Squeaking Chihuahua Lindsey Graham Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot

What on earth was Lindsey Graham thinking when he introduced a National Ban on abortion after 15 weeks? The Republican Party already has what it wants with the Supreme Court cutting down Roe. Exactly how will a national ban help mobilize GOP voters?

A backlash of Democratic and Republican women voters is already building for the fundamental right to abortion. Has Lindsey ever heard of the “third rail” in politics? Just like with Social Security, it is dangerous to make changes in abortion rights, because
61% of Americans say abortion should be legal.

Most Republicans supported overturning Roe v. Wade, and the number of pro-choice Republicans in Congress is dwindling. GOP lawmakers still disagree on the next move to make, but many think legislation calling for strict bans on abortion will only compound their problems. Republican leaders would rather concentrate on soaring inflation and an economy that could be headed toward a recession rather than abortion restrictions 50 days before the midterms.

But not all Republicans agree with taking federal action on abortion, which can put the GOP back on the defense. Sen. Mike Rounds (RSD) said on Sunday that he does not plan to vote for a national abortion ban bill proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, joining others in the GOP who say that such a decision should be left up to the states. Even Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R.-Ky) threw cold water on Graham’s bill, saying “most of the members of my conference prefer this be dealt with at the state level.”

Rep. Nancy Mace (R.-S.C.) who has been vocal in supporting exceptions because of her own experience with sexual assault, said that she appreciated the exceptions in the bill. But she took issue with some of the details. The bill requires that abortions on minors past 15 weeks could only be performed if the rape had been reported to a government agency authorized to act on reports of child abuse, or a law enforcement agency. Mace said, “one of the reasons that women don’t come forward with this abuse and the sexual trauma and sexual assault and rape that they’ve been through, is because of what happens when people find out the way that they’re attacked for it.”

Even some of Graham’s fellow Republicans expressed confusion and hesitancy about the bill, and many conservatives have argued abortion restrictions should instead be left to individual states.

Supporters of legal abortion have said Graham’s legislation demonstrates that the real aim of Republicans is to ban abortion even in states that have enshrined it in their constitutions. Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighed in. “There are those in the party that think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before,” Pelosi quipped.

Lindsey Graham, in his own words

• “To those who suggest that being pro-life is losing politics, I reject that.”
• “There’s nothing in the Constitution giving the federal government the right to regulate abortion.”
• Called his friend Donald Trump “a lying motherf—-r but a lot of fun to hang out with,” according to the book The Divider.
• “Count me out” after the Capitol riot.
• In June 2016, Lindsey said that he wouldn’t support Trump’s bid for office, referring to the then-Republican candidate as a “jackass, kook, a race-baiting bigot and the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican Party.” Graham subsequently became one of Trump’s most ardent and obsequious fans.
• When Democrats were getting ready to impeach Trump the first time around, over his attempt to extort another country for his gain, Graham told reporters, “The whole thing should be disposed of very quickly by the Senate.” When reporters brought up that Trump regularly slandered Graham’s friend John McCain even after McCain was dead, the Senator from South Carolina said he was willing to overlook the attacks because “when we play golf, it’s fun.”

The bottom line is that several Republican senators said they are largely disinterested in rallying behind the bill at a critical moment in the battle for the Senate. Republicans are in the chamber’s minority now, meaning they couldn’t force a vote even if they wanted to. Even if they did, it has nowhere near the 60 votes to pass the Senate.

Lindsey Graham is called many things besides Senator, but these are some of the best ones heard:

• Lindsey seems to be molded out of Play Dough.
• Lindsey seems to be molded out of Silly Putty. Lindsey is America’s natural weathervane.
• Lindsey is a political leach. First McCain, then Trump.
• Lindsey is like a lamprey.
• Lindsey is a suck-up. Lindsey knows nothing and stands for nothing.
• Lindsey is a good reason for abortion.

Unfortunately, these are his good points.