Trent Lott's Debacle - Now, Bush Must Act

December 14th, 2002 | Sabertooth

[Sabertooth]

Once again, in his own indelible words, the Republicans' Senate Majority Leader-elect:

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

~Trent Lott - December, 2002

When Strom Thurmond ran for President, he was a segregationist Dixiecrat spurred into revolt against the Democrats by Hubert Humphrey's Civil Rights plank in the '48 Democratic Party platform. Mississippi was one of four segregationist Southern States that voted for Thurmond. Segregation was the purpose and limited appeal of the Dixiecrats. It was the banner under which they marched.

The plainest sense of Lott's words are that he approves of the above.

Even though I don't believe that's what Lott meant, nor that he's a racist, that fact is inescapable. It takes backpedaling and damage control to escape the plain meaning of what Lott said and explain what's really in his heart. It's disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

The only way to for Trent Lott to address Thurmond's '48 campaign would have been to chart how far the retiring senior Senator from South Carolina has traveled in the last 54 years, and to use him as a metaphor to further illustrate how far the South and America have come. Had he done this, Lott could have simultaneously honored the Centenarian Senator and reiterated that Republicans, like the South and like America, have learned the errors of racism and segregation, and have long since embarked on a better path.

That Lott could not grasp this after decades in Washington is striking, particularly since this isn't the first time he's failed to navigate this reef. Speaking after a Thurmond speech for Ronald Reagan in 1980, then-Congressman Lott told the crowd: ""You know, if we had elected this man 30 years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today."

Now, the Democrats are all over the opportunity Lott has injudiciously provided to them. That it seems unfair is irrelevant. He left himself open for the sucker punch and got pounded. He's only made matters worse with his tepid series of apologies: too little, too Lott. He is finished as a Senate Majority Leader of even mediocre effectiveness. It's time to cut our losses.

President Bush needs to invite Lott to the ranch in Crawford, and offer him a more artful and diplomatic rendering of the following:

"Senator, with your ill-advised remarks you've brought turmoil and embarrassment on yourself, the party, and the country. You've served all well in the past and I thank you for that service from the bottom of my heart. Unfortunately, the events of the past few weeks call for a reassessment of the nature of your future service. The horses have left the barn, but there does remain an open path for you, a path that is both honorable and humbling: step aside as Majority Leader and continue to serve in the Senate.

I understand the sacrifice my request places on you, and sympathize with it's burden, but our nation and our agenda are in peril.

I need you, and I'm asking you as you President to do this for the good of America."

[TLBSHOW]

Are you a republican?

[Torie]

Many have weathered the accusation of the race pimps as being racist for advocating welfare reform, cutting back on quotas, prosecuting and jailing criminals, etc., without getting paticularly bruised, and many have thrived. School vouchers is so juicey an issue to pursue this further. You have created a ersatz strawman, and are beating it to death. Some might suggest that you are a purveyor of pessimism, and have a negative view of the ability of the polity over time to make intelligent choices. I do not.

[Mo1]

The remark is exactly as follows, and though spoken off-camera, is quite audible: "Yes...he should have been elected in 1947...or 1948, it was".)

That is it .. that is all he said??

[Torie]

Yep, for since longer than you have been alive. But I am a heriditary Pubbie, and this am fairly relaxed about it. Of course, you already knew that, if you are at all familiar with my body of posts on this site, which is approaching something akin to critical mass.

[Texasforever]

You have created a ersatz strawman, and are beating it to death. Some might suggest that you are a purveyor of pessimism, and have a negative view of the ability of the polity over time to make intelligent choices. I do not.

Torie I didn't create a straw man. You tell me, what conservative government leader has survived the charge of Racism or any of the other “Isms” out there.

[wardaddy]

have a negative view of the ability of the polity over time to make intelligent choices

Oh yeah....like the "polity" is now going to wake up from the Great Society deep sleep if Lott is forced out and Pubbies roll over in the name of racial sensitivity as usual. Hardly.

[Torie]

Ronald Reagan comes to mind. Bush pere and the Horton ad brohaha. The former mayor of NYC was called that when he cracked down on crime, and the squeegie artists on the street, etc. This line of argument is a deadend TF. Give it up.

[TLBSHOW]

Yep, for since longer than you have been alive.

Then that would be almost 50 years. So did you know that you are a racist? Yep true. Why? Well the rats say you are. Must be true huh? They said it. Since you are helping them you must think what they say is correct.

[TLBSHOW]

Of course, you already knew that, if you are at all familiar with my body of posts on this site, which is approaching something akin to critical mass.

