Politician Lindsey Graham would never have been included in John F. Kennedy’s popular and respected book “Profiles in Courage,” published in 1956. The book is composed of eight short biographies of United States Senators who boldly and courageously did the right thing at the right time. The subjects of Profiles in Courage are John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, and Robert A. Taft.
Speaking at a Republican event on Friday, Graham told the mostly white crowd: “You know what I liked about Trump? Everybody was afraid of him, including me,” Graham told the crowd, who went on to say that the Chinese ambassador came to him and complained that his country was “trying to figure out Trump.”
“I said, ‘Take a number and get in line,'” the GOP senator quipped. The comment drew laughter from the audience. (I didn’t find this funny at all.)
“But here’s one thing I can tell you about him. Don’t cross him. Don’t you miss that? Don’t you miss an America that people respected and were a little bit afraid of?” Graham asked.
Let’s take a close look at these unsettling remarks.
What is he afraid of? His job is to represent the people of South Carolina and the people of the United States of America. No one from either party should be concerned about the man or woman in the White House. They have their job, and he or she has theirs.
This was the big problem between January 2017 and January 2021. One entire party bowed to the unconstitutional and often criminal demands of the worst president in history. On January 6, 2021, our nation was nearly destroyed because Graham and others refused to do their jobs and support their oaths of office.
Graham has proven to be a “wuss.” In 2016 he strongly condemned the failed businessman and became a hypocrite after the November 8 election. The only thing he is afraid of is losing Trump’s cult if he dares to be an honest and truthful representation of the people of South Carolina.
Every member of the House and Senate has an obligation to place the needs and wishes of the people in priority number one. The concerns of other politicians have no importance.
Republican politicians in name only possess a “herd mentality.” There is no room for free and independent thought. “As Trump goes, so goes the party.” This is the primary reason why our government is broken beyond repair. Only free thinkers and those willing to do the right thing should serve in Washington. Professional politicians are the worst people in the world. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. All 544 men and women in the House, Senate, and the Supreme Court offer proof that term limits for everyone in our nation’s capital are a must.
Finally, “trying to figure Trump out” is not your job. Your job is to pay attention to the American people and vote accordingly. You have a duty to serve all 331 million Americans, not a would-be Fuhrer.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Edited by Marrissa Kay
Sources:
United States Senate: John F. Kennedy (1956)
Newsweek: Lindsey Graham Praises Trump for Making Everybody ‘Afraid’; by Jason Lemon
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
