Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lott furor singes Bush - Distraction threatens White House agenda, relations with Senate
The Dallas Morning News ^ | December 20, 2002 | By DAVID JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News

Posted on 12/20/2002 12:59:21 AM PST by MeekOneGOP


Lott furor singes Bush

Distraction threatens White House agenda, relations with Senate

12/20/2002

By DAVID JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON - As Trent Lott fights for his political life, President Bush and his aides are starting to get bruised.

A White House eager to press its agenda with a Republican-run Congress may have to scale back its ambitions, analysts said, lest they be tagged as "Lott Republicans" who care nothing about civil rights.

The fallout over Mr. Lott's perceived nostalgia for the segregated past also threatens the president's relationship with Senate Republicans, not to mention black voters Mr. Bush would like to attract through its agenda of "compassionate conservatism."

Also Online

Texas Talkback: What would you advise President Bush to say to Sen. Trent Lott now?

Mr. Lott's comments

In 1980:
At a campaign rally for Ronald Reagan in Jackson, Miss., Mr. Thurmond said the federal government should "keep their filthy hands off the rights of the states." Mr. Lott, speaking after Mr. Thurmond, said: "You know, if we had elected this man 30 years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today."

12/05/2002:
At a 100th birthday celebration for Mr. Thurmond in Washington, Mr. Lott said: "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."

"The longer this drags out, the worse it is for everybody - for Trent Lott, for the White House, for the Republican Party," said Jennifer Duffy, Senate editor for the Washington-based Cook Political Report .

Mr. Bush wants quick confirmation of a slew of conservative judges; his attorneys must decide what position, if any, to take on a landmark affirmative action case; and his political advisers are looking for ways to attract more black support - all issues complicated by the Lott imbroglio.

Some Republicans, meanwhile, have expressed resentment at the perception that the White House is trying to ease Mr. Lott out of his leadership job. Among them are Mr. Lott himself, who has accused the White House of trying to undermine his efforts to remain Senate GOP leader by leaking unfavorable reviews of his performance to the news media.

Bush aides denied efforts to oust the Mississippi Republican. They also said that, however the Lott furor is resolved, they will work with Republicans and Democrats to get things done for all Americans.

"The president believes that it is the job of all members of Congress to work to advance an agenda that serves the country," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said.

That task seems more complicated now, administration officials admitted, and has been ever since Mr. Lott's Dec. 5 testimonial to Strom Thurmond, the 100-year-old retiring senator from South Carolina who ran for president in 1948 as the Dixiecrat candidate.

Noting that his home state of Mississippi supported Mr. Thurmond's pro-segregation campaign, Mr. Lott added: "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either."

Fodder for Democrats

Mr. Lott has apologized repeatedly for that comment in the two weeks since. But whether Mr. Lott remains as Senate Republican leader or not, Democrats can be expected to echo his words for months, if not years.

"The problem is that removing Lott doesn't solve the underlying issue of the Republican Party's hostility towards the African-American community," said a Democratic "talking points" memo distributed to supporters who are giving media interviews.

That kind of pressure is sure to affect how the White House handles several racially charged issues, analysts said.

One example: Whether to support, oppose or stay neutral about an affirmative action program at the University of Michigan that is the subject of a Supreme Court case. Mr. Bush must also be more careful about judicial nominees, particularly Southern conservatives and especially if there is a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

At the least, analysts said, Mr. Lott's comment and his subsequent fight to save his leadership is a major distraction for a White House and Republican-run Congress facing its first major political test since Mr. Bush helped lead the party to a sweep in last month's midterm elections.

"It certainly is taking attention away from other things they would like to talk about," said Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, a conservative magazine that has called for Mr. Lott's ouster.

Democrats have signaled that they will use Mr. Lott's troubles to push an agenda in stark contrast with the Bush administration. Those include hate crimes legislation, an increase in the minimum wage, and tax cuts targeted exclusively to the poor and middle class.

Some Bush supporters accuse Democrats of wanting Mr. Lott to stay in his current position so they can make a punching bag of him and the Republican Party.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, are putting the onus on the president, pressuring him to call for Mr. Lott's removal. During a recent speech in Chicago, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., recited Mr. Bush's 2000 campaign pledge to be a "uniter, not divider."

