DRUDGE: LOTT OUT BY WEEKEND!

USNEWS.COM ^ | Paul Bedard

[BuddhaBoy]

DAILY WHISPER
The Lott buzz: Gone in days

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, under pressure from colleagues and the White House to give up his post instead of face a January vote of confidence, may give in as soon as this weekend, predict key Senate Republican aides. In fact, they're already discussing Lott's post-majority-leader career, suggesting that he might be handed the chairmanship of a key committee for "doing the right thing," says one aide.

As his comments at a birthday party for Sen. Strom Thurmond and his subsequent apologies continued to ripple through Washington yesterday, fellow Republican senators began adopting President Bush's position of nonsupport for Lott. That, say aides, is a clear signal that he has lost the confidence of his caucus. "All he has to do," says one, "is read the first sentence in the New York Times lead today to see it's over." That story begins: "Republicans with close ties to the Bush administration said today that Sen. Trent Lott had no chance of remaining majority leader and that the White House wanted him out."

For his part, Lott is standing firm. Allies say he was bolstered when civil rights leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis accepted Lott's apology. In fact, some black political leaders suggested that Lott's experience would make him sensitive and sympathetic to African-American causes. But other GOP officials worried about a wounded Lott being beholden to his critics, to which a Lott associate told Whispers: "Senator Lott is beholden to his GOP senators and the state of Mississippi."

[BuddhaBoy]

So, I was off by a week. So what, as long as he is gone?

[per loin]

I think it is time for Lott to apologize, and get this behind him.

[dfwgator]

Send a few billion dollars of pork to Mississippi, that'll keep Trent happy.

[dfwgator]

Too little, too late. We have reached the end-game.

[Tennessean4Bush]

He needs to do it himself before it is apparent to everyone that it is forced. He will expend all his political capital trying to hold onto the post and in the end will still lose. If he bows out graciously sooner rather than later he can use his considerable political capital in trying to rehabilitate himself. Maybe he runs for governor next. But if he wants any Republican help in so-doing he needs to step up to the plate.

I think it is a shame he cannot be forgiven and we all just move on, but the reality is that no one really believes his explanations, even if they do not believe he is a racist. Now, he has totally cut his Republican support off by saying on BET that he is FOR affirmative action. Give me a break, no conservative will support him now.

[CFC__VRWC]

Not good enough any more. The right thing for Lott to do now is resign from the Senate. He's too badly compromised to even be allowed to be a back-bencher.

[BuddhaBoy]

If Lott apologizes one more time, I suspect he will next turn black and start working on his jump shot.

[AmishDude]

"All he has to do," says one, "is read the first sentence in the New York Times lead today to see it's over."

OK, let him stay or let him go, but don't tell me any "Republican aide" actually reads the New York Times anymore.

[One More Time]

I am not at all sorry to see him go.

[Rome2000]

Allies say he was bolstered when civil rights leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis accepted Lott's apology.

That is the most pathetic sentence I have ever read.

[Centurion2000]

In fact, they're already discussing Lott's post-majority-leader career, suggesting that he might be handed the chairmanship of a key committee for "doing the right thing," says one aide.

This would be perfect.

[LibWhacker]

Allies say he was bolstered when civil rights leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis accepted Lott's apology.

I guess he was "bolstered" because he thought conservatives would be only too happy to have Lewis' and Jesse Jackson's "man" in there as ML. Shows just how out of touch the RINO really was.

[Willie Green]

The right thing for Lott to do now is resign from the Senate. He's too badly compromised to even be allowed to be a back-bencher.

You're just praying for Daschle's return to majority leader.

[July 4th]

Keep him in the Senate, and give him a powerful committee where he can do no harm on race. It would be perfect.

[modern_orthodox]

I think it is time for Lott to apologize, and get this behind him.

he's been trying. so far, it hasn't seemed to work. in fact, most people here (and across the aisle) seem to think its all for the best.

[per loin]

I suspect he will soon apologize for his racist neglect in not having already worked on his jump shot.

[CFC__VRWC]

Allies say he was bolstered when civil rights leader and Georgia congressman John Lewis accepted Lott's apology.

Of course Lewis would say that - he owns Trent Lott now. Start looking for Jackson, Sharpton, et al to try and call off the dogs.

[dfwgator]

Like I said, just promise to build another aircraft carrier in Pascagoula, and Trent will be happy.

[r9etb]

So, I was off by a week. So what, as long as he is gone?

Indeed. I think this will end up being another case of the D's shooting themselves in the foot. Instead of Lott, they'll probably find themselves having to deal with a guy with a backbone.

It was obvious that this would happen as soon as Lott made his gaffe. Ya gotta love how those folks keep forgetting the Law of Unintended Consequences.

[CFC__VRWC]

Not at all - I'm a former Lott defender who has decided that the situation is now hopeless, and I'm calling it as I see it.