Not really I don't read much of what you say unless you direct it to me.

[Torie]

Er what Rat said being Pubbie = being racist? In any event, I am annoyed at myself for getting involved with your spam. I must do better.

[Texasforever]

Ronald Reagan comes to mind. Bush pere and the Horton ad brohaha. The former mayor of NYC was called that when he cracked down on crime, and the squeegie artists on the street, etc. This line of argument is a deadend TF. Give it up.

Reagan was called a lot of things but not a "racist". The deadend around here is the complete lack of intellectual honesty on the part of those calling for Lott's head over a crime he did not commit.

[wardaddy]

You're right. The Pubbies are all going to as usual break weak over racial accusations and it will accomplish diddly.

The first time they ever stand strong and show some spine and the usual smear and scorch campaign doen't work then we'll get some capital from it.

We don't have the stomach to wield power.....and that is precisely what this is.....a battle for political power and we are surrendering without a fight.

At least the Dems are fairly honest about their racial hyper-sensitivity. Pubbies seem to suppress theirs and then leap out to defend it whenever challenged.

This idea of sacrificing our own for the phantom black vote at every provocation is futile.

No balls.

The only concession I'll make is to admit that the pansy Lott would have been my last choice on which to have to make a stand.

Wonder who'll be the next sacrifice to the race altar?.....I bet DeLay whom I like a lot and is known to be one tuff cookie probably has once at least in his life been racially politically incorrect abd some reporter or Dem PI is probably going to find it. Ditto for any conservative judicial nominee.

But a Black Dem.....hell they can say anything. "President Bush knew about 9-11 and let it happen" for instance. Insanity in our own ranks. This is very very depressing.

[Torie]

He most certainly was, while he was running for governor against Pat Brown.

[Texasforever]

Wonder who'll be the next sacrifice to the race altar?..

Any replacement for Lott that does not come from the "moderate" ranks. Think, Snowe or Chaffee.

[Texasforever]

He most certainly was, while he was running for governor against Pat Brown.

I will take your word for it.

[TLBSHOW]

Er what Rat said being Pubbie = being racist?

Are you that blind I mean your over 50 you said and you don't know.

Anyways today

Sen. Trent Lott's latest apology for racially charged remarks should suffice, the Senate's incoming No. 2 Republican leader said Saturday, vowing that a move for formal censure would produce a swift counter-attack against a prominent Democrat.

"The first amendment (to a censure motion) that would be offered would be an amendment relating to Sen. (Robert) Byrd's comments in 2001," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Byrd, D-W.Va., used the phrase "white niggers" in a taped broadcast interview last year. He swiftly apologized at the time, saying "the phrase dates back to my boyhood and has no place in today's society."

Lott, R-Miss., and in line to become Senate majority leader in January, triggered an uproar earlier this month when he made comments at a 100th birthday party for retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., that conveyed nostalgia for the policies of racial segregation.

Under pressure from Democrats and Republicans alike, Lott has offered a series of increasingly expansive apologies for his remarks, culminating in a forceful denunciation of racism and segregation at a news conference on Friday where he also asked for forbearance and forgiveness.

The GOP leader worked to buttress his support during the day, preparing for a 30-minute interview on Black Entertainment Television on Monday, dispatching allies to the weekend television news shows and urging party elders to weigh in on his behalf.

"I think he has to ride it out. Leaders take a lot of heat," former Sen. Bob Dole, Lott's predecessor as Senate GOP leader, said in an interview Saturday.

"He's apologized. I thought he did a good job last night (at his news conference) and now it will be up to his Republican colleagues. You're never going to please Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson or some of the Democrats. It's a political thing for them."

Thus far, none of Lott's 50 GOP Senate colleagues has urged him to step down.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021215/ap_on_go_co/lott_19

[TLBSHOW]

Lott isn't going anywhere much to the shock of so called republicans here.

[TLBSHOW]

"The first amendment (to a censure motion) that would be offered would be an amendment relating to Sen. (Robert) Byrd's comments in 2001," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Byrd, D-W.Va., used the phrase "white niggers" in a taped broadcast interview last year. He swiftly apologized at the time, saying "the phrase dates back to my boyhood and has no place in today's society."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021215/ap_on_go_co/lott_19

[TLBSHOW]

"I think he has to ride it out. Leaders take a lot of heat," former Sen. Bob Dole, Lott's predecessor as Senate GOP leader, said in an interview Saturday.

AP

[Texasforever]

Lott isn't going anywhere much to the shock of so called republicans here.

No he will step down. No man alive can withstand this type of public humiliation and survive politically except Bill Clinton.