pure speculation...
Lott wanted to retire before Katrina.
He decided to stay on for a while until he felt comfortable that he could leave.
He did a great service to MS by staying on.
“pure speculation...”
Sorry, a long-time senator announcing his retirement ONE YEAR into his term *2 days* before his brother-in-law is indicted, is unlikely to be a coincidence.
Note that I am not saying Lott was involved in any way, but just that even an off-the-cuff remark in a recorded conversation would present something that, when shown to him, he might find simpler to just step down rather than create scandal. Not a criminal action, but something so clearly inappropriate that he know the media would burn him in effigy through the 2008 election over.
If we were talking about a senator from some faraway place where we just known names and dates, with the available data, it is hard to believe one would not suspect that there was an issue.
Being from Mississippi and actually liking Trent Lott’s public persona, I still believe it. Call your brother-in-law up at his office, and off-hand remark is made, and you (Lott) are shown it along with a copy of scrugg’s warrant and asked how you want to handle it. This IS speculation, but it fits the available data.