Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted in support of confirming President Bush’s nominee, Judge Leslie Southwick, to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and criticized the cloture votes of Senators Hillary Clinton (D-New York) and Barack Obama (D-Illinois), both of whom are running to be President.
 
The 5th Circuit covers the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi .  Southwick was confirmed by a vote of 59-38.
 
“Judge Southwick was an unusually well-qualified candidate by any standard,” said Graham.  “He has the humanity, intellect, and judicial demeanor you want in someone serving on the federal bench.  I think he was one of the most qualified judicial candidates to come before the Senate.”
 
Graham noted Judge Southwick has compiled a long and distinguished record of service including service as a member of the Mississippi Court of Appeals from 1995 to December 2006 and service in Iraq as a member of the Mississippi National Guard’s 155th Brigade Combat Team.
 
On a speech on the Senate floor, Graham noted Judge Southwick received the highest qualified rating from the American Bar Association and comes highly recommended from those who have worked with him.  Graham also termed the arguments used by opponents to derail the nomination of Southwick as “political garbage.”

“People who have worked with and know Judge Southwick the best have nothing but glowing things to say about him,” said Graham.  “The attacks which were manufactured against him equate to the worst in politics today.  Judge Southwick was a highly qualified nominee and I was proud to vote in support of his confirmation to the federal bench.  He will serve with honor and distinction.”
 
Graham also noted Senators Clinton and Obama, the two leading Democrats running for President both voted against cloture – the procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter and thereby overcome a filibuster -- on Judge Southwick.
 
“What will these Senators ask and expect if they get to be President and send judicial nominees to the Senate?” questioned Graham.  “They will want straight up-or-down votes on their nominees.  Will the Senate be able or should they even expect the Senate to rise above the example they set today?”
 
“Their willingness to participate in a filibuster denying cloture on Judge Southwick shows a lack of vision and leadership,” said Graham.  “Their desire to pander to the hard left has overcome their appreciation for what would happen to the judiciary, the country, and yes, even the Presidency, if every Senator followed their example.”
 
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Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

• Improvements that can be made to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements in order to reflect the actual proficiency of schools.

• Highly qualified teachers requirements

• Accommodating special needs students

• Recognition for states like South Carolina that have some of the highest proficiency standards in the country

Wes Hickman (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM IS INTERVIEWED ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL

OCTOBER 3, 2007

Back to this developing situation in the skies near Alaska . Only yesterday, we showed you new videotape of U.S. jets intercepting Russian bombers wandering dangerously close to U.S. airspace.  A rare look now from the cockpit of an F-15.  

Lindsey Graham, Republican senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, with me now from D.C.

Senator, good morning, and welcome back.

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: 

Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: 

Help me with this.  What does Russia get out of these flights, Senator?  

GRAHAM: 

Well, it's -- they have this view that they're re-emerging as a stronger power but actually they're diminishing themselves.  

You know, this idea of re-engaging America and the West in a Cold War mentality is a big loser for Russia .  They're trying to intimidate their neighbors who are joining in NATO.  These flights are just a kind of a flex-the-muscle approach to foreign policy.  That's not going to work.  

Every institution in Russia has been degraded under Putin:  the legal system, the parliament, the press.  So this is becoming a autocratic country, much to the, I think, detriment of the Russian people.  

HEMMER: 

You used a word in there.  You said "diminished."  Why are they diminished?

GRAHAM: 

Well, because Putin has rolled back democratic reforms.  These flights have not occurred since 1992.  He is trying to now run for prime minister.  He's diminished the Duma, the parliament, when he was president.  The legal system is pretty much of a joke.  The press has no freedom in Russia .  They censor reports about their government.  And these flights are just another saber-rattling episode.  

He's fishing in a stream without a shirt.  It's kind of like the whole country's going through a mid-life crisis.

HEMMER: 

Well, that's a statement right out of South Carolina , I must add there.  

(LAUGHTER)

You don't seem to be concerned about this, do you?

GRAHAM: 

I'm not.  I'm not, because I know the strength of our country is the institutions we have are bigger than personalities.  

We should be concerned about Russia , but not afraid.  

Remember the bear in the wood commercial that Ronald Reagan ran in 1980 against the Soviet Union ?  

HEMMER: 

I sure do.

GRAHAM: 

Well, this is a cub in the woods.  

Russia is really a weak, struggling country trying to have bravado through one man that is short sighted.  They could be a very key player in the international community, a constructive force.  They could help us with Iran .  But they're choosing to go a different path.  And that will result in a weaker Russia over time.  

So we have to convince them...

HEMMER: 

With global energy prices, too, one argue that their economy's on the boost too, and they're creating billionaires by the day over there in Moscow .

Right.

Another topic now:  The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is hitting hard back at Rush Limbaugh.  And I know you've heard the back- and-forth between Limbaugh and what has being said in the Senate and Media Matters, this group that really put the headline on the story two days ago.  

We can clearly understand that the MoveOn.org ad really stunned the Democrats, and they're trying to create a bogeyman on the right to make up for what was clearly an effort by the left to diminish and to bring into question the patriotism of General Petraeus.

So you're saying the Betray-Us ad, this is payback because of that.

Well, it's an attempt at payback.  But from what I can see, based on the record available to us, Rush Limbaugh was talking about two people who claimed to be in Iraq when they were not, who claimed to be participating in atrocities that never occurred,  And they're trying to spin that out into something else.  And it's feeble attempt to change the subject.  

Lindsey Graham, thank you for your time. 

Thank you.

Wes Hickman (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement on the threat by the House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) to not pass a new war funding bill until early next year and condition it on a goal of January 2009 for an end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq .

Graham made this statement:

“Such a position is the height of irresponsibility, particularly in a time of war.  The Al Qaeda fighters being run out of Anbar and Diyala Provinces because of the surge would cheer on a congressional cutoff of funding.  The very dangerous regime in Tehran, which seeks to develop nuclear weapons and dominate the entire region, would stand and applaud America’s lack of resolve to establish a stable government in Iraq .  I hope Chairman Obey revisits this ill-conceived position.”

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