a telephone town hall in which every phone call was an “I love Lindsey” caller, I felt frustrated and unable to communicate my displeasure with our Senator.  I have communicated my displeasure of Senator Graham to his staff but wanted to communicate it to him in person as did many of our members.  When Senator Graham finally began to have a few town halls/public meetings, they were either too far from Fairfield County, announced last minute or allowed only a few connected people to attend.  I and the members of the FCGOP were discouraged with Senator Graham’s failure to be accountable to his voters, so we took the only action we felt we could to let the Senator know that we were unhappy with his repeated disregard for his constituents.

As I have discussed this issue with several of you, the question has come up; can we endorse someone other than the incumbent in the Republican Party?  I spoke with SCGOP Chairman Matt Moore and he said unless county party rules prohibit it, yes we can endorse in a primary.  Chairman Moore was fair and by the books when we discussed this issue.  As you may recall in the Presidential Preference Primary many of you elected to endorse a candidate.  Although you can make a valid point that endorsements are worthless, they are a way to publicly show your support for a candidate and for candidates to gain a little momentum.

I am a conservative before a Republican and I encourage each and every one of you to bring this resolution to censure Senator Graham to your county party and endorse one of his opponents, a candidate more like Senator DeMint and less like Senator Graham.

Respectfully,

Kevin S Thomas

Chairman

Fairfield County Republican Party

Lindsey’s Plan for War on Iran

By Patrick J. Buchanan

This summer produced a triumph of American patriotism.

A grassroots coalition arose to demand Congress veto any war on Syria. Congress got the message and was ready to vote no to war, when President Obama seized upon Vladimir Putin’s offer to work together to disarm Syria of chemical weapons.

The war America did not want — did not come.

Lindsey Graham is determined that this does not happen again.

The next war he and his collaborators are planning, the big one, the war on Iran, will not be blocked the same way.

How does Graham propose to do this?

The “Lesser Evils” I Will Not Vote For

Here's a reflection by Chuck Baldwin with which we heartily agree.  We were lectured by some in 2012 that Mitt Romney was the "lesser of two evils."  I wonder how many of those who disagreed with our refusal to support the 2012 GOP presidential nominee voted for Lindsey Graham in 2008.  That race pitted Bob Conley, running as a Democrat who has never in his life voted for a Democrat and is as conservative as Pat Buchanan, against the treasonous Graham.  We were told by some they would not vote for a "Democrat," so they voted for evil when they could have replaced him with a true, small government, Constitution-loving, freedom promoting conservative.  Conley would not have provided the key committee votes clearing the way for the appointments of Kagan and Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.  So how has your commitment to party over principle worked out for you?

 By Chuck Baldwin

After then-Congressman Joe Scarborough convinced me to endorse the neocon Bob Dole for President back in 1996, I vowed to myself that I would  never vote for “the lesser of two evils” again. I haven’t; and I won’t.

Almost anytime one hears someone talking about voting for the lesser of two evils, it always means voting for a Republican instead of a third party or independent candidate. The argument is always the same: he or she (the third party candidate) cannot win. Therefore, voting for someone you presume cannot win is “wasting” your vote. I used to believe that, too, but no more.

One could even make the argument that voting for an unprincipled neocon Republican is actually voting for the greater evil, not the lesser. It seems we lose far more liberties under Republican administrations than under Democrat ones. That does not mean that Democrat presidents care more for the Constitution and limited government than Republican presidents. It simply means when Republicans occupy the White House, rank and file conservatives and freedomists go fast asleep. I mean deep sleep. I mean extended hibernation. The two administrations of G.W. Bush are prime examples.

In terms of foreign policy and the burgeoning police state at home, there is no distinguishable difference between Bush and Barack Obama. None! Except for the fact that with a Democrat in office, conservatives, Christians, and freedomists are much more alert and quick to oppose the administration’s draconian policies, whereas, with a Republican in office, those same people sit back and totally ignore identical policies. Yes, sometimes voting for a Democrat might be voting for the lesser of two evils.

I personally witnessed an election in which a vote for the Republican was not just a vote for the lesser of two evils; it was a vote for a politically evil candidate over a politically righteous candidate. I use the words “evil” and “righteous,” not in the true spiritual sense, of course, but in the overall political result of the two candidate’s positions on the issues.

I’m talking about the US Senate race in South Carolina in 2008. The Republican candidate was the pro-war, pro-police state, pro-big government, anti-Constitution incumbent Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham is the personification of everything that is wrong with Washington, D.C. Mind you, Graham is a US Senator from South Carolina. There are probably more evangelical Christians, more Christian schools, and more Christian influence per capita and per square mile in South Carolina than in any State in the country. Bar none! And Lindsey Graham is the best that South Carolina can send to Washington, D.C.? Egad!

In 2008, I was running for POTUS as the Constitution Party candidate. I spent some quality time in South Carolina during that campaign. I had previously spent time in the Palmetto State campaigning for Congressman Ron Paul. What I’m saying is I spent quite a bit of time in South Carolina that year.

While I was in South Carolina, I was introduced to the US Senate Democrat candidate Bob Conley. I spent much time getting to know Bob. I could not find one issue over which he and I disagreed. Bob was as straight as a gun barrel politically speaking. He was an awesome candidate. So, while I was in South Carolina, I was happy to publicly endorse Bob for that US Senate seat. In that race, a vote for the Republican candidate was to vote for the only “evil” candidate in the race. Yet, conservatives and Christians by the tens of thousands cast their vote for Graham simply because he was a Republican. You see, voting for the “lesser of two evils” does not apply to anything except voting for a Republican.

Read more at Chuck Baldwin Live >>

Chesterfield County GOP Censures Lindsey Graham

By Joshua Cook

Last night at the regular monthly meeting of the Chesterfield County Republican Party, members utilized a roll call vote to pass a 29-point resolution in favor of censuring one of the current United States Senators from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.
  

The yeas carried the evening with 98% of the vote. This reflects the continued frustration of many in the party with officials who are elected as Republicans and then seem to forget the doctrine of the party when they assume office.

How Conservatives Can Replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, Use the Ted Cruz Model

From The Greenville Post
By Joshua Cook

Ted Cruz’s election was probably the biggest and most surprising victory of the 2012 campaign cycle.  Before the election, the now national Republican star was a virtually unknown name on a national scale. He ran against Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the primary for the seat of a retiring Republican senator, and spent the first part of his campaign running from out of state.  Cruz’s accomplishment was remarkable and has left people in other states wondering how they can put similarly principled and outspoken conservatives into office. 

Lindsey Graham Paved the Way for Supreme Court Ruling

Richard Cash says Graham Should be held Accountable for Supreme Court ruling on Marriage

Elena Kagan with Lindsey Graham, her only Republican supporter on the Judiciary Committee.

Anderson, SC - Once again, activist judges on the Supreme Court have undermined our political process by striking down part of the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996. By a 5-4 decision the justices ruled that benefits for married federal employees must be extended to same-sex couples in states that allow same-sex marriage, invalidating the section of DOMA which defined marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman for federal purposes.

Lindsey Graham Fails to Understand the US Constitution

Graham’s opponent, Richard Cash, states Snowden had a duty to expose NSA scandal

ANDERSON, SC - Senator Graham’s perspective regarding the unconstitutional behavior of the US Government in searching through the phone records of US citizens is off base. Senator Graham has stated he is “glad” that the Obama administration has undertaken massive spying on American citizens.

Richard Cash

In contrast, South Carolina businessman Richard Cash, Graham’s only declared primary opponent, asks, “How would you feel if a government agent showed up at your home once a month and asked to study your phone bill to see who you have been talking to and how often and for how long? In light of the fourth amendment and the lack of probable cause, it is clearly unconstitutional on the face of it.”

To make matters worse, Senator Graham thinks the wrongdoer is not the government, but the whistle blower. Senator Graham has stated, “I view Mr. Snowdens’ actions not as one of patriotism, but potentially a felony. I hope we follow him to the ends of the earth to bring him to justice.”

According to Cash, those comments are uncalled for and a distraction from the constitutional issue at hand. Cash stated, “Senator Graham has shown little regard for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The government has overstepped its bounds by targeting law abiding citizens.”

Cash went on to say, “Senator Graham’s comments are over the top. Perhaps a whistle blower such as Mr. Snowden is simply doing his duty and trying to uphold the Constitution. The central issue remains, however, the illegal government operation that led to this embarrassing revelation.”

