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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.