Posted on 08/04/2014 5:25:02 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) says Mississippi Republicans may need a regime change after the damaging primary fight between Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
This has shown the fissures that are there and I do think the party leaders it may cause the need for some change in the party leadership, Lott, now the co-chairman of Squire Patton Boggs' public policy practice, told The Hill during a wide-ranging interview at the firm's Washington office.
He warned that the Mississippi establishment is ignoring the Tea Party wing of the GOP at their own peril.
If they try to just stuff 'em or stiff 'em, and don't realize that there's a lesson to be learned there, it could be a problem, said Lott, a former Senate majority leader.
Cochran pulled a slim victory in his primary runoff, but McDaniel has yet to concede.
McDaniel and his allies have accused Cochran of stealing the nomination, in part by courting African-American Democrats to turn out for the senator. Theyve spent the past month poring over poll books in search of illegitimate votes.
His campaign says theyve found enough to challenge the runoff result in court and force a special election do-over of the race. But so far, they havent actually filed a challenge and McDaniel has yet to provide concrete evidence for his claims.
The state GOP executive committee ratified the results of the runoff, which gave Cochran a 7,667-vote lead, earlier this month, and party Chairman Joe Nosef has repeatedly said Mississippi Republicans are now focused on November.
Some Republicans argue that ignoring McDaniel is the best strategy, as that would allow the party to focus on the general election, where Cochran will be the favorite.
Nosef said that while its the partys responsibility to make sure everyones rights are protected, hes proud of how the issue has been handled.
At this point we have the dual responsibility of making sure everyone's rights are protected as far as any runoff issues, while at the same time preparing for the general election in November, Nosef said in an email to The Hill.
Lott said he didnt believe McDaniels refusal to quit would jeopardize the GOPs hold on the seat, but that it has created some problems internally, within the party in the state.
Ive already talked to some of the leaders that I worked with over the years about how do we deal with that. There is a little bit of a rupture there, he added.
Lott said prior to this race he hadnt seen the Tea Party as a threat, or even separate from the Republican Party in the state.
My answer to it when people would ask me about it was, we don't have a problem with the Tea Party, we are the Tea Party, philosophically, he said.
But now, the former senator says Republicans in Mississippi need to step up and reach out.
While he credited Gov. Phil Bryant (R) for acting as a conduit between the Tea Party and establishment wings in the state, he said more could be done to build bridges.
We have to acknowledge that [the primary fight] has caused a rift, and we've got [to find] a bigger way to deal with it, Lott added.
He was active in the primary on Cochrans behalf, endorsing him and appearing in ads for the senator.
Lott left the Senate before the Tea Partys rise and in many ways seems like the kind of establishment figure who would be a target of the grassroots movement.
Yet the business-friendly Lott who went on to a lucrative K Street career said he always felt a certain kinship to the Tea Party.
Lott said a Tea Party challenge couldve happened to him if he were in office.
I also have asked myself after what I saw happen in Mississippi this very year would I have that kind of challenge? Because I had been accused as someone who would make a deal, or [be] willing to compromise to get a result.
Times are so different. I don't know how I would do, but I do know one thing: They'd have to take me out, because I'd sure go down swinging, he said.
Youve been around FreeRepublic since 1998
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Yep and it’s been enjoyable to say the least.
Fixed it.
Chester!
Would this be the same establishment RINO Trent Lott who voted against convicting Bill Clinton when the impeachment reached the Senate?
Zero credibility, Mr. Lott. Zero credibility.
so what? I don’t give a d_mn what his motives were ..what he was RIGHT and far more reasonable than anything said by anyone else in the Miss GOP establishment - or the DC establishment - for that matter.
You are free to discount anything and everything based on motives ..but you’ll be a lot less happy.
No doubt he wants to distance himself from the Barbour machine .but that’s GOOD news, regardless of how self serving it is. If the end result is that the Barbour machine crashes and burns, then that will be a great achievement - even if Chris McDaniel doesn’t accomplish anything else.
And for the Barbour machine to crumble, pansy asses like Lott will have to jump ship. They are the only ones on the ship .
Glad you enjoy it! Now try to get caught up in what's been going on with the Mississippi primary; it'll help you avoid asking such silly questions.
Oh, I agree completely. That Lott wants to sidestep the splattering mess of Haley splashing into the gutter is an indication of how Lott reads McDaniels' efforts. It is a good sign.
Thanks for the guidance..... Have a good day.
Notice that Lott is yet another pol who does not reside in the state he represented after he leaves office but instead remains around the District of Corruption.
This article is wrong. McDaniel hasn’t been “pouring over poll boiks” because Thad Cochrans relatives and friends are in charge in MS and they won’t turn over the poll books. MS is obviously as corrupt as IL, and that’s no compliment.
Cochran deserves to lose because he cheated.
How about that!
Thanks for the quotes.
or ... when you’ve lost even Trent Lott .....
zackly
Double "zackly".
Here’s the conservative dream scenario:
Barbour is totally discredited and basically sent to retirement because NO ONE wants to touch his poison ever again.
This lesson reverberates thru the GOP consultant class.
Republicans remove Harry Reid by winning Senate, and do so while McConnell LOSES - thereby giving the Cruz-Lee wing of the Senate more power. McConnell is left to stew in the mess he and Barbour cooked up.
Now THAT is what would be exciting.
Lott endorsed Cochran. What he’s saying is true, I’m surprised he’s saying it. This is probably his “outreach” to “unify” the party.
“Why didnt McDaniel make an attempt to turn out these voters for his campaign?”
The McDaniel campaign reached out to ALL Mississippi voters with Conservative principles that would benefit ALL citizens. The Cochran campaign reached out specifically
with a campaign of fear, race baiting and lies against Senator McDaniel and his Conservative supporters while passing out envelopes containing $15 in exchange for a vote.
It would be one thing if Lott was trying to reconcile differences within the GOP - working to bridge the gap, bringing people to the table for the good of the party and nation, working to clean up the political rot in Mississippi - but as lawyers will do (with the aim of making damn sure the client’s money flows repeatedly into their bank account) his remarks and actions keep them apart.
True to a point, but there is incredible value in having the rats publicly jump the Barbour ship. Regardless of what else is going on, a very public crashing and burning of the Barbour machine would be tremendously important.
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