Lindsey Graham Is Swept up in Struggle for GOP Future

In South Carolina, two-term Sen. Lindsey Graham has angered conservatives and fellow Republicans around the state by voting to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, criticizing opponents of changes in the nation's immigration law and partnering with Democratic Sen. John Kerry on a compromise to climate change legislation, reports the New York Times.

One county GOP organization has already censured Graham for holding Republicans "hostage" by his involvement in several bipartisan efforts, Graham narrowly averted similar actions by a second county GOP party, and a third approved a resolution letting Graham know its opposition to the "cap and trade" provision that's included in legislation to control climate change.

Part of the censure resolution by the Charleston County Republic Party read, "Senator Lindsey Graham -- in the name of bipartisanship -- continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom, rule of law, and fiscal conservatism," according to the Charleston Post and Courier.

All of this, the Times says, is a reflection of the debates going on among Republicans elsewhere and it is unclear how much, if at all, it will affect Graham, who is not up for re-election until 2014. One South Carolina political observer quoted by the times says Republicans in the state generally like Graham even though he's is under attack from vocal conservative elements of the party.

Ironically, Graham's fellow South Carolina senator is Jim DeMint who founded the Senate Conservatives Fund "dedicated to electing true conservative leaders to the United States Senate." While they have their differences - Graham is backing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in that state's senatorial race while DeMint supports conservative challenger Marco Rubio - the two voted together on what the Times said were "bellwhether" issues 80 percent of the time.

South Carolina's The State newspaper reported yesterday on DeMint's work to build a conservative base of senators, saying he has met with or plans to meet with 20 candidates in eight states. He found himself on opposite sides with Graham, though, on how big of an umbrella the Republicans should have for moderate versus staunchly conservative candidates.

When Sen. Arlen Specter switched to the Democratic Party when faced with a challenge from former Rep. Pat Toomey, who was backed by conservatives, Graham and others blamed conservative groups for losing the GOP a vote and unsuccesfully tried to convice former Gov. Tom Ridge, a moderate, to run as a Republican. Graham and several leading Republicans, including conservatives, are backing for Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as the choice to run against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, but DeMint is backing a more conservative candidate, state legislator Chuck Devore.