Sen. Lindsey Graham refused to walk back comments he made about segregation earlier this week.
Graham made his most recent controversial comments when seeking to clarify U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's view of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. Barrett had previously referred to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling as a "super-precedent" or a case that is so far engrained in American society that it could not be overturned. During Graham's exchange with Barrett, he said, “You’re not aware of any effort to go back to the good old days of segregation by a legislative body.” Shortly thereafter he referred to segregation as the "good old days," Graham's opponent in the November election, Jaime Harrison, issued a rebuttal.
"Lindsey Graham just called segregation the good old days. The good old days for who, Senator? It’s 2020, not 1920. Act like it," Harrison said.
Graham's spokesperson Guy King followed-up by saying that Graham is "completely out of touch the South Carolina of today” and that he “has lost his moral compass.” In response, Graham attempted to argue that his comments were more sarcastic than literal.
"It was with deep sarcasm that I suggested that some legislative body would want to yearn for the good old days of segregation,” Graham said.
“The point that I’m trying to make — there is nobody in America in the legislative arena wanting to take us back to that dark period in American history.”
Graham later added on to his response by taking issue with Harrison's comments about his remarks. He went as far as to say that Harrison's response was more of an issue than his comments.
“For my opponent to suggest that says far more about him than me.”
Graham will return to Capitol Hill for the latest session of Barrett's confirmation process. In two weeks, Graham and Harrison will have an opportunity to settle their war of words at the ballot boxes on November 3.
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