海角大神

To describe Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina 鈥� one of the latest Republican presidential hopefuls 鈥� as 鈥減rogressive,鈥� one must either put quote marks around the term or precede it with 鈥渞elative.鈥�

Yes, Sen. Graham is as hawkish on national security issues as his close Senate buddy John McCain (R) of Arizona.

Some of his recent quotes: 鈥淭he world is exploding in terror and violence 鈥� The Mideast is on fire, and it is every person for themselves 鈥� Major casualty events can be expected throughout the Western world, including the United States.鈥�

鈥淭his is not 'Morning in America' or a hope-and-change campaign,鈥� CNN reported when Graham announced last week. 鈥淚nstead, Graham sees a world where radical Islam is on the march, 鈥榬ogue nations鈥� like Iran and North Korea are bristling with threats and the security of the homeland can't be guaranteed鈥�. Graham's doom-laden rhetoric is in keeping with his hawkish world view and belief that the Obama administration has presided over a feckless foreign policy.鈥�

He鈥檚 also one of the few members of Congress who鈥檚 served in the military (active duty, National Guard, and reserves), retiring as an Air Force colonel in the Judge Advocate General鈥檚 Corps (JAG).

But Graham also is known as a Republican who can work in bipartisan fashion with Democrats, and he鈥檚 more inclined than many in his party to vote for a Democratic president鈥檚 nominees to Senate-confirmable positions 鈥� as he did with US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, whose nomination had languished for more than five months in the Republican-controlled Senate, and with President Obama鈥檚 nominees to the US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

鈥淚'm going to vote for her because I believe this election has consequences. And this president chose someone who is qualified to serve on this court,鈥� Graham said in explaining his Kagan vote. 鈥淎t the end of the day, it wasn't a hard decision 鈥� She would not have been someone I would have chosen, but the person who did choose, President Obama, chose wisely."

Graham has taken heat from tea partiers 鈥� who refer to him pejoratively as a 鈥渕oderate Republican鈥� 鈥� for his willingness to work with Democrats on such issues as climate change, taxation, and immigration reform.

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in March, he said that climate change 鈥渋s real鈥� and that 鈥渕an has contributed to it in a substantial way.鈥�

鈥淚 think the Republican Party has to do some soul-searching,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淏efore we can be bipartisan, we've got to figure out where we are as a party. What is the environmental platform of the Republican Party? I don't know, either.鈥�

When the House of Representatives failed to pass legislation on immigration last year, Graham said: 鈥淪hame on us as Republicans. Shame on us as Republicans for having a body that cannot generate a solution to an issue that is national security, it鈥檚 cultural and it鈥檚 economic.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 close to the people in the House, but I'm disappointed in my party," Graham said. "Are we still the party of self-deportation? Is it the position of the Republican Party that the 11 million must be driven out?鈥�

Republicans often talk of being the party with a 鈥渂ig tent鈥� 鈥� open to any and all.

On CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union鈥� Sunday, Graham made news when he welcomed transgendered Americans into the GOP, specifically the Olympic champion and reality TV celebrity formerly known as Bruce Jenner.

"I鈥檓 a pro-life, traditional marriage kind of guy," he said. "But I鈥檓 running to be president of the United States. If Caitlyn Jenner wants to be a Republican, she is welcome in my party.鈥�

鈥淚f Caitlyn Jenner wants to be safe and have a prosperous economy, vote for me. I鈥檓 into addition," Graham said. "I haven鈥檛 walked in her shoes. I don鈥檛 have all the answers to the mysteries of life. I can only imagine the torment that Bruce Jenner went through. I hope he鈥檚 鈥� I hope she has found peace."

When he was asked about Jenner on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥� Sunday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, running at or near the front of the pack among GOP presidential hopefuls, would only say 鈥渋t鈥檚 a personal decision.鈥