Posted on 12/14/2002 10:47:02 AM PST by 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."
should he care to retire then rather than serve his entire term.
In other words, make him an offer he cant refuse!
Lott would be replaced by a rat. He is holding all the cards.
Anything less, and Lott will stay where he is.
I posted this elsewhere, but I'll post it here too:
First, I would take this issue away from Democrats. If anything is going to happen to Lott, it needs to come from Republicans and no one else. Republicans also need to unite behind Lott, which can be done by saying, yeah, his remarks were stupid and wrong, but also state that the man is not a racist. The Dems are the ones who have equated Lotts remarks with racism. And the Republicans have let them because they are scared to death to address the issue.
Second, continue talking to Lott to make him see the bigger picture. Work with him and acknowledge that he's in the catbird seat, but also have him agree to the bigger picture of taking the 'racist' issue away from Democrats and fight the stereotype of 'Republicans are racists' by directly and forcefully challenging Democrats outlandish allegations. Once he sees the big picture and understands that him being challenged for the leadership role is part of this process, have other Republicans challenge his leadership role and win, but give Lott the chair of any committee he wants. Broker a deal where his state may get more pork. Honestly, there are so many ways that Republicans could get Lott to accept a committee chair and not quit the Senate. But they have to actually think about it first, without giving knee-jerk reactions.
Third, mount a national, combined effort by all Republicans to directly challenge, refute, and abolish the 'Republicans are racists' stereotype by giving a clear and accurate model of the history of segregation, as well as revealing the double-standard that current Democrat Senators (Byrd, etc.) are spewing. This is key in getting more blacks to look at the Republican Party as an alternative to the Democrats. Combine this with the Dems obvious attempt to regain power and reveal their true motive for wanting Lott gone. If the Dems are digging into Lotts past for patterns of behavior, then Republicans need to also expose their true motive as well as their own double-standard. If Democrats were truly concerned about racism, folks like Byrd and Shaprton would not be part of their party. And Id hammer away on this point until I sounded like a broken record.
I consider myself an optimistic person. And the Lott remarks are a great opportunity for Republicans everywhere to address an issue they have been dodging for years. It's time to set the record straight. For the past two years, Republicans have been successful in taking away key issues from the Democrats. Segregation and racism absolutely must be the one in the next two years that Republicans champion and make their own.
Weve been saying for years that Republicans need to play hardball. Right now, it seems that Lott- the one who has been said to not have a spine- is the only one playing the game.
Its time for all Republicans to step up to the plate and knock this issue out of the park.
Not really. I'm one of the few on this board that thinks that, given what was in the Starr Report, impeachment was debatable. I really don't care about Lott's move on impeachment.
My bigger concern is that Lott's faux pas will set back the Republican cause by as much as 10 years. Because of an ill-considered comment by a Southern good-ol'-boy, Republicans are now on the defensive about race again -- just as we were beginning to make inroads.
His comment was so incredibly stupid that he is not qualified to continue as Senate Majority leader. We can do better.
It's time for all Republicans to step up to the plate and knock this issue out of the park.
Amen.
I don't care. If that is the price for getting rid of him, then so be it. Lott is an enemy of Conservatism, a Dick Morris-created empty suit of political expediency. I wont miss him, and there will be an election for his seat in 1 year.
If you are a conservative, why are you on the sidelines with the democrat cheerleaders???? Does your moral indignation blind you to the fact that there is something afoot here besides the "racism" of Trent Lott?
You have at least half of Free Republic against him and you dont think his effectiveness as a Republican leader is in question? LOL
Republicans are now on the defensive about race again
Instead of acquiescing to the rats again, it's time to go on the offensive (see post #62).
Care to show how those of us who don't think Lott should be railroaded are "racists themselves"?
You slimey jerk. You can't defend your side so now the rest of us are racists
If you're going to argue like a child, find a children's website. There are only adults here.
Sure there is more afoot, but I don't care, not this time. Sometimes you have to do what is right, no matter what your enemy thinks.
I want Lott out because HE embarrassed me and my party and because HE failed to do the simple things HE needed to do to resolve the issue when HE could. Now its too late. He is not a leader. He cant even take care of himself.
Dishonets. Lott's lifetime ACU rating is 93. Its not about conservatism it's about race and impeachment. Let's keep it real.
Wouldn't it be cool to hijack that issue away from the Democrats? But to do so, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Having a KKK grand marshal may be okay for the Democrats, but we shouldn't even tolerate the slightest hint of racism.
That's why we must harshly come down on Lott. He cannot stay as Senate majority leader.
It wasn't ALL or even MOST
I am sorry if you took it to mean I was referring to you. I wasn't referring to anybody in particular, just that I personally know a Lott defender who is a racist, so I am wondering if Some Lott defenders don't mirror his views.
Grow a thicker skin.
One disagreement. Lott's remarks are so painfully stupid that the Democrats don't have to spin as hard to call them racist as we do to say they aren't, even though we're correct that Lott is not a racist. If you pay tribute to the Dixiecrats in big sweeps you may as well tar and feather yourself.
Lott did just that, hence this mess we're all in.
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