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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), using exceptionally heated language, called the health care bill on Sunday "seedy Chicago politics," "backroom deals that amount to bribes," "Enron accounting," "the worst of Washington," "phony," and a "sham," adding that Obama's campaign slogan of "change you can believe in, after this health care bill debacle is now becoming an empty slogan."
Asked it the Senate bill was a done deal, Graham, appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," replied:
"This is far from over. The House and Senate bills are in many ways irreconcilable. But you know, I like David. He ran a brilliant campaign, but they're doing a lousy job governing the country, in my view. You know, change you can believe in, after this health care bill debacle is now becoming an empty slogan. And it's really been replaced by seedy Chicago politics, when you think about it, backroom deals that amount to bribes."
Host John King interjected: "Bribes -- that's a strong word."
Graham defended his choice of words: "Well, it is, oh, absolutely, it's a strong word. It was meant to be strong; principled compromised -- I mean, a compromise sold as a principled solution to an emotional problem like abortion that's fallen flat; Enron accounting techniques -- everything that people were upset with about Washington has gotten worse. And this bill personifies the worst of Washington."
"You and I know -- you've been around this town a long time -- that the Senate and the House is not going to impose those cuts. So when you put that into the health care mix, this thing doesn't save money; it costs money. And that's phony."
"So it is Enron-accounting. It is a sham. You collect taxes for 10 years and you pay out benefits for six years, and the Class Act, which no one's talking about, is a completely new government entitlement."
