[nicollo]

Lott doesn't need any votes to become ML. He already is ML-elect. If someone wants to depose him, that is, to keep from happening what has already happened, then that someone needs all the votes, including Lott's to do it. It would be like a "confidence" vote in Parliamentary systems, and would be highly irregular in the U.S. Senate.

This is media-generated hype to get people to think that the Republicans can still decide what to do with Lott. Furthermore, if it were a simple election, Lott would have no excuse to resign office. If he is deposed, that's another matter. That's the card he holds.

When nothing happens -- i.e., Lott remains ML, the media will scream, "See! See! The Republicans are racist since they elected Lott ML." Guess what: the Republicans already have elected Lott to ML. They don't want us to know this.

The issue should be should the party REMOVE him, not ELECT him. The media are liars.

[Miss Marple]

I have a question. If the Republican senators refuse to pay attention to Lott, how much power does he have? In other words, what actions in the Senate would he control without the confidence of the rest of his peers? I know that he schedules floor votes and apparently appoints committee chairmen. What else does he do?

In other words, can he end up as ML in name only?

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

The issue should be should the party REMOVE him, not ELECT him. The media are liars.

I won't dispute the last sentence, they usually are.

They did, however, report the fact that Senator Lott was elected Majority Leader when the Party caucus was held for that purpose. I even remember seeing it in the Pravda. It just wasn't highlighted because it was, well, yawn! Seriously - who would have thought anything else, so it didn't rate much print space.

I guess, for me, it is in what context the term "election" is being used. I read it as "contest." And if it comes to pass there is a vote taken among Republicans on Lott's future, that surely becomes a contest. So I didn't have a problem with the word "election," but that was because I passed it through the prism I just described.

But the sheeple probably didn't, so you have a point.

[Radix]

The media are liars.

Wow, really?