Lindsey Graham lashes out on immigration

This guy can go to...

Seriously, what is his deal? As for those Democrats he mentioned, could he have a point?

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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) assailed President Barack Obama’s attempts to find other Republican senators willing to support immigration reform this year, calling the effort a “raw display of partisanship.”

“I wonder if the president is reaching out to Democratic senators too?” Graham said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “I believe there at least a double-digit number of Democratic senators who would not support comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship today.”

Graham has been one of the lead Republicans negotiators on immigration, but has not been in the middle of the White House outreach, and was venting his frustration.

He went on to list 11 Democratic senators who probably wouldn’t support immigration reform: Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Jim Webb (Va.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Byron Dorgan (N.D.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), and Jeff Bingaman (N.M.).

“They did not support comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, but have supported stronger border security,” Graham said. “There is just not the appetite – on either side of the aisle – for this issue right now.”

Graham walked away from negotiations with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the immigration bill after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made clear he would push to move the legislation this year.

Graham’s move prompted the White House to reach out to other Republicans who might support moving reform. The White House’s top five Republican senators are Richard Lugar (Ind.), George LeMieux (Fla.), Judd Gregg (N.H.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Scott Brown (Mass.), POLITICO reported Tuesday.

The push is likely to be an uphill battle—moving any bill that includes a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented workers already in the country is a political minefield, particularly in an election year.

Yet there are potential political benefits for Reid, who faces a tough reelection fight in Nevada and whose fate could depend on Latino turnout in November.

Graham was also critical of the majority leader.

“I also think it is incredibly disappointing that our Democratic colleagues brought this issue up for apparent partisan gain just months before an election,” Graham said. “This raw display of partisanship just makes it more difficult to address this very serious problem in the future.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz0n4tbrqcm

Oh my God, can this man just shut the fuck up already?

Republicans don't want to see CIR on the floor....CHECK
Republicans are scared to vote either way on the bill, because there is no way to appease conservatives and the Rep. Latino base at the same time ....CHECK
According to Republicans trying to get sponsors from the other party is an example of partisanship....CHECK



What I would love to see/hear would be for Schumer to actually come out and say how much work Graham had actually put into the immigration bill that they were working on. Seriously, at this point it seems to me the only reason he asked to work on it was to stall it for as long as possible and never allow it to reach the floor until it was the Republicans who could get credit for its introduction. The best way to prevent something from happening is to be in charge of it.

This is a Partisanship age, there is nothing that the president will put out that the Democrats wont back and vise versa. Graham is just playing the Republican game, if he really cares about immigration he would be out there fighting for more supporters not talking about fucking appetites. The people who didn't support the DREAM in 2007 would probably get their backs lashed if they opposed the president like that, it just doesn't happen. I don't think I can recall one "major" bill that was moved foward by a president that got filibusted by his own party.

I'd love to know that too.

Graham's revealed his true colors over the last few weeks with these tantrums he's been throwing. He's so desperate to bully the Dems into giving the Kyl-McCain bill floor time and only making himself look like an ass for blocking progress on his own bill.

For now lets just hope McCain lose the primaries in AZ. That could bring Graham back to the negotiation table and finish what he started, and have a good chance in the lame duck session this year.

when are those primaries over ?

They need to introduce this bill if they want it to move along soon

2 of the people he say will not support CIR are co-sponsors of DREAM Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) and Jeff Bingaman (N.M.)

Different between DREAM act and CIR is that the DREAM act is actually bipartisan

Up to this point republicans are not the only obstacle. Obama is not doing what he promised because of the elections in November. Even when I would love to see pass legislation this summer I think the best chances will be in the lame duck session.

Primaries in Arizona, Alaska & Florida are August 24.

The difference between the DREAM act and CIR is that the DREAM act stands a chance this year.