[SerpentDove]

Look, I am not saying that the case had no merit, or whether Lott was on the right side of the issue. Nor am I asserting that Lott was necessarily "racist" in what he said.

All I'm saying is that Trent Lott has a bad habit of creating horrible sound bites, which will be used (undoubtedly) to bludgeon Republicans indefinitely.

The only point I am trying to make in posting Lott's past statements is this: this is the ammo that he has provided. Do we really want to get bogged down in the quagmire of explaining Lott's words, right or wrong, and fighting the uphill battle of convincing everyone he's not a racist? That "some of his best friends are black" and he's "just the pore ol' son of a sharecropper?"

I think Lott has done a lot of harm to our party in many ways in the past. He's an albatross that we don't need.

I was heartened by Don Nickles announcing a challenge to Lott's leadership over the weekend. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Lott's stepping aside is going to be near the broadside to the Republicans as some think. I think it will be relatively painless and necessary.

But as the Beatles sang, "Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong."

[VaBthang4]

The Liberals would hate Don Nickles.

Whether he is to take Lott's place or not...Nickles would be the antithesis of Lott. Nickles is a "real" Christian who I havent seen compromise his position as a Brother once.

I would be much more comfortable with a guy like him facing up on the Dems than Lott.