Influential GOP'ers Within White House Urge Bush to Work Behind the Scenes for Lott Resignation

CBS News Exclusive ^ | Decemer 13, 2002 | Bob Schieffer

[Reagan Man]

I wasn't talking just about FReepers. I also was including conservative pundits like Charles Krauthammer, who have called for Lott to resign his Seante seat. And no, I haven't kept track of those FReepers who've demanded Lott resign, but they do exist. Many of the outrageous acts of rhetorical condemnation aimed at Lott by FReepers this week, do not blatantly demand his resignation. You need to read between the lines. It's my opinion, that those FReepers and conservative pundits, who are demanding Lott step aside as Majority Leader, might get more then they bargained for in the end. If Lott steps down as ML, the liberal establishment will use that to demand his Senate resignation. The spin will be that Lott is a racist and thereby, unfit to hold public office.

The truth is, if the GOP had a safe majority of 2-4 seats, many people would be very outspoken in calling for Lott to resign his seat. The hatred people have for Lott on this conservative website is quite excessive. This week proved that to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Here's an excellent quote from a well respected FReeper. Something to consider.

>>>"This is not about supporting Lott this is about bending over one more time on a trumped up charge of racism and it works every damn time and it will work forever as long as we do not get off our cowardly knees and say NO MORE. Bush should have said that he was disgusted at the obvious race baiting and that Lott said nothing racist and for him to resign would be just one more example of the democrat’s desire to keep this country polarized. He then could work behind the scenes to encourage Lott to allow another senate vote. What GW has done is branded Lott a racist and I am ashamed of him for doing it and I am ashamed of many on this forum for applauding it."
207 posted on 12/13/2002 1:54 AM MST by Texasforever

[chachacha]

Nothing like being against political correctness and then doing the same thing.

Nothing like blaming the other side for putting politics before country. Then doing the same thing.

Nothing like blaming the other side for putting party above country. The doing the same thing.

My GOD! If you could only hear yourselves.

Hang in there conservatives the rest are deserting to the POLITICALLY CORRECT liberals side.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

[Hoppean]

You're right, Texasforever. The anti-Lott response of much of the GOP smacks of retreat and surrender, ceding the moral high ground to the Democrats, as usual.

Lott has nothing to apologize for--the Democrats are taking his comments and interpreting them in a way deliberately designed to look offensive to them.

There is more than one way to look at Lott's comments, and the Democrats and too many conservatives seem to insist on seeing the worst and being offended. They get off on being offended, it makes them feel moral and righteous and powerful, and no matter what Lott or Bush or anyone else says or does, no matter how many apologies are issued, the politically correct types will never be satisfied.

This battle over political correctness is one the GOP can never win as long as they stay on the defensive. The GOP needs to go on the offense (pun somewhat intended). No one respects a pushover.

[Mo1]

Santorum is a good choice .. he's being groomed for a furture leadership roll .. He is young but he is starting his second term .. he was elected in 1995

here is his bio



Rick Santorum has served in the United States Senate since January, 1995. Now the third ranking Republican in the Senate, as Conference Chairman, Senator Santorum directs the communications operations of Senate Republicans, and is a high profile spokesman for the party. He is the youngest member of the leadership and the first Pennsylvanian in leadership since Senator Hugh Scott was Republican Leader in the 1970's.

Senator Santorum has been a leader in the fight to reform America's social welfare system. However, welfare reform is only a part of his broader vision to end urban and rural poverty by strengthening families, communities and the local organizations that sustain them. He is the Senate Chairman of the Renewal Alliance, a coalition of congressmen and senators seeking economic and cultural restoration in impoverished rural and urban communities. Senator Santorum is also Co-Chair of the Congressional Empowerment Caucus (CEC), a bipartisan effort to promote responsible fatherhood and marriage, charitable giving, opportunities for young people and financial self-sufficiency.

