WASHINGTON — Dick Harpootlian has never been one to stifle his opinions.

So when the former chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party decided that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has been doing a pretty good job — despite the fact that he’s a Republican — he showed his appreciation the best way one can in politics.

“No one worked harder to elect Alex Sanders than I did,” Harpootlian said of the former chief judge of the S.C. Court of Appeals, who lost to Graham in 2002. “But if Alex had to lose to somebody, let it be Lindsey Graham. I even cut him a check.”

Harpootlian says he admires Graham for hustling for South Carolina and for standing up to the Bush administration.

And the check? It’s for $2,000, cut at the end of the year.

“It just goes to show that if you live long enough, anything is possible,” said Graham. “I appreciate those thoughts from Dick. He’s a very worthy adversary. It means a lot to me that people think I’m trying to be fair, and represent everyone in South Carolina.”

“As to the check,” the senator said, “there’s no way I’m cashing that baby.

“I’m framing it."