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Lindsey Graham: "Make Me Commander-in-Chief"

Russell/IPR
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at a campaign appearance in West Des Moines

South Carolina Senator and candidate for the Republican nomination for President Lindsey Graham addressed a crowd of about a hundred people in West Des Moines today.  

Graham is travelling the country arguing for a "no" vote in Congress for the Obama Administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran.  

Flanked by a banner proclaiming “No Nukes for Iran,”   Graham says the agreement will promote terrorism in the Middle East. 

He presents himself as the strongest security hawk in the race.  And he vows to fight radical Islam with more U.S. ground troops overseas.

“I’m going to rebuild our military,” Graham says.  “I’m going to take the fight over there before it comes here again.”

One heckler shouted “not our kids,” and protesters waved an anti-war banner outside.     

But Tim Payne, an insurance company auditor from Ankeny, says Graham knows how things work in the Middle East.

“When it comes to foreign policy I think he brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise,” Payne says.  

Graham has attracted some Iowa military leaders to his campaign.   But he is struggling to break out of the pack of Republican candidates.

“I think I’m the best qualified to be Commander in Chief,” Graham says, “and I show the willingness to work with Democrats that the others have not.”

Graham says the four Republican U.S. Senators who are running for president are trying to outdo each other on the issues, but he says he’s trying to keep his campaign for President off the Senate floor.        

He took questions on the Middle East plus gun control, abortion, and social security.  

From Iowa Graham goes to New Hampshire.   Fellow senator, friend, and onetime Republican nominee for President John McCain will join him there.