Lindsey Graham says Obama needs to act on immigration

Lindsey Graham says Obama needs to act on immigration



If politicians are supposed to keep their friends close and their enemies closer, where should President Barack Obama keep U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham?

Graham, a Seneca Republican, praises Obama some days; other days, like Sunday, he attacks.

Obama met with Graham last week and asked for help rounding up Republican support for immigration reform. Afterward, the president said his commitment to the issue was “unwavering.”

Sunday on ABC's This Week, Graham called that “just political spin” that “doesn't pass the smell test.”

“Unwavering is sending two cabinet members over to the House and Senate two hours a day for two months with dozens of Senators trying to write a bill, that's what President Bush did,” Graham said. “President Obama has not been unwavering on immigration reform. He's pretty much ignored it because he's been consumed by health care.”

Graham said it's time for the president to act, not talk about immigration reform.

“You do the heavy lifting,” he said. “You put together a comprehensive legislative reform package. You bring it to the Senate and House and see how many Democrat and Republican supporters you can get.

“All you've done is talk about what we should do. Now is the time to lead...See how many votes you can get.”