GOP, grassroots unrest bubbling over in SC, too
We posted here about an NCGOP establishment vs. grassroots spat in Haywood County. There have been previous issues in Beaufort, Craven, Davidson and Gates counties.
It appears the folks just south of us are having a strikingly similar family feud. US Senator Lindsey Graham — John McCain and Richard Burr’s BFF — is fighting for his political life. He has three serious primary challengers in this year’s GOP primary. Like Richard Morgan and Thom Tillis up here, Graham is getting a little taste of censure and rebuke:
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (RINO-S.C.) has reportedly been censured again by one of the state’s largest, most influential Republican party organizations.
Note we said “Republican” Party … not Tea Party.
By a vote of 56-24, the Greenville (S.C.) County Republican reportedly voted to censure Graham this week. News of the censure was first reported by Jeff Quinton of The Quinton Report.
Obviously this wouldn’t be the first time the liberal lawmaker has faced a rebuke from his own party. In fact Graham has been censured by county parties in Chesterfield and Fairfield already this year – by overwhelming majorities. In previous years, he’s been censured by Republicans in Charleston, Lexington and Greenville. In fact many more GOP groups would likely be adopting such resolutions were it not for prohibitions imposed by their leaders.
Graham is running for reelection in 2014. He faces three announced primary opponents – social conservative businessman Richard Cash, S.C. Sen. Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) and Charleston businesswoman Nancy Mace.
Palmetto State Republicans are apparently issuing a gag order of their own in re: this whole censure thing. Methinks some of Claude Pope’s “wisdom” is seeping across our southern border:
The leader of the S.C. Federation of Republican Women (SCFRW) is banning the group’s members from expressing their displeasure with the state’s GOP incumbents. In an email to the group’s members this weekend, president Charm Altman informed them they would not be allowed to introduce resolutions critical of “currently elected Republicans.”
“I do not want any negative resolutions,” Altman wrote. “If there is a candidate your club wishes to pass a resolution concerning negative feelings do so, but until after the primary we support our currently elected Republicans.”
Wait … what?
Last time we checked it was the job of party organizations to remain neutral during primary elections – not play favorites.
Altman is no stranger to toeing the line on behalf of establishment Republicans. Less than two weeks ago she made news by banning critics of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (RINO-S.C.) from attending a breakfast event in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
The conduct of the SCFRW is frankly surprising considering Graham’s record is so anti-Republican – and considering one of his primary opponents is a woman.
Of course this wouldn’t be the first time a group of GOP biddies proved it was totally tone deaf to the world around them …
This woman is behaving like a dictator. It is apparent that this ”rule” is something she is attempting to assert herself, with no basis in the actual rules of the organization. Someone in her position simply has no power to make up their own rules as they go along.
She is also blatantly taking sides in primaries, saying people are free to oppose challengers, but not incumbents. Assuming there is some actual rule about using powers of office to intervene in primaries, she should be impeached and removed from office for that blatant transgression.
Dumping Lindsay Grahamnesty is a key objective of conservatives this year, and this woman is clearly an establishment functionary who is trying to help save him.
Oh, and there is now also a fourth announced primary challenger to Graham.