Drudge: Insiders Warn: Step Down or Be Pushed

Drudge Report ^ | 12-16-2002, 22:45 EST | Drudge

[bigaln2]

INSIDERS WARN: STEP DOWN OR BE PUSHED Mon Dec 16 2002 22:45:08 ET 2002

In words that seemed sure to surprise and possibly infuriate a good portion of Sen. Trent Lott's traditional political base, he told his interviewer, Ed Gordon of Black Entertainment Television, "There has been immoral leadership in my part of the country for a long time."

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Many Republicans said Lott might not survive until a planned Jan. 6 Republican meeting, as some prominent party officials predicted privately that the Mississippi Republican might have to relinquish his post even sooner if it became clear he did not have the support of a majority of Republican senators or the White House, the NEW YORK TIMES is reporting on Tuesday.

"One outside adviser with close ties to the administration said Lott had become a "walking pinata" and that the Mississippi Republican's departure from the Senate leadership had now become inevitable.

"Political physics has set in -- it's only a matter of time," the adviser said. "The best scenario is for Lott to come to the obvious conclusion himself and avoid a painful confrontation."

Another sign of Lott's growing political problems were private discussions among some of his colleagues to find an alternative position for Lott, other than his current leadership role. Such a position, such as a committee chairmanship, might help keep him from resigning his seat in the event he is dislodged as leader, the paper claims.

Impacting.

[Miss Marple]

Personally, I don't think Rove pushed the BET interview. I think it was Lott's long-time adviser, Dick Morris.

[ewing]

How about Kaye Bailey Hutchinson?

Too much of a RINO, perhaps..

[mrs9x]

Oh, I see, Rove somehow made Lott make a stupid statement. I see Rove behind all of this, making mouths move. Yeah, right.

You know, what's funny is that for some time most of you thought that Trent wasn't conservative enough. Now we have a chance to get someone who will play tough with the Dems, and all we have is more bitching.

[GWfan]

If Trent survives, Nickles will be sorry. Still think Lott wil remain ML.

[sinkspur]

I would really like to have this done before Christmas.

Well, aren't you full of yourself!

Don't want to hear about Trent Lott when you're slurpin' down your pumpkin pie, huh?

[ewing]

Dick Morris is a toe-sucking fool.

He will never be a serious player again, everthing he comments on is wrong or turns to crapola

[concerned about politics]

the NEW YORK TIMES is reporting on Tuesday.

Well, so much for "unbiased reporting."

[ewing]

Bob Dole would have called it a day by now. (even though he was a RINO)

[kristinn]

President Bush worked his ass off to get the Senate majority back for the Republicans. Trent Lott owes his position as Majority Leader-elect to George Bush.

This week, Lott has royally screwed President Bush and his party by his incompetence and ingratitude. Allowing the party to be painted with the broad brush of racism after Bush has demonstrated his vision of a color-blind party is something the President does not deserve. I don't blame President Bush's allies for being mad at Lott.

[TX RED RAIDER]

Trent Lott needs to step down for the good of the POTUS and the Republican Party as a whole. He has handled this poorly from the start. Had he simply apologized from the get-go, this never would have blown up. It would have been a one-day news story just like the Bobby Bird "N-word" hooplah about a year ago.

I am certainly not saying what he said was offensive in anyway. I took no offense, and merely took it as a tongue-in-cheek remark. However, I am not hyper-sensitive to any comment that could possibly be considered insensitive/rascist/etc...

Mr. Lott embarassed himself and others tonight on BET. I watched only what I could stomach. He was being a wuss. The whole idea behind this interview was moronic.

[Miss Marple]

everthing he comments on is wrong or turns to crapola.

Which is why I think he has been advising Trent Lott.

[ewing]

Tonight was the final straw.

The affirmative action stance change sealed the deal for me.

[Mulder]

But, his unending apologies and groveling before the very liberals who think perjury is okay is downright embarrasing. Enough already. It's time to "move on."

Damn right. He looked totally pathetic on BET tonight.

Everytime he is asked a question by the PC Nazis, he should go on the offensive against the leftists in this country. But that would require some backbone.

[republicman]

If Lott resigns all it would take is Lincoln Chaffee going independent and we've got Daschle's sorry ugly puss on TV every night again as majority leader.

We could certainly do better than Trent Lott as leader ButI can't help feeling the GOP fu*^ed up again. If he stays he will undoubtedly feel he has to endorse all sorts of lib crap to "prove" he's not evil (Bush probably will now too). If he goes, we're back in a situation like '98.

The repubs could have used this to their advantage and drive a stake through this racebaiting crap once and for all. But now instead, like Newt, like Livingston, et al they're just going to throw someone under the bus and hope it will all go away.

They should have fought this. they should have said 1)this was a guy praising an old man on his birthday, not an endorsement of segregation. 2) That this was REALLY not about Lott but about the DEMOCRAT party who, because they have nothing real to offer, have to cook up ugly smear campaigns. 3) And point out all the hypocrisy on race in the dem party, everywhere from the black segregated caucus to Bob KKK Byrd.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm not going to have the stomach for a whole bunch of lib stuff getting enacted this time to "prove" they aren't sexist racist homophobes. I'm sick of it. We did our part, we put them there, we gave them the majority. Now they had better deliver, or it may be very hard for some of us to show up for the next election.

[Miss Marple]

Making Kay Hutchison ML might work...it would certainly hold Snow and Collins. Whether she could move legislation through would be another story.

[Txslady]

Well said Miss Marple... I couldn't agree with you more.

[SeattleTiger]

I like the way you put things, Miss Marple. I define myself as a moderate. How do you differentiate moderates and conservatives? I am curious to hear your opinion, because I respect your posts on FreeRepublic.

SeattleTiger

[sinkspur]

How about Kaye Bailey Hutchinson?

A great Senator, but not politically savvy. She'd get chewed up by Daschle.

Kaye doesn't volunteer for any of the high-profile committees, if you'll notice.

[Orangedog]

The Senate is not an easy nut to crack.

Running the Senate is like herding cats...not easy to do and often painful to watch. Lott needs to go. He was a weak leader, even by cat-herder standards, and this mess that he has gotten HIMSELF into only highlights his weak points.

[Ron H.]

..."The best scenario is for Lott to come to the obvious conclusion himself and avoid a painful confrontation."

How unfortunate for his supporters that his fellow Senators will have to draw him a roadmap to the exit as he seems unable to see the brightly lit EXIT sign over that door.