Introduction

Lindsey has been serving our country and South Carolina for over 20 years. He has served as city and county attorney, in the Air Force, the South Carolina House of Representatives, the United States house of Representatives and the United States Senate. He believes in the rule of law and good government.

About Lindsey

Source: AP

Name: Lindsey O. Graham Location: Seneca, SC

Sen. Graham  has spent most of his life in service to his community and country. First, as the city attorney for Central, SC and the assistant attorney for Oconee County. Second, as a representative for Oconee County’s second district in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Third, as a Representative for South Carolina’s third congressional district. He is currently South Carolina’s senior senator.

Sen. Graham has also served the country in the military as a lawyer for 28 years. He spent 6 years, including a tour of duty in Europe, in the active duty Air Force. During the Gulf War he was called in to service at McEntire Air National Guard Base and a member of the South Carolina Air National Guard. Currently, he is the only U.S. senator who is a member of the Air Force Reserve. He has attained the rank of Colonel and is a judge of the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. He just returned from a stint in Afghanistan.

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 View "A Life of Service to Community and Country"

What Makes Lindsey Stand Out?

What you see is what you get. There is nothing fake about him. He is the same on the Senate floor or on television as he is at church or the golf course.

You always know where he stands. He doesn't change his position based on the group to which he is talking. You may not agree with him 100% of the time on every issues, but at least he will be upfront about his opinion. One of the reasons he has been so effective in the Senate is that fellow Senators find him easy to work with and honest.

He is a good communicator. Weather it is the Rotary Club, a group of experts on hydrogen fuel cell technology, a classroom of students, a constituent in need of help, a national news program, or the floor of the U.S. Senate, he can relate to many types of people and communicate in a way that is understood.

Other Comments

The State newspaper recently referred to him as "the best U.S. Senator our state has had in decades. (The State, 6-24-2006).

A political columnist wrote that Lindsey is "acquiring a reputation for candor, thoughtfulness, independence, and hard work...It doesn't take much digging to find that Sen. Graham is a public servant with an ethical compass. That's admirable." (Tim Funk, The Charlotte Observer, 4-23-2006).

Time magazine recently named him one of the 10 "Up and Comers." He's effective, pushing through a bill last year to expand health care for the guard and reserve. But his strength is stepping up to a big moral issue, like how far we should go in the war on terrorism, and making his voice heard." (Time Magazine, 4-17-2006).

Rankings and Ratings

• Lindsey Graham is a conservative who is willing to speak his mind. He scored a 96 rating last year from the American Conservative Union, the gold standard of conservative congressional ratings. His lifetime rating of 91 is higher than the two highest ranking republicans in the Senate.
• Lindsey was recently rated the 20th most powerful Senator by a nonpartisan company that tracks information on Congress. He was ranked the #1 most powerful member for those elected in 2002.

Recent Accomplishments

• confirming two conservative Supreme Court nominees in Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito.
  Source: AP
• securing TRICARE health insurance for members of the Guard and Reserve
• voting to repeal the death tax permanently
• fighting to reform Social Security for generations to come
• working with President Bush to overhaul our nation's broken immigration system
• forcing China to adjust the value of its undervalued currency that gives it an unfair trading advantage
• working with President Bush to nominate and confirm Reggie Lloyd as U.S. attorney for South Carolina. Mr. Lloyd is the first black U.S. attorney in South Carolina history.
   Source: AP
• working with President Bush to create military tribunals and clarify rules for CIA interrogations that will help us fight and win the war on terror.
  
  Source: Taipei Times
  
  • Graham Hails Passage of Detainee Legislation
  • AP via The State Senate OKs detainee interrogation bill
  • S. 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 (Vote Number 259)
  • Graham Statement on Bush Administration –Senate Agreement on Tribunal Legislation
  • Statement from Senator Graham
• Contractors who work with the Military in Iraq are subject to military law