"Yet now he wants a divider, not a uniter, as the Senate Republican family's majority leader," Mr. Jackson said. "What kind of consistent values does that reflect?"

Mr. Bush has criticized Mr. Lott's Dixiecrat comment, but aides said he does not believe the senator should resign his leadership post. But the aides have pointedly refused to take a position on a Jan. 6 meeting of GOP senators called to discuss whether Mr. Lott should be deposed.

Some administration officials have made clear they would not mind seeing a change, questioning whether Mr. Lott's apologies have undercut his effectiveness.

These signals have rankled Senate Republicans such as Orrin Hatch of Utah, who have warned the White House to stay out of Senate business. Mr. Lott appeared to be playing to the Senate's sense of independence when he rapped the White House this week.

'Seeping out'

"There seems to be some things that are kind of seeping out that maybe have not been helpful," Mr. Lott said.

White House aides countered that they have not commented for the record precisely because of Senate prerogatives.

Aides said they are confident they can advance Mr. Bush's agenda, parts of which are specifically pitched to black voters. That includes Mr. Bush's effort to provide more government help to faith-based charities and his education program. Next month, Mr. Bush is scheduled to travel to Africa to discuss economic development, increased trade, and assistance in fighting the spread of AIDS.

Analysts said that although the Lott fiasco may cost Mr. Bush black votes in 2004, there aren't many for him to lose; just 8 percent of blacks who voted cast ballots for Bush-Cheney in 2000.

That impact may depend on whether Mr. Bush's critics can keep the Lott issue in the news.

"In the long run, do I think people will be talking about this a year from now? No," said Charles Cook, who publishes a Washington-based political newsletter. "These kinds of things look huge at the time and fade in importance."

In the short term, however, Mr. Bush and his fellow Republicans need to be careful, he said.

"The White House and the Republicans may have to trim proposals a bit more than they would like," Mr. Cook said.

E-mail djackson@dallasnews.com


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/122002dnnatlottbush.5cd0a.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: dixicrat; footnmouthdisease; presidentbush; segregation; stromthurmond; trentlott
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last
Dallas newspaper sells its Liberal opinion on front page of their newspaper

That was ALMOST my subtitle. Does anyone else feel this way or am I the one that's biased?

Also, please help: Someone has told me that Trent Lott has remarked that he has threatened to resign his Senate seat if he is ousted as Senate Majority Leader. But I haven't seen that comment by him. Is it true and I missed it or is someone giving me bad information? Please let me know, with a link to his comment if you have it. Thanks !

1 posted on 12/20/2002 12:59:21 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Alamo-Girl; onyx; SpookBrat; Republican Wildcat; Howlin; Fred Mertz; dixiechick2000; SusanUSA; ...
Lott furor singes Bush - Distraction threatens
White House agenda, relations with Senate

Excerpt:

Mr. Lott has apologized repeatedly for that comment in the two weeks since. But whether Mr. Lott remains as Senate Republican leader or not, Democrats can be expected to echo his words for months, if not years.

"The problem is that removing Lott doesn't solve the underlying issue of the Republican Party's hostility towards the African-American community," said a Democratic "talking points" memo distributed to supporters who are giving media interviews.

That kind of pressure is sure to affect how the White House handles several racially charged issues, analysts said.

One example: Whether to support, oppose or stay neutral about an affirmative action program at the University of Michigan that is the subject of a Supreme Court case. Mr. Bush must also be more careful about judicial nominees, particularly Southern conservatives and especially if there is a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

At the least, analysts said, Mr. Lott's comment and his subsequent fight to save his leadership is a major distraction for a White House and Republican-run Congress facing its first major political test since Mr. Bush helped lead the party to a sweep in last month's midterm elections.

"It certainly is taking attention away from other things they would like to talk about," said Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, a conservative magazine that has called for Mr. Lott's ouster.

