Top 10 Absurd Quotes by Lindsey Graham

1. On Syria: "The world is literally about to blow up and our president did not really paint a fair picture of the threats we face." Source: Huffington Post.

Senator Lindsey Graham was one of the biggest advocates of U.S. military intervention in Syria last year. FreedomWorks, along with the overwhelming majority of Americans, strongly opposed the Syria strike resolution. It was ultimately never voted on—and the world has not blown up.

2. “We agree that climate change is real and threatens our economy and national security. That is why we are advocating aggressive reductions in our emissions of the carbon gases that cause climate change.” Source: The New York Times.

This is a direct quote from a New York Times op-ed that Senator Lindsey Graham authored with Democratic Senator John Kerry. Back in 2009, Graham was the only Republican cosponsor on the Cap and Trade bill with Senators Joe Lieberman and John Kerry. Cap and Trade policies would raise energy costs, kill jobs, and increase the national debt.

3. “I think TARP I was necessary because the whole economy was going to collapse and Bernanke, Paulson, and everybody that I know and quite frankly trust, after Lehman brothers went down, that if we had not involved ourselves quickly you’d have a financial meltdown.” Source: Campaign for Liberty video.

Senator Lindsey Graham voted in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Also known as the $700 billion bank bailout. FreedomWorks strongly opposed TARP during the George W. Bush administration. (Flashback 2008 article: What Would Mises Do?) Simply put, taxpayers should not be hook to pay for the bad decisions of big banks.

4. “Free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war.” Source: Real Clear Politics.

Nope. Free speech is a great idea—at all times. Americans don’t really have freedom of speech if the government can take it away during difficult times. These are the crucial times when freedom of speech matters the most. Everyone should be free to criticize the bad actions of government without fear of persecution.

5. He [Rand Paul]’s saying now that he wants this President to tell him that he will not use a drone to kill an American citizen sitting in a café having a cup of coffee, who is not a combatant. I find the question offensive. As much as I disagree with President Obama, as much as I support past presidents, I do not believe that question deserves an answer.” Source: Mediaite.

Senator Lindsey Graham vocally opposed Senator Rand Paul’s filibuster on drones. Paul said his intention was, “to sound an alarm bell from coast to coast. I wanted everybody to know that our Constitution is precious and that no American should be killed by a drone without first being charged with a crime.” The public response to Paul’s filibuster was overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately, Graham said that the premise behind the filibuster was “ridiculous.”

6. “We need to raise taxes to get our nation out of debt.” Source: Face the Nation.

Ugh. That’s the last thing we need. Americans shouldn’t be forced to surrender even more of our hard earned money to the government. How about slashing spending to get our nation out of debt instead?

7. “NCLB was a historic effort to bring about accountability to our schools and measure achievement and progress of our students.” Source: Graham Press Release.

Senator Lindsey Graham cosponsored and voted for No Child Left Behind (NCLB). FreedomWorks opposed this federal government takeover of education during the George W. Bush administration. NCLB is an expensive law that hasn’t improved education quality.

8. “I’m going to vote with my party. I just think oil subsidies have to be part of a bigger package.” Source: The Political Guide.

Senator Lindsey Graham voted no on legislation to end oil subsidies. Don’t we already pay enough for gas? Why should taxpayers be forced to subsidize big oil companies?

9. “I’m a Verizon customer. I don’t mind Verizon turning over records to the government if the government is going to make sure that they try to match up a known terrorist phone with somebody in the United States. I don’t think you’re talking to the terrorists. I know you’re not. I know I’m not. So we don’t have anything to worry about.” Source: Politico.

Senator Lindsey Graham is “glad” that the NSA is intrusively spying on U.S. citizens. FreedomWorks launched a Demand Lindsey Graham’s Password Campaign after his comments in support of the PRISM program. FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said, “Respectfully, Senator, we ask you to lead by example and make your email account password available to the American people. If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about. Right?” To no one’s surprise, he didn’t cooperate. The truth is that privacy is something that we all value—and something government shouldn’t take away from us.

10. "And when they say, ‘I want my lawyer,’ you tell them, ‘Shut up. You don’t get a lawyer.’” Source: New York Times.

Senator Lindsey Graham is a strong supporter of the National Defense Authorization Act with the indefinite detention language. The controversial law contains a section that grants the president unlimited power to detain an American citizen without charge or trial. The indefinite definition provision is a clear violation of the Constitution. The Sixth Amendment states that the “accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial” in all criminal prosecutions.

Why is Lindsey Graham ignoring the Constitution?