Help Me, Lindsey
Sen. Lindsey Graham was one of the Republicans answering the President on Sunday's Meet the Press, and he had a good talking point. At least he must have thought so, because he kept using it during the discussion of the health care debate. The president could keep going on TV, Graham asserted, but it won't do any good, because the public isn't buying what he's selling.
Then, moments later, the subject turned to Afghanistan, and the very same Senator said he was proudly siding with the president even though the idea of sending more troops over there was broadly unpopular. Meaning, I somehow thought, that the public isn't buying what either of them is selling.
Cognitive dissonance? Lack of petty consistency? Lindsey, you're a JAG, you be the judge.
Follow Harry Shearer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/letwits
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
South Carolina has been at the root of many major crises in this country. The first shot of the Civil War was fired from there, getting the whole south involved in major conflict. Then there was the fight on the senate floor between Preston and Sumner, where Preston, a SC senator nearly beat poor Sumner senseless. What gets me is that recently one of these senators questions the temperament of latins. Well, amigos, just call me racist but it's not the latinos that have the bad tempers, it's those thin skinned Scots. They're the ones who are always ready to blow up like a molotov coctail. The Romans could tell you anything you want to know about them. si, si , si
Sorry, Lindsey, but the public isn't digging what you're shoveling.
Jabberwacky: Lindsey said< “…the problem with the president, he's saying things that people want to hear: won't add to the deficit; you'll never have to lose -- But when you look at the details, it just doesn't add up. And he's trying too hard. And today I thought his tone was better. But this is not about tone; this is about policy. It's not about race; it's about the president selling something that people inherently believe sounds too good and doesn't add up.”
pasted from CNN round up
All of this bickering and back-n-forth between Democrats and Republicans would be much different IF only those Repubs in Congress actually gave a da*mn about their consitutients.
Its becoming quite clear that Republicans are oblivious to the millions of Americans without healthcare and those that can't possibly afford any insurance.
For them to have the BEST healthcare plan available and yet oppose anyone else having a CHOICE (Public Option) is the worst form of HYPOCRACY
I want us to get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. I am tired of throwing good money after bad trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
I think it's time for SC to secede since they seem to be so unhappy. So long suckers!
As much as republican'ts are hypocritical and will LIE about anything, Harry, that inherent attribute is about to bite them in the butt a third time. They ignore anything resembling an impartial poll and again tell lies to themselves, as they have for the last two election cycles, that the voters are turned off to the 'libruls' and republican'ts are going to win big. Then in the very next breath, they say something that alienates most voters and it seems if they couldn't care less. Senator Graham appears as lost of direction as the rest of the republican'ts. I'm guessing when you're FORCED to be a rusher and Pa!inite, not much in OUR World makes sense, anyway. Anything one does, under such circumstances, is likely to just be something else that's ...also depressing.
I would like to see the rebuttle republican'ts state their argument to Pres Obama face on national tv....they aint got the ba%%s because they know they spew lies at every corner!!!!
*rebuttal*
Why was it necessary for all the shows, this Sunday, to present rebuttals to President Obama's conversation? Typically on these same shows, senators and other schmucks are allowed to make the most demonstrably incorrect assertions and inane arguments without challenge. Yet when President Obama appeared this week and actually made honest, cogent points, the producers couldn't wait to counter his words with blatant lies? Is every network trying to emulate the fair-and-balanced FOX approach, to immediately discount any assertions with which they and their special-interest sponsors don't agree?
thank you!
Politicians should be respected in ratio to the success of their state. If this logic held, Graham would be the shame of the country, as it should be. Who knows what they are doing in that state, but they do nothing for the people of South Carolina.
Agreed. Whenever Graham is on TV they should have the news scroll contain facts about his State under his leadership. SC is a disaster, how could it be otherwise: Governor: Mark Sanford, Senator: Lindsey Graham, Senator: James DeMint, Representative: Joe Wilson.
Now just because the state's leadership is a bunch twits is no reason to assume that life is horrible there.
