Trent Lott, Don't Go!

CNSNews.com | October 10, 2002 | Marc Morano

[FryingPan101]

Amid Race Flap, Lott Urged to Pull Out of Belafonte Award Dinner By Marc Morano CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer October 10, 2002

(CNSNews.com) - Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is being urged to "pull out" of an Oct. 24 award dinner honoring entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte, following the singer's comparison of Secretary of State Colin Powell to a house "slave."

Lott is listed as a "National Honorary Patron" along with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) for the Washington event sponsored by the non-profit relief group Africare.

Condoleezza Rice, the assistant to the president for national security affairs, was initially scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the Africare Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner honoring Belafonte, but is no longer listed because of "scheduling conflicts." Rice and Powell are African Americans, as is Belafonte.

Lott's participation in the Belafonte event is drawing criticism because of Belafonte's reference to Powell during a Tuesday interview with KFMB San Diego radio host Ted Leitner.

"Colin Powell's committed to come into the house of the master," Belafonte told Leitner. "When Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture.

"In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master ... exactly the way the master intended you to serve him," Belafonte added.

Niger Innis of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a conservative African American civil rights group, told CNSNews.com that Lott must make sure everyone knows he is withdrawing from the dinner.

"I mean publicly, not privately, not quietly, not through an e-mail. [Lott] needs to be outraged," Innis said.

Innis is angry that Belafonte would denigrate the life and career of Powell, saying the singer represents "selfish ideological interests ... that do a disservice to the people they pretend to speak for."

"For years, Belafonte and the civil rights movement have been pushing for Black Americans to get the opportunity to serve their country in a variety of ways and now you have a distinguished general and now secretary of state that is blazing his own path. It's a disgrace what Belafonte is saying," Innis said.

Lott's office did not return repeated requests for comment on Wednesday.

Innis said he would not be surprised if Lott refused to take a stand.

"We are tired of [Lott] being in the wrong place at the wrong time and this is the wrong place at the wrong time. He needs to pull out [as National Honorary Patron]," Innis said.

Rice No Longer the Keynoter?

Condoleezza Rice was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Africare Belafonte dinner, but she is no longer listed, according to the group's website. Africare's spokeswoman Libba Conger told CNSNews.com, "[Rice] hasn't been the keynoter for quite some time."

Conger cited "scheduling problems" as the reason for Rice not giving the keynote address. Conger emphatically denied that Belafonte or his political views contributed to Rice not appearing at the award dinner and said the new keynoter was scheduled to be former Atlanta Democratic Mayor Andrew Young.

But a spokeswoman for Young at his office at Good Works International said she was unaware of Young being the keynote speaker for the event and only had him scheduled to attend the dinner. Africare's website does not currently list a keynote speaker for the awards dinner. But another website, promoting Belefonte's life and career, still lists Rice as the keynoter. Further confusing matters, a spokesperson for Rice told CNSNews.com that Rice was never scheduled to be the keynoter at the Belafonte dinner, but had received an invitation.

Powell served as the keynote speaker for last year's Africare Awards dinner honoring Louis W. Sullivan, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the previous Bush administration.

Asked if Belafonte's comments regarding Powell would impact Lott's serving as the National Honorary Patron, Conger replied, "I imagine there will be no impact whatsoever."

Innis thinks it's a shame that Powell was compared to a slave and Rice is no longer scheduled to speak at the Africare dinner. "This administration has put forward two Black Americans that have had more influence in American policy than any others in the history of our country," Innis said.

E-mail a news tip to Marc Morano.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.

[Cicero]

Trent Lott indelibly shamed himself by the under-the-table deal he agreed to before clinton's impeachment trial. It was not his only failure, but it was by far his worst. It was a clear and total violation of his oath of office and his impeachment oath.

A man like that does not belong in a leadership position.

[Gillmeister]

I think Trent Lott is no longer relevent as the Republican leader in the Senate...............My choice is Don Nickles (R-OK). Every time I see him on the Senate floor, I'm impressed, never afaid to take on Daschle or bring up the corrupt Clintons.

[Vinnie]

Trent has decided instead of speaking, he will do a number with pom-poms and baton.

[Neanderthal]

"Trent Lott indelibly shamed himself by the under-the-table deal he agreed to before clinton's impeachment trial. It was not his only failure, but it was by far his worst. It was a clear and total violation of his oath of office and his impeachment oath.

A man like that does not belong in a leadership position."

Thanks for the reminder. How soon we forget.

[TC Rider]

According to O'Reily, Lott has dropped out of the festivities.

And, believe it or not, so has little Tommy Dasshole.
Tommy, can you feel the heat?

[FryingPan101]

Wow! Thanks for the heads up!

[frmrda]

Not exactly true. O'Reilly said that Lott and Daschle won't be "attending". They were never going to attend. As soon as this hit the web I called Lott's office to see his position on remaining a patron. They didn't know the story had hit on Drudge yet, and said that Lott was due to be out of town that night. That doesn't mean Lott or Daschle dropped out of being "honorary patrons". I don't think O'Reilly asked the right questions. Given its campaign season my guess is that Daschle wasn't going to attend either.

The real question to ask both Tommy and Trent is "Will you continue to be an 'honorary patron' of the dinner"

[DoctorMichael]

Good find!

Trent must NOT go (to the dinner).........

........or Trent should GO (resign)!

[swampfox98]

Innis said he would not be surprised if Lott refused to take a stand

So what's new, right? The last time Lott took a stand on anything was to make sure Clinton would go free from a mulitude of crimes.

[Mike Darancette]

Condoleezza Rice was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Africare Belafonte dinner, but she is no longer listed, according to the group's website. Africare's spokeswoman Libba Conger told CNSNews.com, "[Rice] hasn't been the keynoter for quite some time."

Information for page sponsoring event says:

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 2:35:08 PM Local time

[Mike Darancette]

Here is HTML for Connie Rice as Keynote.

Cached in Google

Wasn't changed all that long ago. I'll bet Condie quietly cancelled yesterday (10/9/02), WHAT A CLASS ACT.

These idiots will pay a heavy price for honoring a Raciest Communist.

[Mike Darancette]

Belafonte changed his website this morning.

From this at Thursday, October 10, 2002 6:47:05 AM Local time.

To this

[HP8753]

Innis said he would not be surprised if Lott refused to take a stand

I think the only stand Lott would take is if it involved ankle grabbing. ;-)

[cksharks]

Aare you queer? You seem to know alot about them.

[HP8753]

Nope,Just observant.....Did you skip spelling class or did the dog eat your dictionary??