Senator Santorum also believes that we have a national responsibility to educate each of our children to succeed in our high technology economy. Having visited over 150 Pennsylvania schools in his first term, Senator Santorum believes that by giving states and communities control over their children's education, the federal government can be an effective partner to schools working to give all of America's children a world class education.

American families pay more in taxes than on food, clothing, housing, and transportation combined. Senator Santorum is a leading advocate in the fight to reform our federal tax code, and he will continue to seek lower taxes for working Pennsylvanians, and the businesses that employ them, by championing a reduction in the tax burden for all Americans.

Senator Santorum was also proud to be the first Pennsylvania senator on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly a century. He is a leading advocate for Pennsylvania farmers. Senator Santorum is responsible for the creation of the federal Farmland Protection Program and is fighting for the future of Pennsylvania's dairy farmers. In addition, he worked to bring fairness to the federal crop insurance program for specialty farmers and secured relief for all Pennsylvania farmers touched by the devastating 1999 drought.

As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Aging, and having worked as Co-Chair of the Senate Majority Leader's Task Force on Social Security, Senator Santorum is a leader in the fight to save and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.

Working as a member of the Senate Health Care Task Force, Senator Santorum actively seeks responsible managed care reforms and increased health insurance opportunities for the uninsured. He also remains a strong proponent of federal support for the medical research that is essential to improving the health and well-being of all Americans.

The son of two Veterans Administration employees, and a current member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Santorum has focused on efforts to ensure that the American men and women who serve in our armed services are treated with the respect and honor they so richly deserve.

Senator Santorum's committee assignments for the 107th Congress include the Senate Armed Services Committee – where he chairs the AirLand Subcommittee – the Banking Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Aging.

Prior to his election to the Senate in 1994, Senator Santorum made his mark in the U.S. House of Representatives as a young Congressman fighting for government accountability and welfare reform. He was first elected to Congress in 1990 at the age of 32.

Senator Santorum attended Penn State University, where in 1980 he received a B.A. in Political Science. During his undergraduate years, he became actively involved in the political process volunteering on the campaign of the late Senator John Heinz. Senator Santorum continued his education at the University of Pittsburgh, earning an M.B.A. in 1981. In 1986, he received a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law.

While Senator Santorum is proud of his accomplishments as a public servant, he is most proud of his role as husband and father. Senator Santorum and his wife, Karen Garver Santorum of Penn Hills, PA, are the parents of seven children: Elizabeth Anne; Richard John ("Johnny"), Jr.; Daniel James; Gabriel Michael (deceased); Sarah Maria; Peter Kenneth; and Patrick Francis.

[MurryMom]

On local news in Chicago, Bush was beaten up badly last night.

Bush deserves to be taken behind the woodshed more often. How many weeks is the puny presidential pretender behind Al Gore and even the WSJ on this one?

[tellw]

I said this before...Lott should step down and take Mitch McConnell's gavel as chairman of Rules Committee, and McConnell can become the majority leader. That way Lott can still wield a significant parliamentary power but not be the poster boy for latent racism in the GOP, which he will be as long as he is majority leader.

[DodgeRam]

I think frist will stay in the senate, because he might have higher ambitions like V.P. down the road. Frist, Nickles, and Santorum (?) are the future leaders of the senate. Very articulate and telegenic.

[iconoclast]

I said this before...Lott should step down and take Mitch McConnell's gavel as chairman of Rules Committee, and McConnell can become the majority leader.

I think your's is a pretty good analysis. And I don't want to see Lott humiliated, but I don't much care where he winds up as long as he's still Republican (and NOT majority leader).

I detest McConnell (just a gut feeling, I think he is slicker than snot on a doorknob). I really like Nichols but feel he is not articulate/forceful enough. I just feel like the best man to go head to head with Dasshole is Frist.

[rintense]

If this is true, President Bush has just pushed me farther away from him. I do not agree with President Bush on this, nor do I think his words yesterday were the right ones.

[Mr. Mojo]

Do you want him to resign from his senate seat? If they remove Lott as Majority leader he has no real choice but to resign his seat.

Are you sure about that?