Graham: More progress could be made in shutdown talks if Dems would send 'somebody that's not crazy to deal with'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that more progress could be made in reaching a deal to end the partial government shutdown if Democrats would send "somebody that's not crazy to deal with" to the negotiating table.

What are the details?

Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Graham told host Margaret Brennan that talks between Republicans and Democrats are at a standstill due to the left's reliance on radical liberals to do their bidding.

"Dick Durbin's a reasonable guy, but he's not leading this parade," Graham said, telling Brennan that Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.) is someone the GOP could work with. But insisted that "as long as the radical left is in charge, we're never going to get anywhere."

Brennan pointed out that Durbin has been a part of the negotiations, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), pointing to a White House meeting held last week.

"He's not in the room. Neither one of them are in the room. They sent staff people to do the negotiation. The vice president's in the room with a bunch of staffers," Graham said, referring to talks Vice President Mike Pence held over the weekend.

Graham went on to say that he believes President Donald Trump would be willing to make concessions as long as $5 billion for a border wall is included as part of the package.

"I think we'll have offers on the table when we find somebody that's not crazy to deal with," the senator added. "We're not going to put any offers on the table as long as people in charge of these negotiations accuse all of us who want a wall as being a racist, and see our border patrol agents as gassing children. Until you get that crowd put to the sidelines, I don't see anything happening."

Why Durbin?

Graham explained, "Every [border security] plan in the past that I've supported with Dick Durbin has had money for physical barriers, including walls and fences — except now, when Trump's president."

Graham said that "the Democratic Party has supported $25 billion in the past."

"We'll negotiate with Dick Durbin, but I'm not going to negotiate with somebody who calls the border patrol agents a bunch of Nazis when they're trying to defend the border against a mob," he said.