It is horrible because it is racist and a few rich people control the legislature and will never premit an adequate educational system, good roads or adequate healthcare.
Just because Lindsey is an attorney does not make him competent or bright. I remember his stellar performance during the impeachmenty rial and his backing a sure loser in the previous presidential campaign.
If you can persuade yourself that John McCain should be president of any nation on this planet , let alone ours, you are not truly sane.
Not fair, Graham is a Federal Elected Official it's the State Elected Officials who are responsible for the day to day running of the State.
That said . . .
The French have proved that the socialist single payer system doesn't work. Because of sky rocketing costs, the French government has had to increase the price of a hospital stay by 25%. The French people are outraged!
The cost of a hospital stay in France was raised from $24 a night to $29.
Lol!
That's the price you pay for being a "surrender monkey." ;)
We're not the French...
No one more aware of that than the French.
And they are quite grateful of that fact. They have enough problems without having this country like a millstone around their necks.
Is it strange that they have the best healthcare on this planet but spend about 50% of what the US spends? If we cut that much off we'd have over $1.6 trillion to play with. I think that might cover the deficit all by itself.
Thanks. I was unsure about that.
Am I getting this right?
You're saying the French system is bad because a night in the hospital costs $29?
I wish our system could be so bad.
Miss Lindsay going on television to criticize the President for going on television. What is this? Bizarro World?
....and McCain was NOT waiting for him in the green room! what's this world comin' to?????
We are living in a "hypocrite free" world.
(At least that's what it seems to the rabid right?)
I wish Lindsey could explain this to me.
He says we need to increase our presence in Afghanistan, because Americans might get killed by terrorists in the future if we don't.
This, "fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them here," philosopy, has cost us a trillion dollars and tens of thousands of our troops killed or maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, this past week's estimates of over 40 thousand deaths and a million bankruptcies due to lack of health insurance, are, apparently, seen as no threat at all to this man.
It is obvious, that we are only peasants to this Senator. Good only for keeping the terrorist boogy man away from his door, but not deserving of the basic right to health care found in every civilized nation except this barbaric corporatocracy.
From what I'm seeing in the polls, the people aren't buying the Afghanistan surge policy, and they very much want a public option in the health care reform bill. That makes it very clear that Mr. Graham has no intention of serving the people, only his corporate masters.
Rachel Maddow ripped the S.C. Healthcare crises to a shreads last week. They have one of the worst healthcare reputations in the Country. Lets not mention their education system is also one of the worst in the Country. That ought to tell you something. Education and Healthcare, two major components to our Society. Represents failure, Ignorance, and Health, are at the bottom of the list in S.C.
Graham and Wilson represent a very small State, and they have a Governor on the brinks of Impeachment because of his extra-marital affairs. Nothing like good ole Southern Values to get America back on track? I'm being sarcastic here.
Ah, South Carolina - too small to be a state, too large to be an insane asylum!
lhat is an amazingly good point. there were only about 4,000 deaths on 9/11 due to terrorism in this country, 10% of how many died due to lack of health care! not to mention the 1 million bankruptices.
Graham's disingenuousness reminded me of Senator Shelby's bogus concerns about bailing out the auto industry. Shelby represents Alabama, which has a dozen foreign auto plants, with more on the drawing board. Alabama wants to be the New Detroit. And for that to happen, it would help immensely if Detroit failed. Shelby's phony show of "fiduciary restraint" made me want to puke.
All the people from Detroit should move to Alabama, wouldn't Shelby love that. I live in Georgia, however originally from Chicago and damn proud of being a Mid-Westerner. They have a saying here, that when you cross the border into Alabama from Georgia, your IQ will drop 20 points. Sorry Alabama, its a beautiful State though, they won't be so happy after all those Auto plants cause their beautiful state allot of pollution and water problems.
Two of the most "unworthy of respect" occupations, preachers and politicians. Always busy trying to give their "flock" whatever they think their itching ears want to hear. Graham's always talked out of both sides of his mouth. I literally hate the politics of this country. Thanks for sharing your views Harry.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
