Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Get the news
Log In or Subscribe to skip
218 9 [h=6]Share This Story![/h]Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about
[h=4]Lindsey Graham launches presidential campaign[/h]Sen. Lindsey Graham has never lost a race. On Monday, he returned to his boyhood hometown to announce his most ambitious campaign to date — for the Republican presidential nomination.
{# #}
[h=4]Sent![/h]A link has been sent to your friend's email address.
[h=4]Posted![/h]A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
[h=6]Join the Nation's Conversation[/h]To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs
[h=2]UP NEXT[/h][h=2]03[/h]
USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains the four reasons why Lindsey Graham is worth watching for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016. (USA NEWS, USA TODAY)
Lindsey Graham announces his presidential campaign in his hometown of Central, S.C., on Monday,(Photo: Bart Boatwright, The Greenville (S.C.) News)
CENTRAL, S.C. — Sen. Lindsey Graham kicked off his bid for the presidency Monday, emphasizing national security and his readiness to be commander in chief as he joined the crowded GOP field.
The announcement unfolded in Graham's hometown in South Carolina, in the middle of Main Street, right next to the building where his father operated a pool hall, restaurant and liquor store, and the family lived in a back room.
"I'm Lindsey Graham, and I'm running for president of the United States," Graham declared, drawing applause.
The third-term senator touted policies he's advocated for many years: a strong national defense, support for Israel and saving Social Security.
He said he was ready to be commander in chief and that Democrats were not his enemies.
"I will seek the common ground our nation so desperately needs to find," Graham said.
ONPOLITICS
Six things to know about Lindsey Graham
USA TODAY
Lindsey Graham: '98.6% sure' to run, and on a different path on immigration
Graham was introduced by his younger sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who talked about how he cared for her after both of their parents died within 15 months of each other when she was just 13.
Graham has never lost a race.
In consecutive elections since 1992, he has wooed South Carolina voters with a combination of bootstrapped beginnings, a quick wit, pragmatism and ferocious debating skills.
Lindsey Graham greets supporters after he announced his presidential bid in Central, S.C., on Monday.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Bart Boatwright, The Greenville (S.C.) News)
His perfect record at the ballot box — one election to the South Carolina House, five to the U.S. House and three to the U.S. Senate — has made him the most powerful Republican in South Carolina.
USA TODAY
What Eric Cantor could have learned from Lindsey Graham
Any national name recognition he enjoys is likely due to his hawkish foreign policy. Graham already is preparing voters for the likelihood that more U.S. troops will have to be deployed abroad to keep radical Islam and terrorism at bay.
In talking to CBS in May about his presidential campaign, he said in his typical blunt and occasionally inflammatory way, "I'm running because the world is falling apart."
Graham, 59, has traveled extensively, visiting war zones as a military lawyer and as a lawmaker. His 33-year military career, which ends Monday when he retires from the Air Force Reserves, is part of his swagger.
In a recent interview about President Obama's pursuit of a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, Graham made clear he would handle things differently. He said Iran doesn't believe Obama would use military force to prevent the country from building a nuclear weapon.
And if Graham were in White House?
"They would feel threatened," he said. "If national security and terrorism continue to be the issues of the day, I think my candidacy makes a lot of sense."
He's pro-drone warfare and anti-torture, and he supports letting the National Security Agency collect communications data to sift through it for signs of terrorist activity.
USA TODAY
'Lapdogs' vs. 'wacko birds'? In 2016, a GOP divide on national security
ONPOLITICS
Graham fires back at Paul on foreign policy
Mainstream conservatives and pro-Israel interests applaud Graham's views, while the GOP's more libertarian elements wince. He and Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican also running for president, have traded insults over their views of world affairs and on when the U.S. should intervene and when it shouldn't.
Graham also has been criticized by county GOP committees in his own state. All six of his primary challengers in 2014 questioned his conservative credentials, but Graham easily defeated them all.
He's known for working across the aisle, especially on comprehensive immigration reform that would include a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Such efforts irritate conservatives, but Graham has indicated he'll try to parlay his efforts at bipartisanship into an asset on the presidential campaign trail.
"I believe in Republican principles, but I believe in the greatest principle of all — that our government has to function," he said.
Troyan reported from Washington
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSMartin O'Malley announces presidential run in 2016 | Why It Matters | 01:12USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains four reasons why Martin O'Malley's presidential run matters.
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSRick Santorum’s 2016 presidential run: Why it matters | 01:46USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains the four reasons why Rick Santorum is worth watching for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016. (USA NEWS, USA TODAY)
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSMike Huckabee set to announce presidential run in 2016 | Why It Matters | 01:45USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains four reasons why Mike Huckabee's presidential run matters. USA TODAY
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSHillary Clinton announces presidential run in 2016 | 01:46It may be obvious, but USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page gives four reasons why Hillary Clinton's presidential run matters.
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSMarco Rubio's 2016 presidential run: Why it matters | 01:36USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page lists four reasons Marco Rubio is worth watching in the 2016 presidential race. USA TODAY
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSBernie Sanders to announce presidential run | Why It Matters | 01:31USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains four reasons why Bernie Sanders's presidential run matters.
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSTed Cruz announces presidential run in 2016 | Why It Matters | 01:52USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page explains four reasons why Ted Cruz's presidential run matters. Paulo Fugen
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSRand Paul announces presidential run in 2016 | Why It Matters | 01:31Susan Page gives four reasons why Rand Paul's presidential run in 2016 matters.
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSCarly Fiorina's 2016 presidential run: Why it matters | 01:26USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page lists four reasons Carly Fiorina is worth watching in the 2016 presidential race. (USA NEWS, USA TODAY)
ELECTION 2016 CANDIDATES: WHY IT MATTERSBen Carson’s 2016 presidential run: Why it matters | 01:36USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page lists four reasons Ben Carson is worth watching in the 2016 presidential race. (USA NEWS, USA TODAY)
Last VideoNext Video
0) { %> 0) { %>
0) { %>
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed