Graham says Trump is inflicting permanent damage on GOP, urges party leaders to stop ‘tiptoeing’

[jpak]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/08/graham-says-trump-is-inflicting-permanent-damage-on-gop-urges-party-leaders-to-stop-tip-toeing/

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said Saturday that fellow presidential candidate Donald Trump's derogatory commentary has begun inflicting permanent and possibly fatal damage to the Republican Party brand and urged GOP leaders to stop "tiptoeing" around the billionaire businessman and to confront him directly and unequivocally.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Graham said Trump's personal attacks on Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly after she questioned him in Thursday night's primary debate were "an affront to all women" and undermine the Republican Party's urgent mission to appeal to more women voters.

“I think we’ve crossed that Rubicon, where his behavior becomes about us, not just him," Graham said. "I hope the party leadership will push hard. I hope that those seeking the nomination to be the standard bearer will unequivocally reject this. People gave Mr. Trump a pass on the [debate] stage. I understand that to a point, but we’ve crossed a line here that can’t be ignored. There can be no more tiptoeing around this.”

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Clown Squad Choo-choo wreck

[summerschild]

1. Lindsay can't help himself.

No matter who or what, he's still yelling, "NUKE EM!"

[LittleBlue]

2. Go, Donald!

Don't let them shut you down.

[reformist2]

3. What does he mean?? Are Repugs actually going to lecture Trump on proper behavior?? LOL

[Lex]

4. R's are too afraid he'll run as Independent.

They are over a barrel. LOL.

[Nay]

18. Exactly. What can they do? Not a damn thing. Trump is top in the polls, any idiot who

seems to blather GOP talking points can run, and so . . . Trump is running. What are they gonna do? Shoot him? He even has his own money to campaign with. It's just so delicious.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. I find Graham's statement dubious.

If Bush II could ignore warnings about terrorism...which led to the worst terrorist attack in US history, bankrupt the country with BS wars and rax cuts for the rich, act like a drunken fratboy in office drive the Wall Street bus onto the ditch with deregulation, be responsible for the deaths of thousands of American troops, Be redponsible for the deaths of hundreds ofthousands of Iraqis, be responsible for thousands of injured US vets and on and on while we still have a republican party st all the a few dusgusting comments by a mysoginist jerkoff aren't going to damage them that mych with theur constituants.

[unblock]

7. on the contrary. for them, it's all about the branding.

republicans walk a carefully calibrated line of pushing the rhetoric and policies ever rightward. if it's gradual, the frog doesn't realize the water is coming to a boil.

you're certainly correct in that as a matter of policy, trump is barely distinguishable from the other clowns. in fact, they're all pretty much clown clones, government bad, taxes bad, regulation bad, oh but subsidize my business and make them poor people pay.

but trump is a problem as a front-runner candidate because the language he uses is just too obvious. the others don't disagree with what he's saying they disagree with how he's saying it.


sadly, the ultimate effect of over-the-line rhetoric is usually to make those who do stick to the party line rhetoric more reasonable.

[gwheezie]

6. Go get 'em lindsey

Go ahead take trump down!

[Yavin4]

8. Republicans have been pandering to the wealthy for the last 40 years

They've thrown the entire American working class under the bus to please their billionaire pals, and now, one of their pals is just going to do it himself.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. Trump is a psychopath among other psychopaths who follows his own drummer

and not the dictates of the corporate overlords. That's probably because he doesn't need Koch or Adelson money. Citizens United is no longer a big advantage. That scares the repukes like nothing else.

[RichGirl]

10. What Graham meant...

...is that with Trump, the GOP lineup is not just a clown car...they've added a horses ass.

[meow2u3]

16. Actually, what Graham meant was

Trump is saying in plain English what the rest of the repuke candidates are saying in code. They ALL hate women and want to treat us like shit.

[jberryhill]

11. .

https://m.

[Gothmog]

12. No one is going to pay attention to Graham

[Arkana]

13. Yes, savage each other beyond repair, Republicans.

[Contrary1]

14. This line alone deserves a K&R:

"Clown Squad Choo-choo wreck"



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[Bonhomme Richard]

15. The funniest thing is that Trump has no intention of being President. n/t

[Takket]

17. Chicken and the egg

The GOP molded their base into the group that loves Trump today.