Lincoln Project Drops Scathing Video of Lindsey Graham as Polls Show GOP Senator Trailing in South Carolina
Category: News & Politics
Via: jbb • 4 years ago • 36 commentsBy: Alexandra Garrett (Newsweek)
News Lindsey Graham National debt
A newly released advertisement by the Lincoln Project criticizing Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham was posted on social media Friday.
The clip takes aim at Graham's association to the rising national debt, as polls show him trailing in South Carolina.
What happened to Lindsay Graham?
He said he was a fiscal conservative, but heas one of the biggest spenders in congress. pic.twitter.com/XmQoHjK6Vh — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) October 23, 2020
"What happened to Lindsay Graham?" the Lincoln Project narrator says at the beginning of the video. "He said he was a fiscal conservative, but he's one of the biggest spenders in Congress. Under Lindsey, the national debt is through the roof. What is Lindsey thinking?"
"In tough times, we need to hold the line on spending and Lindsay won't," the narrator continues.
Under the current Trump administration, the national debt has increased nearly $7 trillion, according to data compiled by Statista. In January 2017, the debt stood at about $19.95 trillion. As of August 2020, it was estimated to stand at about $26.73 trillion—an increase of about $6.78 trillion, Statista noted.
Newsweek subscription offers >Senate Judiciary Committee Votes On Barrett Supreme Court Nomination WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 22: Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) makes a statement after voting in the Judiciary Committee to move the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court out of committee and on to the Senate for a full vote on October 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away in September. The Lincoln Project posted a video criticizing Graham's association to the rising national debt on Friday. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images/Getty
In a commentary published by CNBC in 2015, Graham said the U.S.'s biggest domestic challenge is the nation's growing debt.
"With the coming retirement of 80 million baby boomers, our debt problem is set to become a debt crisis." he wrote. "In less than 20 years, we will need every penny of projected tax revenues just to pay for major entitlement programs and interest on the debt."
"The simple fact is that spending cuts alone cannot eliminate our deficit and drive down our debt," Graham continued. "Without changes to our entitlement programs, balanced budgets aren't achievable."
In response to the opposition to a 2019 budget bill, Graham supported his stance on entitlement programs by tweeting: "Our debt is driven by entitlements and mandatory spending — not discretionary spending."
Graham's office didn't immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.
The Lincoln Project's new video then shifts to address Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison.
"Jamie Harrison will reel in spending and end corporate giveaways in D.C. He'll fight for balanced budgets," the narrator says in the clip.
in a January press release, Harrison said: "Lindsey Graham has left South Carolinians to shoulder the burden of our nation's debt. While supporting deductions for millionaire corporate executives, Sen. Graham voted against key middle and working-class tax credits essential for thousands of South Carolinians. His only concern is pleasing his wealthy donors, not the South Carolinians he was elected to represent."
Harrison's campaign didn't immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment regarding his plan for national debt relief.
Harrison has taken a two-point lead over Graham, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult. It found 47 percent of South Carolina respondents saying they'd vote for Harrison, while 45 percent sided with Graham.
Morning Consult surveyed an approximate sample size of 926 likely voters in the state from October 11 to October 20 and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
Although Harrison's lead is within the poll's margin of error, other polls have shown a close race between the two candidates, with a slight lead for Harrison.
A study conducted by Data for Progress found the two rivals receiving similar support, with Harrison leading by one point. About 47 percent of respondents said they'd vote for Harrison if the election were held today, while 46 percent backed Graham. The study surveyed 801 likely voters in South Carolina from October 8 to October 11, and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Another poll conducted by GBAO Strategies and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign found a similar one-point lead for Graham's challenger: 48 percent of those surveyed said they'd vote for Harrison, compared to 47 percent who chose Graham. Approximately 800 likely voters in South Carolina were surveyed in this poll from September 24 to September 28, and the poll reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Wouldn't it be glorious to see [deleted] Lindsey defeated?
[ deleted ]
I don't think Graham is in too big of trouble. We are 12 days out and he's at a 76% chance of keeping his seat in a deep red state.
Interesting how those who claim to be fiscal conservatives are the exact opposite.
You know they will go right back to that well as soon as the Dems start spending on things like infrastructure.
"A poll from Quinnipiac University conducted from September 23 to 27, similarly showed Graham and Harris exactly tied at 48% of the vote each among likely South Carolina voters. The poll found that 44% of likely voters viewed Graham favorably while 49% viewed him unfavorably."
"A CBS/YouGov battleground tracker poll conducted September 22 to 25 found Graham leading Harrison by just one point, 45% to 44%, among likely voters."
"A Morning Consult poll conducted October 2-11 found Graham leading Harrison by six points, 48% to 42%, among likely voters."
"A subsequent New York Times/Siena College poll fielded October 9-14 also found Graham ahead by six points, 46% to 40%, with Constitution Party candidate Bill Bledsoe, who dropped out of the race but is still on the ballot, drawing 4% support."
Polls are showing Harrison at a 50-50 race with the 65-year-old, never-married bachelor who flip-flopped from lapping at John McCain's heels to Trump's.
