Posted on 12/20/2002 6:19:45 PM PST by TLBSHOW
Commentary: Lott Throws In The Towel Gary Bauer President, American Values
After days of endless apologizing, Trent Lott has thrown in the towel and resigned as Senate Majority Leader. Late last night he began making phone calls to GOP colleagues to let them know his decision.
Also over night the White House began a more concerted push to replace Lott with Senator Bill Frist, who will now emerge as the "frontrunner."
Frist is a savvy media personality, but he angered many conservatives by interfering in Republican primaries around the country, virtually always in favor of the moderate candidate over the conservative. And he was a staunch supporter of former Surgeon General Satcher, who was pro-abortion. I hope a more reliable conservative-- either Nickles or Santorum-- will throw their hat in the ring.
Now comes the hard part. This mess doesn't end with Lott's resignation. The GOP needs to find its backbone. One example: There are reports that the Administration is now afraid to go into court against the University of Michigan's offensive racial quota system that selects students from certain minority groups regardless of grades while rejecting white students with much higher grades.
For 30 years the Republicans have opposed these quasi-quota schemes. Are we now going to throw in the towel because of the smear campaign against Republicans of the last two weeks?
Some insiders are suggesting there will be reluctance at the White House to nominate conservative judges. Such reports better be inaccurate or the conservative base of the party will be gone.
Let me bring up again one easy way for the White House to signal that it knows how to play hardball and help Americans of all races. Many Washington D.C. schools are abysmal and the children, mostly black, trapped in them are ill served. The White House should send a school voucher program to Capitol Hill on the first day of the new Congress just for the District of Columbia. Ted Kennedy will scream. Hillary Clinton will pull her hair out. Daschle will reach for the Maalox. And they will line up and vote "no" against those black families and in favor of the teacher unions.
Last year Bush dropped his voucher plan because Kennedy refused to let it out of Committee, but there should be no cave in this time.
And he never will do that .. that is NOT the way Bush handles things ..
Bush has other ways of making his point
I'm a conservative, I believe in taking responsiblity for yourself, Trent Lott had that power and blew it. And all the bloviating and trying to blame the President or Rove will never change that. I will always scorn people who try to blame others, with things that they themselves have caused.
We are not Democrats! We do NOT rally around someone who is stupid and wrong. It was an important point that was proved in this incidence, that will resonate with the public. And much more important than which democrats are screaming racist. You were in the wrong fight TLB. I guess you didn't realize it?
That did me in as well.
It was a disgusting thing to do.
Trent could have fought, he could have turned this into a national debate on race, and racism as a blackmail card. He could have discussed Jackson's "Hymietown" comment, Sharpton's Tawana Bradley incident, the "white nigger" episode (and yes, if it's OK for a US Senator to use that word, then it's OK for me to use that word), and FOUGHT for himself.
Instead, what we get is the nation's top Republican selling out the GOP agenda, and apologizing to anyone darker than George Hamilton who crossed his path.
I've never posted anything against Islam. Have you? If so, shame on you.
I am a little bothered also that he didn't get more of a defense from the right.
I mean, Daschle even opened the door with his apologizing FOR Lott's stupidity.
I really think it was a real opportunity that could have been crammed successfully right back down their throat with a bare minimum of effort.
Heck, if anyone has a shameful history in this regard it's them. From Carl McCall (sp?) to "Jew Bastards" to the Civil Right's Act, they don't have a leg to support them under any kind of serious scrutiny.
But, that was yesterday. Today I am just hoping our agenda didn't get too dinged up and that our brave politicians won't be ashamed to put it forward.
There's really no use in having control if they don't have the nerve to push our agenda.
Sweet dreams.
My typing skills have gone to hell in a handbasket too.
The facts according to TLB? What? Did Bush and Rove put all those words in Lott's mouth? TLB, did you listen to anything that Lott said? I forgot, you don't have a TV, so you must not have heard Lott at all.
I think even Ray Charles saw that strategy coming.
It actually says more about the left's perfect issue vacuum than it does about the right's supposed "racism"
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