Since I posted two scathing commentaries on the life of Lindsey Graham, I thought it only fair to finish with an admiring tribute to the late Senator. It was written by Jonathan Martin, Politico’s senior writer, and posted in Politico.
The setting on the article or website does not permit me to copy anything. I hope you can open it.
Martin praises Graham as a deft politician who held enormous power and wielded it skillfully. He was a war-hawk and a national security expert. He whispered into Trump’s ear, to keep the U.S. in NATO, to calm NATO about Trump’s demand for Greenland, to maintain relations with Ukraine, to support Israel. He had just returned from Ukraine shortly before he suffered cardiac arrest. He was evidently very charming and able to build bipartisan coalitions.
He was not my favorite Republican but Martin says that he had many friends on both sides of the aisle.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And, on the positive size of the ledger… he was considered one of the Senate’s top proponents of animal welfare legislation.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DasxzHpxuHc/
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As an animal lover, his voice will be missed.
Even before Graham died, the Trump administration was removing protected status for many endangered species and allowing drilling in their habitats.
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For another admiring view, see also the NYT’s semi-hagiography of Lindsay Graham:
“Mercurial and Magnetic, Lindsey Graham Was a Force in the Senate
The sharp-witted South Carolinian repaired relations with President Trump to advance his foreign policy goals, was willing to cut deals with Democrats and tried to insert himself into every legislative fight.”
“He was a complex and sometimes conflicted figure, torn between doing what he thought was right — including pressing an interventionist foreign policy and pursuing bipartisan deals on immigration and other issues — and the political imperatives of a party and state that increasingly demanded hard-right fealty and international isolationism.”
Poor Lindsay Graham, so conflicted, so bi-partisan, and the tragedy is that he was occasionally forced by circumstances beyond his control to not be as wonderful as he wanted to be. I barely recognized the man!
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As you can see, LG aroused strong feelings.
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In situations like this, I think of what John McCain, a truly honorable man some of whose positions I disagreed with, said those who tried to justify torture at Abu Ghraib: “It’s not about them; it’s about us.”
When we’re moved to express joy at the misfortune of someone we dislike, the question isn’t, “Do they deserve it?” The question is, “Do we deserve to become like them?”
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I was able to read the article. I saw some sense in the authors side. I am not persuaded. I still believe Graham tossed his beliefs and dedication to our country and constitution for power and attention. As I said in my last post, he will be forever linked to tRump and the desecration of our country.
Sorry, I am not buying it.
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I agree. For a smart man, he supported some very destructive and reactionary policies.
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Someone earlier said that the new photo of Mitch McConnell and his wife was actually first printed in 2023.
Snopes says it is a new photo. He is holding a copy of the Washington Post dated July 26, 2026. The article also said that the photo was not AI.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/07/13/mitch-mcconnell-photo/
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In my opinion, the Snopes article wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement that the photo was authentic, but they didn’t find any clear evidence of AI.
Snopes: “The image is of low quality, making it difficult to determine key details when we zoom in. While the image displays no clear signs of AI generation, we could not definitively rule out other forms of digital alteration. Until we receive a response from McConnell’s staff and obtain video footage of McConnell, we leave this claim unrated.”
Count me among the skeptical – It’s weird because the statement from McConnell NEVER ACTUALLY SAYS that the photo is current. His official website NEVER ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES THE PHOTO IN ANY WAY. Gullible journalists are just making assumptions from the statement about Mitch’s very fine health and an intentionally unidentified photograph with the “proof of life” newspaper.
It’s ridiculous that the McConnell family/staff haven’t actually stated for the record that this a photograph from today (or yesterday). The media just ASSUMES that it is from today because of a newspaper. They don’t even bother get a confirmation of the date the photo was taken or the location from his wife or any staff member on the record.
If Mitch looks that good AND he has been having 20 minute conversations with select Republican peons, then we should be able to see something more than an unidentified photo of Mitch looking spry and the vague inclusion of it without anyone from the McConnell family or office going on record stating exactly when and where the photo is from.
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All good points.
A real proof of life would be a video and a five minute interview.
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Since all of this is somewhat related, I just finished a new Joan Crawford biography (a great read), &, once again, the following quote is attributed to Bette Davis upon her hearing of Joan Crawford’s death (they weren’t the best of friends):
-You should never say bad things about the dead, only good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good.
Snopes, BTW, asserts that she never, in fact, said this.
Again, I found this for some reason appropriate as to the posts (in that they’re about L.G.’s death & touch on the veracity of the recent (or not) Mitch McConnell photos (& time verification mentioned Snopes).
Just an FYI…
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Many Politicians In Their Graves Do Spin
Others Just Can’t Wait To Begin
’Nuff Said, The End
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