Graham doubts Obama will sign health bill by State of the Union

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) Tuesday expressed skepticism that President Barack Obama will sign healthcare reform legislation by his State of the Union address.

Graham, in an interview on NBC's "Today Show," said that the president may not meet the widely-accepted target date by which the legislation should become law.

"There's a lot of doubt in my mind," Graham said after he was asked if the Obama would sign legislation before the address. 

Democrats are pressing to pass the overaul bill out of the Senate before Christmas so that Obama can enact the legislation before the State of the Union, which usually occurs in late January.

Many Democrats would like the final bill to approved by that time so that negotiations do not linger too far into 2010, an election year. Congress has been considering healthcare reform for nearly all of 2009.

Graham's words also come as Senate Democrats have remained united through two-of-three 60-vote procedural motions, the latest of which passed early Tuesday morning. The third vote to advance the bill will likely come on Wednesday.

The South Carolina senator also called federal Medicare funds awarded to Nebraska as part of an effort to get holdout Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) on board, "sleazy."

"That's the same old stuff I object to. That's not change we can believe in. That's sleazy," he said.

Graham also indirectly objected to a portion of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-R.I.) Sunday floor speech in which he called opponents of the overhaul bill "the birthers, the fanatics, the people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups.

"I'm not a member of a militia. I'm not a birther. I'm a senator who wants to reform healthcare but I'm not going to allow my country to become a socialized nation when it comes to healthcare," Graham said.

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