One rule of thumb in politics is to limit the number of empty threats you make for fear of looking powerless and foolish. But today, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham offers two particularly silly threats on consecutive pages of the New York Times — is he the new go-to guy for partisan bluster? The Larry Sabato of empty threat-making?
Republicans, however, see Mr. Lieberman as a potential partner and say Democrats are resorting to pressure tactics to hold members in line. “The public is tired of that,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. “If this becomes ‘You cannot work with Bush to solve Social Security,’ then it will be a death blow to the Democratic Party. You will have more Republicans up here than we can handle.” Lindsey Graham, page A14, on judicial nominations: Republicans say Democrats are badly misreading the political climate. Many Republicans seem more than ready for the confrontation should no compromise be found, pointing to the Senate losses experienced by Democrats in last November’s election. “If the Democrat Party continues this, they are going to pay another price in ’06,” said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Does anyone not elected in a Republican primary think the Democratic Party “paid a price” in ’04 for preventing votes on a handful of judicial nominees? Or that Democrats are going to suffer a “death blow” for refusing to work with the President on private accounts? As Rob Coddry says, “I mean, come on.”