Posted on 12/20/2002 10:53:04 AM PST by TLBSHOW
For Trent Lott, a proud man and an ambitious one, stepping down as Senate Majority Leader must be a particularly painful experience. Much as we conservatives did all we could to force just such a resolution, now it becomes our duty (even though Lott himself won't appreciate it) to lift him up.
Trent Lott was racially insensitive and, in his desperate attempts to hang onto power through clueless apologies, unprincipled in doing an about-face on affirmative action. He has long been as disappointment as the Senate GOP's top strategist, too prone to gaffes, too Beltway-ed, too susceptible to being outmaneuvered by Tom Daschle.
But Trent Lott also is a lifelong conservative whose voting record (except on pork) far exceeds his effectiveness as leader. And as GOP whip in both the House and Senate, Lott was a superbly effective technician who did much to advance the conservative agenda. (Another example of the Peter Principle at work.)
Not only that, but Trent Lott, for all his flaws, is not a bad man. In fact, he's surely better than most. He's also a patriot of the first order.
It is now time, therefore, to empathize with Lott, to help him find a useful role of secondary leadership, and to praise him to high heaven every time he takes a principled position. It is time, in the National Review tradition, to be foul-weather friends.
Even if belatedly, Trent Lott has rightly fallen on his sword for his party and his country. Now it is up to us to provide balm for his wounds.
— Quin Hillyer is an editorial writer and columnist for the Mobile Register.
Then in the next sentence *Demand* that Patty Murray resign because of her stupid and inflamatory support for Osama bin Laden. They ought to hold up pictures of the children of the Palis armed with *guns and body bombs* and say this is 'A bin Laden Day Care Center!'
Turn about is fair play!
I sent him a note of thanks. It had to be hard as he is a proud man but his BET interview shaved off too much of his support. I wish him luck in redeeming his image that was tarnished by the liberals and I hope he doesnt hold any ill will against any republicans who wanted a leadership change.
In politics, the game isnt flag football, its knock-their-dix-in-the-dirt or lose.
The Republicans should have picked another leader years ago. What this proves is that the GOP is unwilling to stand up for principles, except when it becomes political expedient to do so (ie when it comes to racism). You'll notice the GOP and Bush made little moves to oust Lott for all the years he succumbed to the democrats.
I kept thinking of Bill Clinton who didn't resign, and of the damage his party has suffered from him. Now Clinton deserved his reputation, and Lott didn't, but in the vicious world of politics that really doesn't count for much. To this day Clinton's sleeziness colors people's perception of the Demos, and it will never recover until he is gone.
Kudos to Lott for putting his party in front of himself. It must hurt, as he said, to take punishment for something you are not, but it's the war, not the battle that counts.
I think the press is totally out of touch with the public on this, except for radical Demos. The only reason this had legs is because the press is carrying water for the Demos, stung by recent accusations from their liberal allies that they have gone "conservative".
-Churchill
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