WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., targeted members of his own party after the final GOP presidential debate of 2015, calling Republican disdain for President Barack Obama “unhealthy.”
After dominating the stage at the undercard debate Tuesday night, Graham appeared on CNN’s New Day on Wednesday.
“To those people who think Obama’s a Muslim who was born in Kenya, I lost you a long time ago,” the senator said. “There’s a dislike of Obama in my party that’s unhealthy, there was a dislike for President [George W.] Bush in the Democratic party that was unhealthy. He is my President.”
Graham said Obama called him on Tuesday to discuss working with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Despite that, Graham said Obama made mistakes when it came to handling the Islamic State: “I think he has screwed this up 10 ways to Sunday, but Bush made his fair share of mistakes too.”
Graham offered similar sentiments in a heated exchange Tuesday evening during the undercard debate:
“I blame Obama for ISIL not Bush, I’m tired of beating up on Bush, I miss Bush,” he yelled. “I wish he was president right now.”
Throughout the night, Graham managed to get in several one-liners, often interrupting other candidates to get word in edgewise. “I am hilarious,” he told CNN on Wednesday.
