Don Nickles Calls for New Senate Leadership Election to Challenge Lott

Fox News | 12-15-02

[rightwing2]

Fox News just reported that ABC reported that Nickles has called for a new Senate leadership challenge to Trent Lott!

[iconoclast]

That's all I was askin for.

[Texasforever]

If that were true, then why did Lott admit to his actions at Sigma Nu?

This double standard MUST stop!How about these fraternities

[sneakypete]

Is this just a gut feeling, or do you have hard sources that we can link to?

It's just a guy feeling,based on observation and history. No way can he survive as majority leader with EVERYBODY against him. He already had all the conservatives pissed,and now he has the Republican lefties and the Dims mad at him,too.

If this can be believed, is this resignation from the majority leadership office or from the Senate itself?

Again,I am just GUESSING,but I'd say he is going to end up resigning his Senate seat,too. Otherwise people would be rubbing his face in his own stupidity every day,and damn few people can face up to that.

The good news here most people seem to be missing is that this also indicates a split amongst Dim groups. Daschle,Bubbette!,and others want to see him stay because they can bitch slap him into doing anything they want,yet another group (the CBC) want his hide nailed to the wall,and they don't care about him being in the pockets of the DNC leadership.

[habs4ever]

Very easy.For you to ask it shows you haven't a clue what the differences are between the men.Bush knows how to lead, to attract others.Nickles repels.Nickles is not a natural leader, while Bush has it in spades.It has nothing to do with intellect, but comes from deep wisdom and a humanity that can't be faked.It's why great leaders come along so rarely, and why so many fail to recognize one in their midst.The temperment, the character, the human elements makes the person or leader shine through.Nickles doesn't have it.

[itsahoot]

Very easy.For you to ask it shows you haven't a clue what the differences are between the men.Bush knows how to lead

Get off your knees man, he is not the Mesiah.

[elfman2]

"Will you try and make an effort to get your facts correct before you post? "

Get a life

[Behind Liberal Lines]

And if Lott retires and McCain switches to Independant than what ?

McCain won't switch.

McCain has a lifetime ranking with the American Conservative Union of 84 out of 100. Zell Miller, probably the most conservative Dem in the Senate, has a ranking of only 60. Given that, and his pro-military views, do you really think McCain would fit in with the Dems any better than the GOP?

Furthermore, McCain is no fool. He knows that, if Lott's eventual replacement after a special election were a Republican, he'd be in the exact same mess that Jeffords is in now.

And, Arizona is not Vermont. If McCain switched the voters would probably put him out on his ear.

[habs4ever]

Don't waste my time, birdbrain.

[habs4ever]

Enjoy your stupidity...you wear it well

[Right_in_Virginia]

"I bet you a nickle you are wrong about this."

If you're referring to my opinion on Nickle's comments today....may I respectfully suggest that you'd be better off taking your nickle and investing it in a privatized retirement account.

(I do appreciate your clever play on the Senator's name.)

[crasher]

"Well I have posted my prediction about Nickles. One of us is wrong. I am seldom wrong when I choose to make a prediction."

Except when you said that Thurman was going to win in Florida-05. lol. No, you've had a remarkable record so far. I hope your're wrong this time though. But I don't think you are.

Let me ask you straight up. Who is the most likely GOP ML after Jan. 7? I am going to say Lott.

[DB]

If Lott quits because he can't be Senate leader what does that say about him?

What kind of leader is someone like that?

[opocno]

All,

This (and others) thread has been fun to read. A few comments:

1. I thought the comment about how many Freepers are "fringers" was funny. Sounded like some science fiction novel about settlers on the outer rim of the galaxy. Some of the posters _would_ make Alan Keyes look positively mainstream (actually, I voted for Keyes for Senate when I lived in MD - a waste of time given the political makeup of the state but, hey, I wanted him to have at least one vote).

2. Our country is basically to the right of center. The biggest defeats are not because some Democrat offered a better view (well, except for FDR and, maybe, JFK) but because the Republicans shot themselves in the foot. Dewey and the Senate Republicans 1948, Nixon I 1960, Nixon II (residual) 1976, Bush I 1992. And that California governor who passed the anti-immigrant law that basically handed the Latino vote to the 'rats (can't remember his name; used to be a senator).

3. So, what we need are leaders who don't shoot themselves in the foot. Lott is definitely one of those "accident-prone" types.

4. Having Republicans in power serves two functions: a. advances our agenda; b. keeps the Democrats from advancing their agenda. Having ANY Republican in charge helps with "b.", but you need a leader with vision to do "a." Lott has no vision.

5. There is a double-standard with the elites and the big media, favoring the 'rats. Always has been, always will be. That is why this story has more legs than the Byrd statement. Sure it is not fair, but deal with it.

6. While Lott may decide to resign as ML, I think he will not resign his seat in the Senate. I would love to have brass-knuckle McConnell as leader.

7. I agree with another post that McCain won't switch, but I think Lincoln Chaffee, who is even more liberal than his father and doesn't have nearly the strength of character his dad did, might easily switch to give power to the 'rats, particularly if Dubya pushes on drilling in ANWR. I used to live in CT, and Rhode Island is so Democratic it is amazing any Pubbies get elected there. Chaffee could eliminate a lot of election campaign heartache if he walked over to the 'rats.

