He made sure his sister was loved and well cared for, paying for all of her expensive.
He never once blamed anyone.
Once back home after a very successful military career, Lindsey joined the Air Force Reserves. He joined a law firm partnered by one one of my father's oldest friends. Lindsey never thought about politics until Ed Mitchell came calling.
Ed Mitchell was the chairman of the Oconee County GOP. He was also a power-house when it came to candidate recruitment. In a very short time he managed to talk Lindsey into running for the South Carolina State House.
Around that same time Lindsey took on a case involving a young man who was mistreated in a local emergency room. The physician involved had been a very good friend and neighbor of his law partner for a good 25 years. His wife was my mother's best friend. His daughters were the best friends of my sister and I.
As a litigator Lindsey is a pit bull. Family alliances were destroyed. Friendships were frayed. In the end, Lindsey won.
During that that period I happened to give Lindsey one of my infamous "tongue lashings". It wasn't nice. Neither was I. Not long after the incident I learned something that completely changed the story. Once in awhile I do take responsibility for my bad behavior. This was one of those times. I apologized to Lindsey. Also by that time we had become friends, despite the lawsuit.
My apology cleared the air, and did one other thing. Lindsey's reply to my apology convinced me that he is one of the most honorable, if not THE most honorable person I've ever known. He knew the story, knew the truth, and allowed me to defame him, even in public. Why? Lindsey Graham did not want to speak ill of this person to me because Lindsey knew about my family's relationship with this person. Instead Lindsey allowed me to defame him until I eventually learned the truth.
That is the behavior of a man.
Lindsey is a self made man, taking charity from no one, asking for none, paying off bills he could have ignored, and turning his life into a great success story.
He took responsibility for his younger sister.
If Lindsey isn't the perfect example of a Republican, I don't know who or what is. To hear conservatives malign, denigrate, and lie about him is difficult. He is a friend. I don't like to see people mistreat my friends.
Article comments
1 - Arch Conservative
As far as I know he's the only transgender member of Congress.
2 - Silas Kain
First of all, thank you for a beautiful piece. Your presentation of Senator Graham has changed my opinion of him. Too bad John McCain didn't chose him over the Far Right's demands.
It's too bad conservatives don't have the honor, decency, and honesty to stand up for men and women who are the finest examples of the character that has made this country great.
That's where I might take exception. The MSM and public in general are branding today's GOP as conservatives. I assure you, they are not. The people who are in control of the party are driven by greed and power. They have no social consciousness yet they claim to be the bastion of morality. The truth is that gay marriage, abortion rights and environmental concerns are quintessential conservative values. The Democrat Party has taken these issues and made them their own. What the GOP needs more than ever is a political high colonic to expel the fundamentalist bacteria from within.
3 - roger nowosielski
But isn't it the case, Silas, that what we're experiencing is polarization on a new scale, brought about no question by Obama's November victory. So where else can the Reps find their base than in the fundamentalists, the Christian Right, that is, and the last bastion of outdated morality? That's the only power play that's left to them.
4 - Silas Kain
I think that the Far Right is kicking and screaming all the way to the gallows. There's a new generation transitioning into power, Roger. Now the new leaders can succumb to the Svengalis on K Street at which point it will be business as usual. Otherwise, there is scant hope that this new generation gets its act together to clean up the mess we've left behind.
The problem is that genuine conservatives somehow lost their identity. A genuine conservative is not a religious fanatic but takes a more pragmatic view of religion and its influence on politics. As the pundits are saying, this Administration and the current Democrat configuration is Center Right. That puts Far Righters in a box. They have nothing left but their so-called faith. And, as in the case of Senator Ensign, it's coming back to bite them in the butt.