State lawmaker calls Lindsey Graham 'a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood'

The state lawmaker looking to unseat Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced his candidacy on Tuesday by accusing him of being too friendly with not only President Barack Obama but the Islamic governing regime in Egypt.

According to The State, state Sen. Lee Bright (R) slammed Graham for fulfilling Obama's request to visit the country alongside Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), saying that instead of listening to constituents' concerns during the congressional recess, Graham "has instead chosen to take his time to be a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood." Bright also called on Graham to repudiate McCain's calling Tea Party Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) a "wacko bird" in April 2013.

A picture posted on Bright's campaign Facebook pagedepicts Graham as a clown alongside the statement, "I think it's paranoia between libertarians and the hard left that is unjustified. I trust this president and other presidents to exercise commander-in-chief authority in a time of war." The remark was taken from a March 2013 Associated Press story regarding criticism of Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) filibuster against federal policy on the use of unmanned combat drones.

According to The Huffington Post, Graham's campaign released a statement highlighting what they described as proof of his conservative credentials, including an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association and being named "Pro-life Legislator of the Year" by an anti-abortion group, SC Citizens for Life.

Bright, one of three Republican challengers for Graham, told the Associated Press that his trip to Egypt with McCain would fuel the country's recent instability.

"They are outsiders, trying to come in and tell them how to operate internal affairs in their country," Bright said to the AP. "From what I can tell, they have done nothing but assist the Muslim Brotherhood, which I would not list as one of our top allies."

[Image via state Sen. Lee Bright's campaign Facebook page]