8. If we can at least neutralize some of the 'rats race-baiting by back-benching Lott, our prospects in '04 Senate races could be truly spectacular. (Said in the full knowledge that most posts on this site predicted that Terrell would win in LA).

9. So, should we kowtow to the left-wing destruction machine? Of course not. But there are political realities we can't ignore here. Let's move on to a new ML and make sure that we pay back the 'rats now and forever, quietly, behind the scenes with the political version of "death of a thousand cuts."

Shame really, I was looking forward to Pickering being renominated for Appeals court.

[steveegg]

The good news here most people seem to be missing is that this also indicates a split amongst Dim groups. Daschle,Bubbette!,and others want to see him stay because they can bitch slap him into doing anything they want,yet another group (the CBC) want his hide nailed to the wall,and they don't care about him being in the pockets of the DNC leadership.

Daschle's defense of Lott came before the results of the Louisiana runoff were known. He was still hedging his bets because Lott is his kind of Republican "leader" (i.e. too limp-spined to lead even with a clear majority). Daschle has changed his tune at least somewhat now that Lott's removal means that a 50-50 split is assured.

My own theory as to Daschle's change of heart regarding Lott is that there is one and only one RINO ready to leap like Jeffords, and Daschle just doesn't see the one scenario in which he would not get a lot of undeserved power (Lott heading to the back of the Republican bench, a strong leader willing to run the Senate by the majority of VP replacing him) happening.

[sneakypete]

My own theory as to Daschle's change of heart regarding Lott is that there is one and only one RINO ready to leap like Jeffords, and Daschle just doesn't see the one scenario in which he would not get a lot of undeserved power

Could be,but I think Chafee is just waiting for the perfect time to jump over and become a Dim,and I think there is a chance of McLunatic becoming a independent. I think McLunatic is doing his best to arrange a possible VP slot on the 2004 Dim ticket,and becoming a "Independent" will help set the stage. That's two right there,one strong probability and one possibility. I'm sure the DNC has been in back door discussions with other RINO's,too. This is for establishing which judges get appointed and approved,and the Dims will stop at nothing to keep the veto power on this.

[dfwgator]

Personally, I don't see much separation between someone who supports it and someone who doesn't grasp (at this late day) that it was an evil stain on our history.

Lott's from Mississippi, 'nuf said.

[firewalk]

.

[DB]

Well said though I have a hard time with "Our country is basically to the right of center". Especially being in California...

[steveegg]

2. Our country is basically to the right of center. The biggest defeats are not because some Democrat offered a better view (well, except for FDR and, maybe, JFK) but because the Republicans shot themselves in the foot. Dewey and the Senate Republicans 1948, Nixon I 1960, Nixon II (residual) 1976, Bush I 1992. And that California governor who passed the anti-immigrant law that basically handed the Latino vote to the 'rats (can't remember his name; used to be a senator).

That would be Pete Wilson, and that law was a voters' proposition.

7. I agree with another post that McCain won't switch, but I think Lincoln Chaffee, who is even more liberal than his father and doesn't have nearly the strength of character his dad did, might easily switch to give power to the 'rats, particularly if Dubya pushes on drilling in ANWR. I used to live in CT, and Rhode Island is so Democratic it is amazing any Pubbies get elected there. Chaffee could eliminate a lot of election campaign heartache if he walked over to the 'rats.

My view of McCain leaving sometime in 2003 is predicated on his desire to screw President Bush being stronger than his desire for Senatorial power. If that is the case, he won't bolt until either his bolt is the one that gives Daschle an illegitimate "majority" or the political calendar dictates he HAS to fully-differentiate himself from the Republican Party. He wouldn't bolt to simply create a 50-50 split prematurely because being a "co-leader" just isn't the same. Likewise, he wouldn't bolt to become part of an existing illegitimate "majority" prematurely because he would have absolutely no leverage to regain his former power. IMHO, that "prematurely" date runs out in roughly July 2003; that is based on Bob Smith's stillborn antics.

Even if Senate power is king in McCain's mind, I can see him bolting if by doing so he would create Daschle's illegitimate "majority". All Daschle would have to do is promise more than the Republicans, and that shouldn't prove to be too hard, especially if Lott were still in charge.

As for Chafee, as long as there is not a strong Republican Senate leader willing to run the Senate by a majority of VP (and the Senate's not already 50-50 or in Democrat hands), he is leaping no later than January 2. He may well do it anyway if there is that mythical strong leader, but there is a slim chance that he may wait for McCain.

I don't get your comment that a Leapin' Linc leap would be good. Without a strong Senate leader, the 50-50 split that would cause will result in another power-"sharing" agreement that will not allow anything positive to get done (e.g. conservative judges getting confirmed). No matter who the Senate majority leader is, we'd be held hostage by the most liberal/unstable RINO until he/she bolts, then we would have lost the Senate again thanks to illegitimate tactics.