W. Thomas Smith Jr. of the National Review writes this morning of an interesting encounter with Sen. Lindsey Graham while on location in Iraq.

As we were leaving the dining facility, I bumped into Col. Lindsey Graham (yes, the South Carolina senator): I say “colonel” because Graham — an Air Force Reserve JAG officer — was dressed in his desert khaki uniform, and — here’s the fun part — armed with a 9mm Beretta pistol in a shoulder holster.

Giving me that good ol’ Capitol Hill handshake and arm-squeeze, he said, “Tom, we’re winning this thing out here.” He also said he had a special Iraq story for NRO when I get back to the states. [W. THOMAS SMITH JR. - NRO]