Posted on 01/17/2006 6:51:35 AM PST by WKB
U.S. Sen. Trent Lott will announce Tuesday whether he's seeking re-election this year, and his decision could either set off a political stampede in Mississippi or signal his attempt to seek a Senate leadership position.
Republican insiders believe Lott, 64, is likely seek a fourth term. They cite his recent remark at the state Capitol that he'd stay in Washington "as long as it takes to get the job done for Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, at the very minimum.''
Lott - who lost his own beach-side house to Katrina on Aug. 29 - will reveal his political plans during news conferences in his hometown of Pascagoula and at the state Capitol in Jackson.
"There's always a question of how long is enough,'' Lott said when asked about his plans earlier this month.
"I've been at it for 37 years as a staff member, as a congressman and as a senator. Thirty-seven years is a pretty good period of time. But you know, I've enjoyed every minute of it. So I guess one thing I could say is, why end something that you're having so much fun at?''
Lott's decision could have repercussions in Washington, where Republicans hold 55 seats, Democrats hold 44 and an independent who leans toward Democrats holds the other. If Lott opts not to run, both parties are likely to pour money into the Mississippi race.
Lott's announcement about re-election comes six weeks before candidates' March 1 qualifying deadline.
Lott is unbeatable if he runs, said political scientist Marty Wiseman, director of Mississippi State University's John C. Stennis Institute of Government. If he doesn't run, a herd of high-profile politicians will try to succeed him, Wiseman said.
Among the Republicans mentioned as possible candidates are Lott's protege, U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering. Democrats frequently mentioned include former Attorney General Mike Moore and former Govs. Ronnie Musgrove and Ray Mabus.
The only candidate qualified so far is state Rep. Erik Fleming, D-Clinton, who's expected to have trouble raising big money against Lott.
Party primaries are June 6. The general election is Nov. 7.
Lott has been tightlipped about his decision. Even state GOP chairman Jim Herring said Monday he didn't know what the announcement would be, but he hopes the senator runs again.
Wiseman said he thought at one time that Lott wouldn't run - but then he heard Lott discussing international nuclear policy on the Sunday talk shows this past weekend.
"If he decides not to be a senator, he can certainly make a living playing poker,'' Wiseman said. "I've never seen anybody hold cards so close to the vest.''
Lott was Senate majority leader from 1996 until June 2001, when Vermont Sen. James Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an independent, tipping control of the Senate to the Democrats. L
ott's title switched to minority leader, and after the GOP fared well in the 2002 elections he was slated to become majority leader again.
Lott lost his leadership position in December 2002 after saying at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that Mississippi had proudly voted for Thurmond when the South Carolinian ran for president as a segregationist in 1948.
Lott said last month that he might seek another Senate leadership job if he wins another term. The current majority leader, Tennessee Republican Bill Frist, already has announced that he's not seeking re-election this year, opening an inside race among Republicans for the Senate's top jobs, including party whip.
Lott was first elected to the U.S. House in 1972 and served as House Republican whip for eight years before being elected to the Senate in November 1988.
Lott, who holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi, started his Washington career in 1968 as administrative assistant to U.S. Rep. William Colmer, D-Miss. Lott won the south Mississippi congressional seat when Colmer retired.
Mississippi ping
Smart money says he'll run again.
Dumb money even thinks he'll run.
Heh, true. I know he wasn't a great ML, but I like Trent, and always have.
but I like Trent, and always have
Me too
I say he runs again. After all, he needs $$$ to fix his house.
Maybe he'll retire after he wins the law suit
with State Farm.
He was a lousey majority leader, but he does seem to take care of his constituents. He'll run again. I hope he wins....and equally hope he NEVER makes ML again.
Smart money?
Smart money says Trent Lott is still p.o.ed at Bush and his senate colleagues for not defending him when he made his boner comments. (I think he's justified, btw).
My money says Trent Lott is leaving the senate. "That'll show em!", might be his thinking.
And I bet he's got other reasons to go. Neither he nor his lobbyist son have been mentioned ...yet...in money scandals, but don't hold your breath. There's big Indian casino money in Mississippi, it had to touch the Lotts.
I still think he'll run again. MHO. The fellow in the article is right when he said Lott is undbeatable in MS; so is Cochran. Everyone below them is waiting for one or the other to retire.
I think he will run. I think he is still pissed and wants his sml job back.
 “My money says Trent Lott is leaving the senate. "That'll show em!", might be his thinking. "
If he runs, he'll win for sure and be in Washington until at least 2013, four years longer than President Bush. It seems to me that is a much better "That'll show 'em" than leavng. |
No to Mike Moore and a possible shift in majorities!!
From Super Talk MS
http://news.mywebpal.com/index.cfm?pnpid=576
IF Senator Trent Lott DOES NOT run, who would you support for that open Senate seat? Chip Pickering 51%
Amy Tuck 12%
Roger Wicker 8%
Mike Espy 5%
Erik Fleming 3%
Mike Moore 9%
Ronnie Musgrove 9%
Ronnie Shows 2%
LOVE that icon!!
"""""Lott's Staying....
Hotlne ^ | 1/17/06
Posted on 01/17/2006 8:02:30 AM PST by LdSentinal
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) is expected to announce today that he'll seek for a fourth term, sources close to the senator said this morning.
On Monday, Lott spent hours on the phone informing his major donors of his decision.
He'll formally make the announcement at a noon ET news conference in Pascagoula, MS, followed by a news conference in Jackson.
Lott's beachfront home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in late August. That fueled speculation that he'd return to the state and rebuild. Lott processed the event differently: he believes his state needs him and his DC clout more than ever, and he'd do the most good by making sure his constituents get back to their normal lives.
His decision to run again -- should he not change his mind within the next two hours -- spares the GOP from defending an open Senate seat. The likely Dem nominee, Ex-AG Mike Moore, makes GOPers quite nervous.
The next big question: will Lott re-run for a leadership position when Bill Frist steps down?""""
Lott is on C-SPAN right now announcing his reelection plans. He's moved on to say he took a financial hit in Katrina, which factored into his decision. He said people in MS need to get together and work together, and his seniority could be of value to his people.
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