Kudos to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Unlike so many of his fellow Republicans, the South Carolinian is not afraid to cross swords with the party leadership or to stake out a position contrary to the Bush White House.

He is an independent thinker, a party maverick — and a lot of Republicans don’t like it.

They want members to tow the party line and walk in lock step with the leadership — someone more like Graham’s junior Senate sidekick, Greenville Republican Jim DeMint, who tends to rubber-stamp everything that comes down the pike from the White House.

Lately, Graham has drawn private rebukes from within his party for his criticism of President Bush’s handling of Social Security reform and for the senator’s proposal to raise taxes to fund the retirement system.

The Washington-based Club for Growth, a conservative economic group, has entered the fray, launching a television ad campaign criticizing Graham for pushing an idea to increase the amount of income subject to Social Security taxes.

The group says Graham’s proposal for raising the cap runs counter to conservative ideals of lower taxes and smaller government.

If the group thinks Graham will be intimidated by its ad campaign or that it will cause him any political harm, it is sadly mistaken.

“One thing about Lindsey: He has never been one to duck a fight,” says state GOP chairman Katon Dawson. “He has the political hide of an alligator.”

Political experts say Graham will survive it all and win re-election in 2008.

“I really don’t think this is going to hurt him,” says College of Charleston political scientist Bill Moore. “He has quickly established himself in Washington as a (relatively new) senator who is listened to.

“His positions have not always been hard-core conservative positions. But I don’t see this ad campaign having a significant impact. It is highly unusual for an incumbent senator to be challenged in a Republican primary. It will take an unusual person to challenge and beat him.”

Graham has demonstrated his independence since setting foot in Washington in 1994.

He was a leader in the failed 1997 coup to dump then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

A year later, he was an impeachment manager in the trial of President Clinton. He was one of a handful of Republicans to vote against the charge that Clinton had lied in the Paula Jones deposition. He said there was not enough evidence.

Graham also has opposed the White House on a Medicare prescription drug plan and angered Bush officials with his call for a further investigation of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

Graham dismisses the TV ad campaign as much ado about nothing.

“I trust the people,” he says. “Those TV ads aren’t the way to solve problems. I refuse to turn my job and independent thinking over to any special interest group.”

Graham has won the admiration of his Democratic foes — including Alex Sanders, the Democratic Senate nominee he beat in 2002.

Sanders says a friend of his told him then that if he voted for the Democrat, South Carolina would have a senator who favored a higher payroll tax to shore up Social Security and who hung out with Hillary Clinton.

“My friend voted for me,” Sanders says, “and, sure enough, that came true.”

Graham has been pilloried by true believers in the party for his friendship with U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. The two have appeared together on numerous news shows and have co-sponsored legislation.

“Here’s my advice to South Carolinians,” Graham says of his relationship with Sen. Clinton. “Take a break, chill out, go enjoy your freedom.”

He says he will continue to work with Clinton for the betterment of South Carolina.