Sen. Graham Meets with Tea Partiers
The Hill reports:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is playing defense against conservatives in his state angry with his record.
Graham has reached out to the Tea Party movement in the Palmetto State this week and appeared on conservative radio in a bid to explain his record to right-leaning voters.
Some grassroots conservatives are frustrated with Graham for partnering too often with President Obama and congressional Democrats. Graham was the lead Senate GOP negotiator on climate change and immigration legislation, though neither package moved forward in the Senate.
Graham met with the Tea Party group in Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday in a closed-door meeting. The Charleston County Republican Party has been among several county chapters and Tea Party groups to censure Graham, citing concerns about the second-term senator's stances on immigration, Supreme Court nominees and energy and climate legislation, among other issues.
The Tea Party appearance was paired with appearances on conservative radio in the state, where Graham faced tough questions about whether he was adequately conservative.
Graham defended himself as a mainstream conservative, and expressed worry that public officials like himself were being effectively prohibited from expressing disagreement with the party.
"If you can't accept me pushing back, then our party does have a problem. It's OK for you to push back against me, but it's OK for me to push back against you," Graham said on WTMA radio in South Carolina, where he received a grilling over his record. "You may not like my political style of trying to find compromise on the big issues of our time, but I think it's the heart and soul of what makes America great."
Click here to read the rest.
