Even Graham Can’t Get Behind Cruz’s Electoral Challenge Gambit: ‘A Political Dodge’

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during the fourth day of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the confirmation hearing for Suprem... WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during the fourth day of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, on Capitol Hill October 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. With less than a month until the presidential election, President Donald Trump tapped Amy Coney Barrett to be his third Supreme Court nominee in just four years. If confirmed, Barrett would replace the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — a close ally of President Trump who egged on his bogus claims of widespread voter fraud — on Sunday threw cold water onto Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) proposal for an election commission to probe President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, days before Congress will hold a joint session ratifying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College win.

On Saturday, Cruz and a group of 10 GOP lawmakers announced a fresh effort to object to the votes by the Electoral College certifying Biden’s victory. Cruz and other Republican lawmakers who decided to go along with his gambit demanded the appointment of a commission to conduct a 10-day emergency audit, and to give individual states the chance to hold a special legislative session to certify or change its electoral votes.

Cruz’s effort followed Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) vow to object to the certification of the Electoral College votes by baselessly asserting that a handful of states lost by Trump, which includes the battleground state of Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own election laws.

A day after Republican lawmakers’ announced their intent to object to the Electoral College votes cementing Biden’s victory, Graham tweeted that the proposal led by Cruz for an election commission has “zero chance of becoming reality.”

Although Graham tweeted that he “looks forward” to hearing the objections of Cruz and other fellow Republican colleagues, the Trump ally casted doubt on their plans to object to electors by saying that they “have a high bar to clear.”

Graham — who was accused by Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger of pressuring him to toss out legally cast ballots after Biden’s projected victory in November — wasn’t the only Republican on Sunday to throw cold water onto their fellow GOPers’ efforts to challenge Biden’s victory during the Jan. 6 congressional session that will certify the President-elect’s Electoral College win.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Sunday likened Republican efforts to challenge the Electoral College results cementing Biden’s win to “Don Quixote jousting at windmills” and that those efforts are “designed to fail.”

Latest News
193
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. “Well, then, you’re not invited to the Rapture, Sir!”

  2. I’m sure Lindsey’s mind will soon be changed for him.

  3. I definitely hope that some Dem staffer, preferably a digital-forensics specialist, makes taking down Lindsey a personal project, after Jan 20. He’s about as scummy as they come.

  4. So much material to work with.

  5. Precisely. Graham-targeting is a growth industry.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

187 more replies

Participants

Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for ichthus Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for jackster Avatar for globalguy Avatar for cervantes Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for becca656 Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for mrf Avatar for pshah Avatar for docd Avatar for demyankee Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for rhs1963 Avatar for justruss Avatar for bcgister Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for quickq Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for trustywoods Avatar for bunnyvelour Avatar for randome Avatar for anon84323658

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: