Exits by Graham Platner and Lindsey Graham. (Photos credit: Portland Press Herald, L.A. Times)

Platner and Lindsey leave the building

Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Representatives Ruben Gallego and Ro Khanna. Three prominent Democrats and a star Independent endorsed an unknown candidate who proved to be unworthy. Graham Platner, with zero political experience, was plucked from the unknown by out-of-state political activists. (The Wall Street Journal reports Platner benefitted from a rushed, inexpensive background check done in just a few days. Reportedly, Platner wasn’t interviewed.)

The endorsements by Sanders, Warren, Gallego and Khanna prove that hypocrisy, usually associated with Republicans, afflicts Democratics, too.

Apparently, Dems were thinking like MAGAs, which is to say they were not thinking. Arguing for the release of the Epstein files and then holding hands with creepy Graham Platner, like Bernie Sanders did, will ruin your credibility.

Sanders, whose mental alertness has until now not been questioned (he doesn’t fall asleep in meetings and doesn’t confuse Japan with Iran), somehow found a way to ignore Platner’s tattoo resembling a Nazi emblem. An emblem favored by SS guards at World War II concentration camps. Sanders is a Jew.

Ro Khanna has been the most vocal champion supporting Epstein survivors. With a reputation for bi-partisan work, it’s not surprising Khanna worked across the aisle with Rep. Thomas Massie and former MAGA queen, Marjorie Taylor Greene, forcing the Department of Justice to release millions of Epstein files. Now, Khanna’s attraction to alleged sexual predator Platner’s campaign is unfathomable.

Bernie Sanders should have just said no. (Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

The ease with which Elizabeth Warren jumped aboard the Platner Bandwagon is inexplicable. Even credible stories (not denied by Platner) of sordid sexting with other women, after he got married, did not deter Warren from joining the Platner frenzy. When it came to Platner, Warren’s brain scrambled like Republican Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy’s brain scrambled when he stupidly voted to confirm RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services director.

In Maine, Platner’s ballyhooed “movement” was a movement of knuckleheads hoodwinked by a liar accused of rape by at least two women (sounds familiar).

Platner posed as a regular guy, a plain ‘ol oyster farmer, even though he came from a family of affluence. MSNOW reporting says Platner’s grandfather was a prominent architect who designed the Windows on the World restaurant at the World Trade Center. His mother owns a Maine restaurant and buys oysters from her son.

As I noted a few weeks ago, it is amazing that Dems in Maine are unable to unseat Susan Collins. The Platner adventure is an example of why Democrats fail to dethrone Collins, who has more political warts than a pack of warthogs. With her legendary obfuscating, and actions that run counter to the best interests of her constituents, Collins should have been sent home years ago.

As calls grew for Platner to end his campaign the often-pugnacious Sanders released a succinct statement: “In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”

A key takeaway is that supporting a sexual predator is not just a Republican thing. If it means winning in November, progressives are willing to hold their noses, too.

Another insight is there are two things that are unsettling, despite giddiness displayed by Democrats as November approaches. One is election meddling by Trump. The other is the capacity of Democrats to fumble the ball near the goal line.

There is no reason to lower flags for a man like Lindsey Graham. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

The cowardly Lindsey

Lindsey Graham – a faux tough guy – is the poster boy for cowardice, after selling his soul to curry favor with 34x felon, adjudicated rapist, likely pedophile Trump. Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, leading the charge to pass Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that will destroy American lives. The bill strategically camouflages certain provisions that will not be implemented until after the fall mid-term elections – just what you would expect from a coward.

Here are some of Graham’s greatest “hits” before his spine turned to slush. They reveal a man who knew Trump was/is bad news. Graham detested the thought of a Trump presidency.

· “There’s only one way to make America great again. Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.”

· “Trump’s a jackass, race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot.”

· “I think [Trump’s] a kook. I think he’s crazy.”

· “Donald Trump is not a conservative Republican. He’s an opportunist. He’s not fit to be president.”

· “Donald Trump is the most unelectable Republican I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

· “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed and we will deserve it.”

· “Trump and I had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Count me out. I’ve had enough.” (Rejecting Trump’s claims of election interference on the evening of January 6, following the Trump-inspired riot.)

Shortly thereafter, Senator Lindsey Graham became Donald Trump’s biggest cheerleader; lying, spinning tales and lending his support to aid Trump’s attempt to destroy our democracy.

In March, Lindsey Graham was photographed holding a Little Mermaid bubble wand at Disney World during the government shutdown. (Photo credit: TMZ)

After the shock of learning about his death last Sunday morning, the over-the-top deification of Graham was nauseating. It was expected from Fox News and CBS. But other Sunday morning network shows, and even cable news programs on CNN and MSNOW joined in gushing about the “great politician” Lindsey Graham. Republicans falling in line was one thing, but Democrats’ effusiveness about Graham calls into question Democrats readiness to play to win this fall.

Why go “high,” handing out undeserved plaudits, when warmongering hawk Lindsey Graham spent most of the past decade dealing from the bottom of the barrel? Here are a few of Graham’s worst “hits” after his conversion to Trumpism:

· To the mother of dead Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, Graham said, “[I] will end the meeting right now” (if she continued saying negative things about Trump).

· “Just flatten [Gaza], like we flattened Tokyo and Berlin.”

· “We are going to make tons of money [in Iran].”

· After Trump and JD Vance infamously tag-teamed Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskyy, Graham said, “What I saw in the Oval Office [from Zelenskyy] was disrespectful, and I don’t know if I could ever do business with Zelenskyy again.”

· “Kill Iranian officials.”

· “[Renee Good] deserved what happened. She provoked ICE.”

· “Mr. President, you’re not far behind God.”

On Monday, South Carolina’s governor promoted Graham’s sister and, in the process, added Darlene Graham Nordone to the mountainous list of DEI job winners approved by DEI-hating Republicans. Nordone, wholly unqualified, is now a U.S. senator. She joins the Trump administration DEI list of shame that includes Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr., Marco Rubio, Kash Patel, Kristi Noem, Todd Blanche and Markwayne Mullin.

It was a rough weekend for the Graham boys. Graham Platner’s campaign is dead, and Lindsey Graham is literally dead.

GRAHAMS ARE GONE