Lindsey Graham Wants to Talk Less, Drink More

On Monday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham announced he is running for president, and like most candidates in the field, he wants to put Washington back together. But what makes him the right person for the job? Graham wants more drinking in Washington, and as it turns out, he's not the first public figure who wants to add a little liquid courage to the mix.

In an interview with Yahoo Finance in late April, Graham said he thinks Washington needs to talk less and drink more. He even jokes with his interviewer about Friday-afternoon happy hours at the White House, which the press are obviously invited to. "You've got to drink to come," Graham said.

What's wrong with Washington is we talk too much and we don't drink enough. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill would have a drink every afternoon. They didn't yell at each other on cable TV. They had a working relationship.

In all seriousness, Graham envisions an era when politicians actually get along and can share a drink or two to bridge the ever-divisive aisle to get stuff done. As a senator with more than 10 years in Congress under his belt, Graham knows firsthand the hostility and rivalry that we all want Congress to get over. And he's proposing a way, albeit slightly extreme, to reinstate the camaraderie of old.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I vowed this year just sparkling water — stay away from the wine — but the dinner was so delicious it needed wine.

Our favorite Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg has admitted she has shown up to the State of the Union address less than sober. But in her defense, she's only trying to make it more exciting — she's fallen asleep at least during two of the events. "The audience, for the most part, is awake because they are bobbing up and down and we sit there stone-faced. But we're not, at least I was not, 100 percent sober," she said after the 2015 SOTU.

Winston Churchill

I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.

Chasing a day in government with hard liquor isn't just an American thing. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill helped take down Germany in World War II and knew how to celebrate appropriately. He reportedly found happy hours so effective that President Roosevelt's White House staff got accustomed to the two world leaders partaking in "Winston Hours" together.

Franklin Pierce

There is nothing left to do but get drunk.

The 14th president of the United States knew when to fold 'em. He's the only sitting president to lose his party's nomination for re-election — and his alleged reaction can teach us all a lesson about handling rejection.

Barack Obama

If the presidency thing doesn't work out, we've got a little microbrewery thing going on.

President Obama also has retirement plans that involve alcohol. During a visit to the Late Show with David Letterman in 2012, Obama revealed that the White House staff brews its own beer, using honey produced by bees in the garden.

When it comes to politics, maybe there should be a little bit of fun and games. That's the kind of hope and change that Lindsey Graham — and really, all of us — would like to see.

Images: Getty (3), Cliff1066/Flickr