Senator Lindsey Graham Says "Golden Rule" Inspired Vote for Pro-Abortion Kagan
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 6, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is coming under heavy fire today for his vote in favor of pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Graham, who typically votes pro-life, is being chastised for comments he made on the Senate floor saying the Bible’s "Golden Rule" inspired the vote.
Graham is one of just five Republicans to vote for Kagan, the second pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee President Barack Obama has put forward.
“But at the end of the day, those of us in the Senate have to understand that every branch of government includes human beings and there is a rule that stood the test of time,” he said, according to a CNS News report. “I didn’t make this one up. It was somebody far wiser than I am, somebody far more gifted than I ever hope to be, somebody I put a lot of trust in."
“It is called the Golden Rule,” Graham added. “‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ That is probably one of the most powerful statements ever made. It is divine in its orientation, and it is probably something that would serve us all well if we thought about it at moments such as this."
“I am going to vote for Elena Kagan because I believe constitutionally she meets the test the Framers envisioned for someone to serve on the Court,” said Graham. “I don’t think the Framers ever envisioned Lindsey Graham from South Carolina voting no because President Obama picked someone who is clearly different than I would have chosen.”
Because of his votes on Kagan and others, Graham is finding his stock with pro-life voters in South Carolina dropping fast.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters released today finds that 54% of Palmetto State Republicans still have a favorable opinion of Graham. But 44% view the senator unfavorably, and that’s up 13 points from December.
These findings include 29% of GOP voters with a very favorable view of Graham and 22 percent with a very unfavorable one.
Sixty percent of South Carolina Republicans think their party should be more like the state’s other Republican senator, Jim DeMint, than like Graham. That’s a nine-point increase from December. Just 27% believe the party should be more like Graham, and 14% more are undecided.
Ninety-two percent of the state’s Republicans have a favorable opinion of DeMint, including 61% with a Very Favorable view of him.
His recent decision to vote for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan prompted another county GOP committee to censure him this week.
Among all voters in the state, 51% view Graham favorably, including 21% with a Very Favorable opinion. Forty-two percent (42%) regard him unfavorably, including 20% Very Unfavorable. By comparison, 69% view DeMint favorably, while only 24% hold an unfavorable opinion of him. This includes 35% Very Favorable and 16% Very Unfavorable.
Graham was elected to his second term in the Senate in 2008 with 58% of the vote. He doesn’t stand for reelection until 2014.
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