Graham: Obama Speech A "Disaster," Public Option Dead (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker says it's clear to him that the White House is ready to abandon a government-run public health insurance option.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says that President Barack Obama's address to Congress this past week was a "disaster," combative and showed little sign of compromise.

Graham says Obama was on the defensive – especially on a public health insurance option that Graham says is off the table and has been for a while. Not only does Graham think it "is dead," but it has "probably been dead a long time." "We just throw it in the garbage can," he added.

The senator was interviewed on "Fox News Sunday."

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Comments

[bobm0001]

Graham can be real proud if he is able to stop the public option, what with the great health care in SC.

Oops. Almost forgot. SC has some of the WORST health care in the US. The citizens of SC would be up in arms if they understood that the crappy health care they receive is not the norm around the world. They need to stop using Mississippi as a model.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Don IMUS was the MAN that SHAMED McCain, Santorum and the other do nothings to increase DEATH BENEFITS- for our troops!

COUNTRY FIRST? REALLY?

- Imus on msnbc years ago SHAMED all of those 'support our troops' in congress to change the LAW!!

That is the only way those people change-

McCain said Healthcare was a privilege

Obama said Healthcare is a Civil Right

Remember when Americans knew we were in a recession?

John McCain and his Economic advisor- Phil Graham- said it was all in our head?

Remember the DENIAL of the DO nothings?

The last 8 years of crossing party lines was farther and fewer than any time in the last 40 years.

These speeches on the Senate Floor are not played enough.

Now- I want some reporter to ask the GOP what compromise they have made?

Now they all talk about crossing over to compromise

Well- where is the compromise from the gop losers?

What compromise have they offered?

Name ONE compromise- anyone- Media- all you great reporters-

One Compromise by the gop- where is it?

Dems wanted Single payer- we compromise for Public Option- not good enough

Not mentioned in this media climate those that are so illiterate to policy and climate!

Incredible!

[CarolinaYankee]

Between Graham, DeMint, Sanford and Wilson this state will not be able to survive soon. Tourism is the main business down here and the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau are being flooded with E-mails, phone calls and letters that people who used to vacation down here will not be coming anymore.
I do not care, I am retired and do not work. But considering that only 56% graduate down here alot of them are maids, and servers and other tourism related jobs. Too bad, by voting these jerks into office these people have just lost their main income.

[DestinationsUnknown]

July 27, 2009
Voinovich slams DeMint and Coburn for GOP downfall; blames 'the southerners'

Too many conservative senators like Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are to blame for the GOP's downfall, one of their retiring Republican colleagues complained Monday.

"We got too many Jim DeMints and Tom Coburns," Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) told the Columbus Dispatch. "It's the southerner­s."

Voinovich, a native Clevelander who retires after the 2010 election, continued after the southern elements of the GOP.

"They get on TV and go 'errrr, errrrr,'" he said. "People hear them and say, 'These people, they're southerners.

The party's being taken over by southerners. What they hell they got to do with Ohio?'"

My sentiments exactly!

OBAMACARE- My goodness!

How ignorant!

Obama has healthcare!

Obama will probably always have healthcare!

America will not have healthcare- but then again - they really don't care about America- Country First and all their rhetoric is just that- Rhetoric!

[ibwilliamsi]

I think we should just throw Graham and his ilk in the garbage can. Get a clue, America. This is your life.

[punkindmb]

Miss Graham always looks like she a few seconds from getting the vapors.

[donnabella]

ah do declah, you ah an obsehvent soul . . . she says batting her doe-like eyes ;-)

[austin4]

Ms. Graham, should be careful her girlish side is showing

[AxelDC]

How would he know? McCain's BFF spent the entire time twittering while his buddies around him raised signs and heckled the President.

They acted like 6th grade boys trying to make the sub angry.

[Cowboylove]

Yes, poll numbers usually jump about 15 points following a disastrous speech. What we saw Mr. Graham was a childish petulant republican congress who did not listen to the President but instead played out like a drunken frat boy party in a Catholic mass. You guys really do not know how bad you look to the rest of us, do you?

[Mark Twaine]

If his friend, Joe Wilson, is not punished for what he did to the first African American President of the United States of America and his offense ignored his case may become a world wide cause célèbre of the civil rights movement of the 21st century.

[thats funny]

Lindsay Graham is a disaster.

[jinxed]

Cute statements froma guy who couldn't even make up his mind about clapping ... what a dweeb!

[Cowboylove]

He has a lot of issues, not the least of which is being a closeted gay men in the Republican Party.

[austin4]

She got excited, and had to get a hold on herself

[JiminNC]

Regarding health care in the US:

It is my understanding that much of the R&D for drugs, medical equipment and procedures, plus much of the research done on actual diseases and conditions is funded by taxpayer dollars through the NIH. Much of this money goes into universities and some goes to private researchers, for-profit and non-profit, including major drug companies, hospitals and equipment manufacturers. List of research grants by category - 5 years... http://report.nih.gov/rcdc/categories/

My concern is, since this money is not likely repaid to the taxpayers, how could we possibly consider health care in this country as a privilege of wealth? Why must I subsidize an industry (and I am happy to do so) that turns around and treats the public as a pure retail customer base. This is a severe case of privatizing profits with socialized risk. Health care is legally a right of all taxpayers by virtue of having paid for the research, regardless of the moral imperative that should be obvious to any thinking person.

Lawyers out there, how does this look as a suit against the US Government?

[AngelaQuattrano]

It's all part of a desperate ploy to get the rest of America to expel South Carolina, since they don't have the money to secede.

[austin4]

The Governor spend all the money on is last Boodie call

[dzent1]

Does Miss Lindsey have the vapors agin?

[CarolinaYankee]

Down here they say "I almost fell out"...cut­e huh?

[miksmaster]

Paging Lindsey Graham, paging Lindsey Graham: Please report to the front desk. John McCain needs his diaper changed.

[HST]

I think 'ol Lindsey has been watching Dukes of Hazard on his crystal ball.