Lott criticized for racial hints in Strom tribute

Wash Post. via Oakland Tribune ^ | 12/9/02 | Thomas Edsall

[William McKinley]

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi has provoked criticism by saying the United States would have been better off if then-segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948.

...

In 1998 and 1999, Lott was criticized after disclosures that he had been a speaker at meetings of the Council of Conservative Citizens, an organization formed to succeed the segregationist white Citizens' Councils of the 1960s. In a 1992 speech in Greenwood, Miss., Lott told CCC members: "The people in this room stand for the right principles and the right philosophy. Let's take it in the right direction and our children will be the beneficiaries."

Asked to comment on Lott's remarks at the Thurmond celebration, Gordon Baum, CEO of the Council of Conservative Citizens, said "God Bless Trent Lott."

[William McKinley]

Lott needs to step down as majority leader IMO.

[shadowman99]

Agreed. This could be a blessing in disguise. He stays a senator, but not majority leader.

[F16Fighter]

Would you rather the PC Police merely toss Lott in jail for "hate speech"?

This is exactly the typical hyperbole, innuendo, and character assassination we've come to expect from the Left.

[laconic]

He could be replaced with a far abler Mississippian, Thad Cochran. I do believe Lott was not sharp enough to realize the import of what he said, which also means he's not sharp enough to be maj. leader in the Senate.

[Paleo Conservative]

the United States would have been better off if then-segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948.

I doubt it. We would have been better off if Dewey had won. The disasterous no win war in Korea happened during Truman's second term. Korea created the precedent for Vietnam.

[ellery]

Exactly what would Lott have to say for you to agree that there's reason for the criticism? Hey, I too am sick of hearing "racist" screams when a politician dares to rationally discuss, say, problems with Affirmative Action. But in this case, it looks like Lott is championing the idea of segregation. Sure, he has every right to say it, contrary to what the thought police thinks...but I for one don't want to be represented by someone who thinks racial segregation/separate-and-unequal is a good thing. I don't want it purely on principle, and I also don't want it because it's bad for the party.

[Paleo Conservative]

He could be replaced with a far abler Mississippian, Thad Cochran.

Don Nickles would be much better.

[ellery]

If that were true, then why wasn't that explained in Lott's follow-up statement? His complete lack of clarification on this point to date speaks volumes.

[Non-Sequitur]

As far as Lott is concerned never attribute to malice what can easily be explained as stupidity.

[headsonpikes]

That boy jest ain't right!

[Hatteras]

That's what the democrats are counting on. They don't give a rat's @$$ what he says or does. They only want YOU (conservatives) to care. Only Republicans eat their own. I don't know whether you have noticed this or not, but the democrats are not in this political game to uphold any sense of moral standards or righteousness. They are playing this game for numbers and numbers only.

[TopQuark]

People on this board often wonder why minorities votes en masee for democrats. Well, here is why.

That Lott's statement is immoral is clear. But it is also scare that a man with so much stupidity to have said what he has has such visibility in the Republican party.

We have to expell the bigots from our midst: it is then that we'll win the hearts of minorities fully and be in a position to advance conservative principles.

[NautiNurse]

Lott needs to step down as majority leader

More than a few of us believed the same before this latest vexation.

[ellery]

Why should he have to justify his statement, you ask? Because he's a public servant, that's why. If he were a private citizen, it would be different.

[ambrose]

Democrats don't seem to have a problem with bigots like Bobby "KKK" Byrd and Jesse "Hymie Town" Jackson.

[Revelation 911]

Lott needs to step down as majority leader IMO.

I was waiting for "it".......the defining moment when a Republican screws up the wet dream weve been having lately -....seems like Lott has not let us down (again)

This jerk needs to leave like yesterday

[guitfiddlist]

This could be great. Let the Democrats force Lott to resign. We will cry our crocodile tears, Lott stays GOP but gets the frik out of leadership. Gee, I hate it when the 'Rats do our dirty work for us.

[ImpBill]

Personally I don't care what gets Lott dumped as SML. I just want him gone and replaced by a GOP Senator with bigger cajones.