Lindsey Graham: The senator who lived the American Dream and loved Israel

Mike Huckabee remembers his friend, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who died recently. Huckabee, who knew Graham for over 20 years, describes him as a true friend and a man full of life.

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Some people are just hard to like. You see them coming, and you hope you can avoid them. Sen. Lindsey Graham was not that person. The opposite was true of Graham. Being around him was like being around a true friend, and that’s exactly what he was to me for over 20 years.

Graham's journey began in poverty, similar to Huckabee's own upbringing. His parents owned a bar and pool hall, where Graham worked after school. Tragedy struck when both his parents died within 15 months, leaving a 21-year-old Graham responsible for his younger sister. He enlisted in the Air Force to support her and legally adopted her to prevent her from entering foster care.

Graham's life exemplified the American Dream. He worked hard, completed college and law school, served 33 years in the Air Force reserves, retiring as a colonel. He transitioned from cleaning bars to becoming a respected senator. He lived the American Dream and demonstrated its possibilities.

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He didn’t talk about the American Dream – he lived it and demonstrated it.

A staunch supporter of Israel, Graham believed the partnership between the U.S. and Israel benefited both nations and freedom. He often stated that Israel's enemies were America's enemies. His critics labeled him a "warmonger," but Huckabee dismisses this, arguing Graham understood that nations driven by hate, like Iran, threatened global peace. Graham believed strength, not weakness, fostered peace.

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He loved Israel because he loved America and understood that the partnership between the US and Israel was an incredible benefit to both nations and to freedom. He often said that Israel’s enemies are America’s enemies. He was right.

Huckabee recalls seeing Graham in Jerusalem with former senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, whom he called "The three amigos." Graham's sense of humor was contagious and disarming, a quality Huckabee cherished.

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His critics called him a warmonger. Nonsense! He didn’t love war, but he knew that nations built on hate and death like Iran were a threat to freedom and peace everywhere. His view was that strength is more likely to bring peace than weakness and capitulation. He was right again.