Lindsey Graham unfiltered: jokes about white men, Baptists

By Peter Hamby, CNN National Political Reporter updated 8:07 PM EDT, Wed October 29, 2014 Washington (CNN) -- South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is toying with the idea of a presidential bid, joked in a private gathering this month that "white men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency," according to an audio recording of his comments provided to CNN. In the meeting, the Republican also cracked wise about Baptists, saying "they're the ones who drink and don't admit it," a variation of a joke he sometimes tells in public. Graham's folksy sense of humor and his shoot-from-the-hip style are part of his political appeal, and well-known to journalists and his colleagues in the Senate. But the behind-closed-doors remarks are a departure from the G-rated jokes he tells in public, and another reminder for politicians in the iPhone era that they are rarely far from a microphone, no matter how private the setting. The audio snippets were provided to CNN on Wednesday by two separate South Carolina Democrats who received the recordings from a person using an anonymous Gmail address. Graham confirmed the recordings in an interview Wednesday with CNN. read more