Posted on 12/17/2002 8:04:12 PM PST by TLBSHOW
Opposition Research Starts on Nickles
Early this week, I told those of you who want Trent Lott gone that dumping him will not end the smearing. I said, "Even now, Democratic Party operation research is giving a Clymer exam to the records of all potential Lott replacements." Sure enough, Jim Abrams of the Associated Press has run the first hit piece on Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), who came out against Lott on one of the Sunday shows.
Headline: "Nickles' Voting Record on Civil Rights Mirrors Lott's." The subtext here is that Don Nickles embraces segregation, "too" because that's what they say about Lott. This is going to keep happening to Republicans until we stop being worried about whether or not we're all thought of as racists. It's going to keep happening until we start tackling this with the mountain of historical facts about the Republican Party's history on civil rights.
I guarantee you they're working on similar stories about Senators McConnell, Frist, Domenici and anyone else who might replace Lott. Without mentioning the Democrats who also opposed it, Abrams dutifully transcribes the DNC talking point that Nickles opposed making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday. He does write that "Nickles unsuccessfully pushed alternatives to a paid holiday," but follows it up quickly with the fact that he backed a Jesse Helms amendment to preserved tax exempt status for private schools, such as Bob Jones University.
You must mention Bob Jones; it's obligatory if AP wants to keep getting the DNC faxes and not have to actually do their own research instead. There's a whole bunch of tax exempt colleges out there, but you have to name this one. Everywhere in this article it's "Lott and Nickles." It's like reading an article about Sonny & Cher. AP also reports that "the senators" again, they are one-and-the-same, "differed with the NAACP" on Head Start, education programs, the confirmation of John Ashcroft and global AIDS funding.
So they're all bigots, because they dared disagree with the NAACP and supported Ashcroft. They're already moving on from Lott to Nickles, as proved by the quote AP printed from Hillary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington office: "We're concerned..." Oh, she's quoting Daschle! "We're concerned that Nickles has voted just as poorly or even more poorly than Trent Lott." [Italics added] Do you see this? Nickles is even worse, now! I hate to say See, I Told You So, but this is all happening. We have to take this garbage on. There's no other way to stop it.
I take it that you are being sarcastic?
In which case: I agree with your point wholeheartedly.
This McCarthyite "racism" charade has gone on far, far, far too long. It's time to end it.
Democrat appeasers are in a pickle bump!
I wonder when Nickles will schedule his appearance on BET?
Ping!
Lord, what is happening? I am agreeing with all three of my (fellow-)Texan nemeses on this issue: Sinkspur, Texasforever, and Illbay!
"They" don't have to do anything, "we" will do it for them.
Good point! He'd better have his "I's sorry, boss" script ready!
Feeding the beast only makes it hunger for more.
We should have hit the beast with a 2X4 the day this Lott business emerged.
It would all be over by now.
The bar for "racism" is now so low, no one can get under it. We are now in thought crime territory.
Nobody's going to take Trent Lott's job who doesn't pass muster with Lincoln Chaffee.
Chaffee doesn't like Nickles.
It is just a simple matter of being able to see unfairness when you see it. This is criminal unfairness and it is especially galling to see it coming from the right.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.