The Lindsey Graham mystery solved?

[Imperialism Inc.]

I was reading the preview of the new book Crime in Progress from Simpson and Fritsch (the guys from Fusion GPS), and came across this line.

Senator McCain ... wanted to put a copy of Steele's memos in front of FBI Director James Comey - a decision his friend and fellow Republican senator Lindsey Graham encouraged.

If that's true it would explain a lot. If the Trump administration discovered that early on, they held his future in the Republican party in their hands.

[Sanity Claws]

1. I don't think so

McCain's future in the Republican Party was safe, even now when it is generally known that McCain was the one who turned the dossier over to the FBI.
Graham could have adopted McCain's reputation as a maverick after McCain's death. He could have said that he was honoring his dear friend whenever he took a contrary position to the Orange One.

I think there is a far more sinister reason behind Graham's abject boot licking.

[maxsolomon]

5. He's a second fiddle. He needs a protector.

Trump has the power in the GOP now, and Graham is a servant of Power.

He doesn't want a Primary challenger. It's no more complex than that.

[Hortensis]

9. I don't think so either, for more than one reason.

Remember, Trump voters knew he was probably at least "flirting with treason," with close ties to Putin and other criminal oligarchs, in the summer of 2016 and saw that as power to beat us with.

[Jarqui]

2. He could deny that or refute it

Whatever they have has to be more sinister or juicy than that

[sdfernando]

3. I agree

I think its more along the lines of George Nader.

[Jarqui]

10. I do as well

I have no evidence beyond circumstances and rumors

Lindsey pulled a dramatic political 180 degree turnaround.
There has to be a substantial reason.
It seems to go beyond getting reelected.

[MLAA]

12. I agree, whatever it is , it is criminal

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. There's no mystery to Lindsey. He is the kind of person who sucks up to others

and uses his relationships with them to acquire power (and probably boost his own self-esteem). While McCain was alive he attached himself to McCain, who was both respected and powerful, like a remora to a shark. After McCain died he quickly figured out that if he wanted to stay important he would have to find another shark to attach himself to, and despite his excoriation of Trump before the election he saw that he'd have to be Trump's wing man. He has no scruples at all. If something happens to Trump he'll attach himself to the next most powerful GOPer. Just wait. It isn't kompromat or Russian money, it's just the craven ambition of a weak, unprincipled man.

[chowder66]

7. Perfectly said. nt

[emmaverybo]

11. Good analysis! Two-faced personalities behave in ways baffling to those who have core principles,

whose conduct is determined by adherence to strong loyalties and ethics. That video in which Graham talked about Biden in such emotional terms, tearfully declaring his admiration for a friend he would go on to coldly betray said it all to me. Maybe he even believes his own ardent avowals at the time, but “craven ambition” gets the upper hand.

As the saying goes, he’d “sell his own grandmother down the river” to further himself. Velveteen Ocelot, you got to what his attachments are all about—his own weakness.

[C_U_L8R]

6. Chester.

Lindsay will always be the feckless sidekick.

[maxrandb]

8. There's no mystery

As Susan Rice correctly pointed out; "Graham has always been a piece of shit".

[Qutzupalotl]

13. That explains Trump's motive for strong-arming Lindsey,

but not the kompromat that they used to do it.

Not that I want to know what it is...