Democrats have signaled that they will use Mr. Lott's troubles to push an agenda in stark contrast with the Bush administration. Those include hate crimes legislation, an increase in the minimum wage, and tax cuts targeted exclusively to the poor and middle class.

Some Bush supporters accuse Democrats of wanting Mr. Lott to stay in his current position so they can make a punching bag of him and the Republican Party.

Other Democrats, meanwhile, are putting the onus on the president, pressuring him to call for Mr. Lott's removal. During a recent speech in Chicago, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., recited Mr. Bush's 2000 campaign pledge to be a "uniter, not divider."

"Yet now he wants a divider, not a uniter, as the Senate Republican family's majority leader," Mr. Jackson said. "What kind of consistent values does that reflect?"

Mr. Bush has criticized Mr. Lott's Dixiecrat comment, but aides said he does not believe the senator should resign his leadership post. But the aides have pointedly refused to take a position on a Jan. 6 meeting of GOP senators called to discuss whether Mr. Lott should be deposed.


It looks like the Dallas Morning News is helping set up the Democrats agenda to wrongly smear the GOP as 'racists' between now and the 2004 elections?



Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

2 posted on 12/20/2002 1:06:51 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Lott gave two speeches in MS reaffirming that he is going to honor his 'contract' with them, which runs through '06.

Trent spit up a big turd, stepped in it, rolled around on it, couldn't get it off, couldn't explain to anyone where the turd came from or why he was turdy...then copped to being a turd-spitter and said that all whites, southerners, etc. were turd-spitters that didn't understand who MLK Jr. was, that across-the-board affirmative action is the way to go and, oh yeah, dumped Pickering.

There's more, but I'm short on time.

Lott has no core beliefs, is a poor leader and a turd-spitting fool. Lott, like water, seeps down to the lowest possible point - everytime when under political pressure - and needs to let someone else lead.

Lott is our 4 letter word.
3 posted on 12/20/2002 1:12:46 AM PST by ApesForEvolution
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Lott originially implied that deposed senatorial leaders resign to use it as a barganing chip. He has since recanted that, promising to fulfill his term. I'm sure Bush will make a deal with him.
4 posted on 12/20/2002 1:12:53 AM PST by Congress Shall Make No Law
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ApesForEvolution
are you Rove? lol
5 posted on 12/20/2002 1:15:38 AM PST by TLBSHOW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
Are you James Carville or Donna Brazille? nlol
6 posted on 12/20/2002 1:16:42 AM PST by ApesForEvolution
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
Careful, Todd. Rove is watching you. He may even sneak under your bed tonight, and murder you in your sleep. You are all that stands in the way of his secret plan to trick Trent Lott into promising to support affirmative action, you know. You are very important person, in the great scheme of things, but don't let it go to your head.
7 posted on 12/20/2002 1:18:21 AM PST by The Great Satan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Any epithet based in either racism or hatred can not stick to Bush because it is pattently false, even to liberals. If it can't hurt Bush it can't hurt the Republican party.

Look at the poll numbers, the Republican party is still at 56% approval. It hasn't wavered one point.

What he can do is utterly fail as a leader. He can scare some of our congressional brethren of questionable courage into adopting a more moderate agenda. We can't have that now. Lott must go!
8 posted on 12/20/2002 1:25:02 AM PST by Congress Shall Make No Law
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TLBSHOW
No, I am not Rove. I just pay dutiful attention to fox and observed the timing of the man's statements.
9 posted on 12/20/2002 1:30:14 AM PST by Congress Shall Make No Law
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Lott's problem: Following a round of contrition and apologies and conselling by supporters, he feels cleansed and thus qualified to run the Senate.

The Democrats problem: He is not Bill Clinton.

He is incapable of compartementalizing such as Bill Clinton had done ,and still able to run the country as during his travails with Monica..

10 posted on 12/20/2002 2:34:59 AM PST by prognostigaator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Dallas newspaper sells its Liberal opinion on front page of their newspaper

That was ALMOST my subtitle. Does anyone else feel this way or am I the one that's biased?

Mine woulda been:

Big Leftist Media brazen in attempts at propaganda; public still not falling for it.

