Conservatives Backing Nominee Look at Graham
By Chris Cillizza
Sunday, June 4, 2006; Page A05
No longer content with bashing Democrats for their obstruction of President Bush's judicial nominees, a coalition of conservative groups is now turning its attention to a prominent Republican -- Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.).
The campaign, led by the Committee for Justice, is aimed at persuading Graham to allow a vote on William James Haynes II, the general counsel at the Department of Defense and a nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Although the campaign is in its infancy, organizers expect it to develop into a national e-mail and telephone lobbying effort....
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"A key reason why Lindsey Graham is Senator Graham is because he ran as opposed to the obstruction of the president's judicial nominees," said Sean Rushton, executive director of the Committee for Justice. "We hope he'll remember that."
Graham insists he has engaged in no formal obstruction of Haynes, nor has he enlisted other senators to do so. Along with colleague and political ally John McCain (R-Ariz.), Graham has expressed concern regarding the advice Haynes provided the Bush administration on the treatment of detainees captured in the war on terrorism. "The role Mr. Haynes played as DOD general counsel formulating these policies and whether he was receptive to legal advice from the military will be a line of inquiry when his nomination is brought up," said Kevin D. Bishop, communications director for Graham....
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Opposing conservatives on one of their pet issues carries political risks for both Graham and McCain. Since winning the seat vacated by the late Sen. Strom Thurmond (R) in 2002, Graham has faced occasional opposition from his party's base, a resistance that hardened when he joined a bipartisan group of senators -- the "Gang of 14" -- to defuse a showdown on judicial nominees....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/03/AR2006060300555.html