Richard is a graduate of Furman University with a degree in Economics and Business Administration.  He has worked professionally as a computer programmer and analyst, served full time as a pro-life missionary, and volunteered as a youth coach and athletic director.  He is the founder and owner of two small businesses, which he has operated for the past 14 years.  Richard and Marcia have been married for 28 years.  In 2010, Richard ran for US Congress in the third district.  After winning the primary over a field of 6 candidates, he narrowly lost a runoff to Rep. Jeff Duncan.

Richard Cash Posts Web Infomercial in Bid to Rid South Carolina of Lindsey Graham

 

We haven't settled on a candidate yet; we'll support the conservative with the best chance of ridding South Carolina of its rogue and treasonous Senator, Lindsey Graham.  But there is no question, Richard Cash would make a superb United States Senator and would give South Carolinians two thoughtful and principled conservative votes in the United States Senate. 

 

Like any good candidate, Richard Cash needs to introduce himself to Republican voters throughout our state, but in the end the Republican Primary will be a referendum on the Senate career of Lindsey Graham.  We have commented on its many outrageous highlights; and we hope Richard Cash will speak no less frankly and boldly about Graham's unconscionable betrayal of the people of South Carolina.  The candidate who does that will be elected to the United States Senate in 2014, and what a great day that will be.

 

Lindsey Graham Enshrined In The G.O.P. Hall Of Shame

Have you heard that scientists are going to start using lawyers and politicians instead of rats for laboratory experiments? Apparently, this keeps the scientists from becoming too attached to their subjects . . . and there are simply some things even a rat won’t do.

While it’s true that every member of The Strident Conservative G.O.P. Hall of Shame is worse than a rat when it comes to standing up for Conservative values, our newest member—who happens to be a lawyer and a politician—proves that he is second to none.

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, Lindsey Graham (R-ino SC) has a history of playing a “little loose” with his commitment to Conservative values in areas such as: smaller government, immigration reform, global warming, and taxes. However, the intensity of his anti-Conservative behavior since his reelection in 2008 is cause for great concern.

In 2009, Graham co-sponsored a letter to President Obama along with John Kerry and Joe Lieberman announcing their commitment to passing a climate change bill and outlining its framework. Graham was the likely sponsor of the final bill. The Senators identified a green economy, clean air, energy independence, consumer protection, increasing nuclear power and regulating the world’s carbon market as the key features to a successful climate change bill.

Gee, sounds more like a letter from Obama, not to him.

Due to changing priorities by Democrats at the time, Graham withdrew his support for the climate bill, leaving its passage in doubt. However, he removed all doubt about the bill in June 2010.

“The science about global warming has changed. I think they’ve oversold this stuff, quite frankly. I think they’ve been alarmist and the science is in question. The whole movement has taken a giant step backward.”

He also stated that he planned to vote against the climate bill that he had originally co-sponsored, citing further restriction of offshore drilling added to the bill and the bill’s impact on transportation. Wow . . . what conviction. No, really. What conviction?

Graham had another change of heart flip-flop in 2010. In the summer of that year, Graham declared that the T.E.A. Party would die out before the fall elections.

Read more at RedState >>

New Video Captures Lindsey Graham Saying South Carolinians Don't Want Jobs While Unemployed Workers Tell Graham He's Out Of Touch

Despite More Than 300,000 South Carolinians Unemployed or Underemployed, Senator Graham Is Pushing For Millions More Immigrant Workers and Amnesty  

Dennis Michael Lynch , an independent documentary filmmaker based in Long Island, NY, has released a new, controversial documentary short film. The short film was recently shot in South Carolina at job fairs and unemployment lines and is a preview of a longer film Lynch plans to release shortly. The film juxtaposes comments of unemployed South Carolinians standing in unemployment lines with video of Senator Lindsey Graham saying there's a labor shortage in his state and that he needs to increase immigration to fill jobs. 

"Lindsey Graham has obviously been spending way too much time with cheap labor corporate lobbyists in Washington who want to bring in more foreign workers and hold American wages down," commented Roy Beck , president and founder of NumbersUSA. "He ought to try spending some time with South Carolinians standing in unemployment lines. Maybe then he wouldn't be so out of touch with the jobs crisis in his own backyard."

In December, the unemployment rate in South Carolina was 8.6%, significantly above the national average. More than 300,000 South Carolinians are unemployed or underemployed. Many have simply given up looking for jobs.