Lindsey Graham - the next big thing in the GOP?

enrevanche buddy John deVille writes in with some savvy political observations and prognostications. As you might gather as you read on, John and I have some differences of political opinion, but I have great respect for him as an analyst and observer, and he's got a gig as a guest blogger here any time he wants it. (Most links added by your humble blog editor.)

Does grabbing the third rail merely confirm that one is a retard or does the electricity make it so? In either case, W's pronouncement about the T-Bills which back the Social Security trust fund [NY Times story, April 6, 2005] being worthless is truly the dumbest thing he's said yet. And it's dangerous; it seems to me that the potential for destablizing the world's economy is real, if he sticks to this mantra. China and Japan and the Saudis may just start to believe this loon.

Here's Talking Points Memo's excellent coverage of this gaffe.

And here's a great calendar [PDF format] chronicling Crazy W's Social Security "EVERYTHING'S GOT TO GO" Fire Sale Tour.

[And here's a New York Times editorial taking the President to task for his declaration about U.S. Government debt. To be perfectly fair about it, in the Times' original story, the reporter observed that "Although there is literally a trust fund that can be found in the federal budget, Mr. Bush was on solid ground when he said it was basically 'just I.O.U.'s.'" - bc]

Prediction: A 2008 GOP presidential candidate is going to make a serious move with 90 days.

In other words, there is real potential for a significant insurgency within the Republican party. The leader of the insurgency will talk about a "return" to "true Republican values: states' rights (referencing the Schiavo debacle), the need to keep from exercising the so-called "nuclear" option (dismantling the filibuster), the need to focus on Social Security solvency and serious health care reform, the need to make Homeland Security focus on security and not pork barrel BS, the need to beef up border security and act more aggressively on illegal immigration, the need to protect American manufacturing jobs, and possibly, the need to get the hell out of Iraq.

I'm basically thinking someone espousing a blend of Lou Dobbs and Pat Buchanan. It won't work coming out of Giuliani's mouth and McCain seems to be stuck in the mud. Most of the other possible candidates--Huckabee, Frist, Romney, Jeb--can't or won't make this move.

But Lindsey Graham...

If I had fifty bucks and a bookie who would give me decent odds, that's where I'd put my money.

John, I'm reasonably sure that some of the British bookmaking firms are already accepting bets on the 2008 Presidental elections. I'll go in halfies with you. Try Ladbrokes (they're currently offering 16:1 on New York City bagging the 2012 Olympics.)

Frankly, if I heard a Republican start talking like a combination of Lou Dobbs and Pat Buchanan (without all of Buchanan's racist, anti-Semitic baggage) I might sell everything I own and follow him or her.

And speaking of Senator Graham, here's a very interesting article about him ("Swing Conservative") in the April, 2005 edition of Washington Monthly.