11 posted on 12/20/2002 2:54:49 AM PST by .30Carbine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ApesForEvolution
I smell a pot of hypocrisy brewing in the Democratic coffee mess. It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the liberals are in this country of their own shortcomings. Let’s take a look at some of the most dominant racists in the Democratic Party who seem to slip under the radar when the Dems attack the GOP. How about Robert (Sheet’s) Byrd, former member of the KKK? This guy makes a fool out of himself on a daily basis with comments that spew from his lips. How about Rev. (?) Al Sharpton, he has never been known to say anything racist has he? Remember the stupid remark about the slave being thrown off the ship by the WHITE slave traders, and sharks eating the poor slobs in the water? How about the Rev. (?) Jesses (the adulterer) Jackson. He is the equivalent of Bob Byrd (brain); he makes a fool of himself with his remarks, on a daily basis, also. And how can we forget Bill (the first Black President) Clinton, Mr. Phony himself and his Jezebel wife. Before the Demoncracts start casting stones, they should pull the telephone polls out of their own eyes before they attempt to pull a spec from the eye of a Republican, which (lest we forget) is the party that freed the slaves from the Democratic South in the first place.
12 posted on 12/20/2002 4:16:16 AM PST by Dr. I. C. Spots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ApesForEvolution
He should go ...but not because he made a so called "racist" remark(defined of course as a White-Honkey-Offay-Cracker's conservative's remarks about Negro-Black-Afro-African Americans)...who up there on that "hill" hasnt? black and/or white...

Throw Lott out because he is a bad leader...or a bad republican...or because he is senile...or what ever...address the real issues not the phony double standard BS being used to oust a man that needs ousting...

He should remain a Senator of the state that elected him as long as they want him...(which thanks to the witch hunt of both parties and the vampire press wont be much longer)

It is politically expedient to hold Lott to a set of standards others dont have to adhere to..but it has nothing to do with right or wrong as all the so called do gooding politicians and back stabbing repubs claim.....hypocrites all....the whole freaking mess of politicans/media
13 posted on 12/20/2002 5:01:42 AM PST by joesnuffy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
"Mr. Bush must also be more careful about judicial nominees, particularly Southern conservatives and especially if there is a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

And just what is that supposed to mean? Southern Conservatives??? I think we've just been dissed...

14 posted on 12/20/2002 5:14:35 AM PST by SpookBrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SpookBrat
"And just what is that supposed to mean? Southern Conservatives??? I think we've just been dissed... "

Well, if you guys would stop seceeding all the time maybe Bush would appoint a southern conservative.

Why appoint one, if tommorrow you guys want to fire on Fort this or that because you think the North has placed to high a tax on Moon Pies and Nascar revenues.





kidding
15 posted on 12/20/2002 5:24:14 AM PST by Bluntpoint
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
NEVER FORGET

...We don't "Get" LOTT in 1 week =

...We do "Get" President HILLARY RODHAM in just 2 years.


NEVER FORGET
16 posted on 12/20/2002 5:52:45 AM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ApesForEvolution
I am so over this Lott thing. David Limbaugh's article was spot on. Right now, I am pissed as hell that because I am a Republican, I am considered a racist by Democrats and the media. After reading about the fake hate crime at Ole Miss, everyone else on this forum should be pissed too, and willing to fight back against the stereotype.
17 posted on 12/20/2002 5:57:05 AM PST by rintense
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: .30Carbine
Big Leftist Media brazen in attempts at propaganda; public still not falling for it.

I like yours better! Thanks.

18 posted on 12/20/2002 6:41:40 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SpookBrat
And just what is that supposed to mean? Southern Conservatives??? I think we've just been dissed...

I am a believer in "what goes around, comes around." The Liberals still have theirs coming!

19 posted on 12/20/2002 6:44:25 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Bluntpoint
"Why appoint one, if tommorrow you guys want to fire on Fort this or that because you think the North has placed to high a tax on Moon Pies and Nascar revenues."

Hey! We take our Moon Pies and NASCAR revenues seriesly!

20 posted on 12/20/2002 7:11:11 AM PST by dixiechick2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson