Lindsey Graham has recently been a lot more Trump-friendly...

[The Barbarian]

The Intellectualist, a left-leaning news aggregator, points out that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has received at least $800,000 in campaign donations from a man with ties to Putin-allied oligarchs, which could explain why the Senator has been increasingly supportive of President Trump lately.

Ruth May, in a piece for the Dallas Morning News, details the donations from Len Blavatnik, "one of the largest donors to GOP political action committees in the 2015-16 election cycle."

Data from the Federal Election Commission show that Blavatnik's campaign contributions dating back to 2009-10 were fairly balanced across party lines and relatively modest for a billionaire. During that season he contributed $53,400. His contributions increased to $135,552 in 2011-12 and to $273,600 in 2013-14, still bipartisan.

In 2015-16, everything changed. Blavatnik's political contributions soared and made a hard right turn as he pumped $6.35 million into GOP political action committees, with millions of dollars going to top Republican leaders including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham.

In 2017, donations continued, with $41,000 going to both Republican and Democrat candidates, along with $1 million to McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund.

An infographic accompanying May's article notes the following:

Blavatnik contributed $800,000 to the Security is Strength PAC, associated with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., via Access Industries.
Is Russian Money Behind Graham's Growing Defense of Trump?

 

[Albion]

There is almost no need for Sen. Graham to do the bidding of any financial supporter. His seat in the Senate is secure. So, that particular theory concerning what looks to be a change of pace on his part is dubious. More likely, the change, such as it is, owes more to one of the following several considerations or to all of them.

For one, he is no longer joined at the hip to Sen. McCain, who was more interested in defying President Trump than anything else.

For another, Graham is a big believer in working across the aisle, but lately he has seen--as we all have--that the Congressional
Democrats are not willing to work together with their opposite number, period. Not under any circumstances. Pelosi, Schumer, and the rest of the leadership have defeating Trump as their prime directive.

And finally, the issue now is national security. That's what the wall and any variation on that theme is all about. Graham is well-known for being a staunch advocate for national security, whatever other policies he may support in the Senate, some of which seem to be on the Liberal side of things.

 

[The Barbarian]

There is almost no need for Sen. Graham to do the bidding of any financial supporter. His seat in the Senate is secure.

Odd then, that he took all that money from a Russian oligarch closely associated with Putin. Must just be a coincidence that since the money was given, he's become a lot friendlier with Trump, um?

 

[FenderTL5]

For whatever reason; Senator Graham gives me the impression that he's never seen nor heard of an opportunity to involve our military that he didn't favor.

 

[HTacianas]

The Intellectualist, a left-leaning news aggregator, points out that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has received at least $800,000 in campaign donations from a man with ties to Putin-allied oligarchs, which could explain why the Senator has been increasingly supportive of President Trump lately.

Ruth May, in a piece for the Dallas Morning News, details the donations from Len Blavatnik, "one of the largest donors to GOP political action committees in the 2015-16 election cycle."

Data from the Federal Election Commission show that Blavatnik's campaign contributions dating back to 2009-10 were fairly balanced across party lines and relatively modest for a billionaire. During that season he contributed $53,400. His contributions increased to $135,552 in 2011-12 and to $273,600 in 2013-14, still bipartisan.

In 2015-16, everything changed. Blavatnik's political contributions soared and made a hard right turn as he pumped $6.35 million into GOP political action committees, with millions of dollars going to top Republican leaders including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham.

In 2017, donations continued, with $41,000 going to both Republican and Democrat candidates, along with $1 million to McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund.

An infographic accompanying May's article notes the following:

Blavatnik contributed $800,000 to the Security is Strength PAC, associated with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., via Access Industries.
Is Russian Money Behind Graham's Growing Defense of Trump?

It's more likely that Graham began to support Trump after he saw what Trump was accomplishing as president. Lindsay Graham was one of Trump's most vocal critics during the 2016 campaign, but became a Trump supporter when Trump enacted the tax cut legislation. That's not that far removed from Mitch McConnell's attitude toward Trump.

 

[EpiscipalMe]

Too bad Trump is not listening to Graham:

"President Trump said Monday he rejected a proposal from one of his closest Senate allies to temporarily reopen the government while both parties negotiate, adding that it is largely up to Democrats to end the partial shutdown.

In a phone conversation Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) had suggested to Mr. Trump that he agree to end the shutdown for three weeks while the two sides pursue broader immigration legislation.

Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters Monday morning before leaving the White House for a speech in New Orleans, said he turned down Mr. Graham’s suggestion."

Trump Says He Rejected Temporary Reopening of Government

 

[The Barbarian]

It's more likely that Graham began to support Trump after he saw what Trump was accomplishing as president. Lindsay Graham was one of Trump's most vocal critics during the 2016 campaign, but became a Trump supporter when Trump enacted the tax cut legislation.

It's true that conservatives love huge tax cuts for the rich, and increasing the federal debt. But it seems that the change was more closely related to Graham getting a huge cash infusion from a Russian oligarch associated with Putin.

That's not that far removed from Mitch McConnell's attitude toward Trump.

Well, so far as we know, Putin hasn't funneled any money to McConnell.

 

[The Barbarian]

For whatever reason; Senator Graham gives me the impression that he's never seen nor heard of an opportunity to involve our military that he didn't favor.

There's a likely reason for that, too:

Senator Lindsey Graham’s Pro-War Super PAC Bankrolled by Defense Contractors
Senator Lindsey Graham’s Pro-War Super PAC Bankrolled by Defense Contractors

He seems to be eager to do favors for people who give him a lot of money. Putin seems to have noticed and acted accordingly.

 

[tulc]

It's more likely that Graham began to support Trump after he saw what Trump was accomplishing as president. Lindsay Graham was one of Trump's most vocal critics during the 2016 campaign, but became a Trump supporter when Trump enacted the tax cut legislation. That's not that far removed from Mitch McConnell's attitude toward Trump. (emph. added)

...you do understand President Trumps sole contribution to the tax cut (other then signing where they told him to sign of course) was by NOT "helping" them, right?
been here:
Trump’s Main Contribution to Passing the Tax Bill: Staying the Hell Away From It

Even as congressional Republicans high-five each other for enacting a tax bill that could come back to haunt them in next year’s midterms, they are publicly and privately discussing some of the lessons they learned during the messy and perilous process of getting the bill across the line. One very clear lesson, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, is that it really helped to keep the president of the United States from getting very involved in the wheeling and the dealing. Here’s how Paul Ryan put it:

“He was very good on this,“ said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) ”He just realized being more disciplined and letting the tax writers get this deal done was the best way to go.”

Trump was not totally inactive. His early insistence on a very big corporate income tax cut took a huge chunk of revenue off the table, and ultimately contributed to both the unpopularity of the bill and to its strange structure (with individual tax cuts being phased out) and budget-busting implications. But he wasn’t much involved in the details. And on the one big task he assigned himself, he struck out:

The White House had tried to pick off a few Democratic votes, but the effort went nowhere. On Sept. 27, Mr. Trump flew to Indiana, with the state’s Democratic senator, Joe Donnelly, in tow. They talked about what the tax plan might include. “I had no problem with the outreach,” Mr. Donnelly said. Chuckling, he added: “It’s just that they ignored everything we said.”

tulc(suspects the millions of dollars are the main reason Sen Graham bows to President Trumps every tantrum these days)

 

[Bobber]

It's more likely that Graham began to support Trump after he saw what Trump was accomplishing as president. Lindsay Graham was one of Trump's most vocal critics during the 2016 campaign, but became a Trump supporter when Trump enacted the tax cut legislation. That's not that far removed from Mitch McConnell's attitude toward Trump.

I think Graham as well has had a reality check at how extreme the present group of Dems are being. Perhaps he thinks if they don't stand up and be unified against the left he truly wonders what the country will be in the years to come. Things aren't just the way they used to be and he knows it. I think he's come into that realization in just the last year in fact if you listen to him talk I'd say he expresses that.

 

[tulc]

I think Graham as well has had a reality check at how extreme the present group of Dems are being. Perhaps he thinks if they don't stand up and be unified against the left he truly wonders what the country will be in the years to come. Things aren't just the way they used to be and he knows it. I think he's come into that realization in just the last year in fact if you listen to him talk I'd say he expresses that.

...you mean everything changed when the Republicans chose a birther to be their Presidential candidate?
tulc(imagine that)

 

[EpiscipalMe]

I think Graham as well has had a reality check at how extreme the present group of Dems are being. Perhaps he thinks if they don't stand up and be unified against the left he truly wonders what the country will be in the years to come. Things aren't just the way they used to be and he knows it. I think he's come into that realization in just the last year in fact if you listen to him talk I'd say he expresses that.

Or maybe Graham, like a lot of Republicans, is afraid of getting a primary challenge in 2020 so he is playing to the Trump base. South Carolina may be safe for Republicans, but the base will decide who that Republican is.