Twelve years ago, Lindsey Graham was a rookie in the S.C. House of
Representatives. This week, he was touted by the minority leader of the
U.S. Senate as a suitable candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court. Few
elected officials can match that upward-mobility rate.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., bestowed that high praise of high court
fitness on Republican Sens. Graham, Mel Martinez of Florida, Mike DeWine
of Ohio and Mike Crapo of Idaho, while again urging President Bush to
consult with him and other Senate Democrats before picking Supreme Court
nominees.
But President Bush, not Sen. Reid, will make those calls if, as
expected, such openings occur on his White House watch. And Sen. Graham,
though justifiably flattered, said he doesn't want to become Justice
Graham. In a statement released by his office Tuesday, the senator
explained: "I'm honored, but have no desire to leave the U.S. Senate. I
believe I can serve my state and nation best in my current position."
Sen. Graham, a key figure in last month's Senate compromise on
appeals-court nominations, added that his appearance on Sen. Reid's short
list could bode well for the confirmation prospects of potential
appointees from President Bush: "I'm hopeful this means that another
pro-life, social, and fiscal conservative will be acceptable for unanimous
Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court."
Meanwhile, Sen. Reid should remember that senators from our state tend
to stick with that job. Strom Thurmond, the man Sen. Graham replaced, was
the longest-serving senator in the nation's history with 48 years. Fritz
Hollings, the man Sen. Jim DeMint replaced, served 38 years. Both left
office not via voter decision but of their own accord, with Sen. Thurmond
casting his final Senate vote 16 days shy of his 100th birthday in 2002
and Sen. Hollings choosing to exit at 82 last year.
Sen. Graham, still less than halfway through his first term, will turn
50 in eight days.
And would being one of only nine U.S. Supreme Court justices really be
a promotion over being one of only two U.S. senators from South Carolina?