That is a radical flip-flop!
Republicans know that the, "lower taxes and increase spending" doesn't work. They just cut programs that people actually rely on to try and cover the shortfalls. But after decades of "trickle down economics", they can no longer keep up. Trump lowered taxes, then increased spending. That's why he wants to gut SS.
Trump has blown up the debt, (it's that thing that the GOP cried about every single day when Obama was in office).
Debt when Obama left office: $19.19 trillion.
Debt today: $27.12 trillion.
Trump has added 7.93 Trillion to the debt, in 4 years, that's more than Obama added in 8 years.
Obama inherited the worst financial crisis since 1929.
Trump inherited a growing and strong economy....so why is he adding to the debt twice as fast as Obama did?
Covid makes up a majority of that. Would you prefer not bailing out the economy and the citizens of the US?
Like Nancy here................
You've never heard of a "poison pill"?
Just need to change it to uninsured Americans reaching up to McConnell as he says "And Give Obama a win? Nor on your life."
If (Obama) was for it, we had to be against it, (McConnell) wanted everyone to hold the fort. All he cared about was making sure Obama could never have a clean victory.” - then Republican Senator George Voinovich describing the Republican leadership meeting the day President Obama was inaugurated January 2009.
If you want to describe the current Covid relief bill you'd have to have Pelosi hauling a $2 trillion dollar relief chest ready to give it to the suffering American people with the cowardly turtle McConnell blocking it demanding she cut it by 75% before allowing it to the masses.
Democrats have passed a $2.1 trillion dollar relief bill for the citizens of America. Republicans are the ones refusing to pass it. Get your facts straight.
Well, that's not true, but since you went there.
Is it also China's fault that trump spent months ignoring, lying about and ignoring covid? We wouldn't have needed a relief package had donny acted when he first learned about it.
Think about it. RBG died and within 4 days, they had a plan all put together to replace her. But covid? Why not wait a couple of months????
Trump is an EPIC failure. He knew in Feb. how deadly it was, he was caught saying it, but three days later, he is on national TV saying that's it's just like the flu, and it will go away on it's own, "soon".
225,000+ people dead... Tell me, Jim, if this happened on Obama's watch, how would you react? Pretty sure you would be outraged, why aren't you now?
Um, what DP said. House passed a bill what...5 months ago?
Trump inherited a growing and strong economy....so why is he adding to the debt twice as fast as Obama did?
Don't bother asking a Trump supporter.....
Imagine calling an economy growing at 2% "strong" Last week, liberals here were claiming the economy that Bill Clinton inherited that was growing at almost 5% was in recession.
so why is he adding to the debt twice as fast as Obama did
There's this thing called covid that's led to Congress passing 5 trillion in emergency spending. Are you familiar with Covid?
Wow, Sean!
Are you in favor of stimulus spending to balance a Covid-19-related consumption collapse?
Including deficit spending?
of course. National Emergencies often require emergency spending.
im just surprised that people here don’t understand that what when Congress passes an unprecedented 7 trillion in emergency spending over a couple months, deficits rise very quickly. Seems obvious to me.
How much has Trump added?
Did he spend any money that Congress didn't appropriate?
GDP growth in 1993 was 2.8%.
All financial bills originate in the House
Lincoln Project consist of some of the biggest hypocrites in DC and American politics in general.
So republicans aren't allowed to hate Trump?
I think true Republicans, as well as true Christians, reject dishonest Donald and his corrosive crime family. The rest are just useless trump sycophants incapable of thinking for themselves who are Republicans and Christians in name only.
No different from Democrats hating Biden. And they do exist.
"Hate" is not appropriate here. Democrats do not "hate" each other. They disagree.
I don't even know many lefties who "hate" Trump. We despise him, we completely disrespect him... but we don't "hate" him.
It seems to me that I hear a great deal about "hatred" on the right. Is this correct?
Any conclusions you draw are your own and nobody else's.
Of course.
That said, an opinion may be erroneous. The only way to have confidence in an opinion is to test it: to share it with others who may express and explain their agreement or disagreement.
Right?
Graham is a toad. Or anything worse that you can imagine...
But there's no way anyone is going to be balancing any budgets until Covid-19 is behind us. We must have massive employment programs, and will need deficits to pay for them.
Wondering whether COVID-19 will ever be behind us.
I doubt it. It will be endemic, like the flu. Constantly needing surveillance and treatment.
Lindsey is complaining that out of state donors are causing him to lose his Senate seat because he can't raise enough $ to air more lies about his opponent.
Besides, as a Senator and the leader of the Judiciary Committee, everything Graham does has national implications, so why can't other Americans donate to his opponent.
Lindsey is losing because he lied about his own actions, Trump and Harrison and it's just to damn easy to verify the lies.
And now he is bitching about donations flowing into the accounts of his opponents and not being to track where it came from. Keep in mind this piece of shit was a huge fan of Citizens United, fuck you Graham, I seriously hope your support for that fucked up decision bites you in the ass.