Jesse Jackson Calls Trent Lott a 'Confederate'on Thurmond Quote, Asks for Senate Resignation

Meet the Press-NBC ^ | Dec. 8, 2002 | Tim Russert

[ewing]

Tim Russert just said on the panel discussion to Robert Novak, Bill Safire and David Broder that Jesse Jackson had given him a statement calling Lott a 'Confederate' for his remarks supporting Strom Thurmond and requesting his resignation from the Senate as Incoming Majority Leader.

No details were given about possible protests by Jacksons Rainbow coalition on the controversy

[MHGinTN]

I think Jesse is aware his 'demands' will be brushed aside. But there is a deeper reason for Jesse's actions: he and the despotic democrat party must divide this nation into factions, into 'us v them' categories in order to regain thier despotic power. Democrats have relied on divide and conquer through disharmony for so long, they know no other way. This deosn't bode well for a nation at war militarily and culturally. Dividing this nation during crisis management mode is a destructive methodology and proves the democrat disdain for our health and welfare.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Don't count on Lott stepping down Jesse!

Jesse who?

[sinkspur]

It's ok to say that Strom is swell now, but mark my words, this will come back to bite dear Trent.

No it won't. Trent Lott was paying a tribute to an old man. Everybody knows Thurmond's background, and they also know what kind of man he is now.

Jackson's just doing what Jesse does, which is stir the racial pot. Jesse has a lot less credibility than he used to on this however, as he's been shown to be abusive to his own employees, and his shady financial dealings are now well known.

This is media-generated bullshit, and everybody knows it.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Lott should resign for saying his friend would have made a good president? HA!

If Jesse Jackson had a job, I would call on him to resign for his "hymie-town" remark.

[Arkinsaw]

I heard Strom in an interview the other night say that he did not himself approve of his stance back then because a) it wouldn't be acceptable today and b) it was wrong.

Lott was attempting to honor Strom Thurmond the man and not make a political statement on segregation and the pot-stirrers are attempting to make it into a political statement for pot-stirring/racial division purposes in order to get himself on tv and cast the illusion that he is relevant.

If Strom Thurmond had been elected back then some things would have been better and some worse. Race relations would have been one of the things that would be worse. Strom says that, so its not really a controversy.

Jesse sees a divisive bone and lurched forward to bite on it.....even though its a little bitty one. There is no real reason anyone here should be arguing about Lott's statement unless you believe Jackson's portrayal of it. I don't.

[x]

That's quite a stretch. Johnson made more Black appointments than Goldwater would have and Humphrey would have made more than Nixon, but I doubt Lott would have praised LBJ or HHH for that, or have presumed that their actions had much positive effect.

I suspect Lott took Thurmond as an anti-big government candidate and praised him on that ground. Unfortunately, that's not what Thurmond's 1948 campaign was about. Thurmond's "State's Rights Democratic" candidacy was directed against any federal efforts to reduce racial segregation, even the most minimal steps and even those that were fully within federal authority.

If Thurmond could have won in 1948 the persistence of racial segregation would have been the chief result of his victory. I don't think Lott meant that this would be a good thing. I suspect he just wasn't thinking. He was too hopped up on home state pride and us versus them thinking, but someone in his position clearly ought to have been weighing his own words carefully.

Thurmond has been a great credit to his country for longer than many of us have been alive, but Lott put his foot in his mouth big-time. The recent "two countries" mood of regional self-assertion and ideological polarization might make more trouble in the future, if people don't keep in mind the things that unite us as a nation.

[ampat]

Seems to me Jackson is a black racist. He should resign from the human race.

[hattend]

Is that the whole article? I can't find it at the link given.

[Timesink]

It is difficult to criticize Strom's segregationist background while Byrd is still in the Senate...

Don't expect him to leave for at least the next 15 years. He's guaranteed Senator-For-Life, and he's gonna outlast Strom.

[thatdewd]

But he said Strom should have been elected, in 1948. He was running as a segragationist then, that was his big issue.

He probably didn't know the specifics of Strom's 1948 campaign and was just trying to say something complimentary to the ol' guy. Some staffer probably prepared him some generalized background notes on Strom without the specifics. Lott should have known, but remember, he is a doofus.

[BillCompton]

The meaning of Senator Lott's words are deliberately being twisted -he would have to be a complete d*mn fool to have intended what he is being accused of meaning. Being mean spirited or raciest is not one of Lotts faults.

Well I understand your argument and agree with your last statement, but . . .

It is pretty clear what Lott said. I have always liked Lott and I thought he did a better job of managing the republicans than many (most?) around here would say. I cannot for the life of me understand what Lott meant other than he thinks things would have been better if a southern segregationist (it was the whole point of Thurmonds candidacy) had won. I cannot conceive of a charitable and plausible explaination of what he meant. Thurmond was flatly on the wrong side of that issue by modern standards and for the current Republican majority leader to opine for that revision is inexpicable to me.

[demosthenes the elder]

If I were black, I would find Jesse to be an incredible insult to my dignity as an American black man due to his continuing unsupported claims to be my voice in American sociopolitical arenas. Since I am not black, I can only find Jesse to be an incredible insult to my dignity as an American due to his continuing to breathe my air.

[ewing]

Try Ruesserts TV show page under transcripts on the MSNBC site..

[BillCompton]

This is media-generated bullshit, and everybody knows it.

He was on C-Span when he said it. Many who have posted
here
and here
are conservatives who think this was a big deal. Some people have said this is just PC run amok. I think this was a serious mistake that could cost the Republicans votes and I hold him responsible for it. We are better getting out in front of this rather than trying to gloss over and make excuses for a really stupid speech.

[BillCompton]

He probably didn't know the specifics of Strom's 1948 campaign and was just trying to say something complimentary to the ol' guy. Some staffer probably prepared him some generalized background notes on Strom without the specifics. Lott should have known, but remember, he is a doofus.

Yeah, I am sure that Lott is completely ignorant of southern politics. I think there is no chance that Lott is ignorant of the Dixiecrat movement. With the rather rich racial driven political history in Mississippi, it is impossible that a current Senator would not have a fuller understanding of recent political history especially as it relates to segregation.

[olliemb]

Put me on your ping list. Thanks

[Tailgunner Joe]

Jesse Jackson is a racist, communist, anti-semitic, philandering shakedown artist.

[sinkspur]

We are better getting out in front of this rather than trying to gloss over and make excuses for a really stupid speech.

So get out in front of it! Keep it going, instead of letting it die!

Now that Jesse Jackson is involved, most Americans who even know about this tribute to an old man (and that's very few Americans) will write it off, since most Americans believe Jesse to be a buffoon.

[MHGinTN]

When Jesse denounces the KKK Senator from West Virginia, then he might, might begin to stop appearing to be a buffoon. When Jackasson started the squabbles across the South, over the flags, he was allowed by the sycophantic liberal media to escape answering any questions regarding the KKK byrdbrain in the Senate ... no one in the leftist media even asked!

[thatdewd]

Yeah, I am sure that Lott is completely ignorant of southern politics. I think there is no chance that Lott is ignorant of the Dixiecrat movement. With the rather rich racial driven political history in Mississippi, it is impossible that a current Senator would not have a fuller understanding of recent political history especially as it relates to segregation.

That is pure bullshiite. If you polled the senate last week, I doubt that more than a quarter of them would have even known Strom once ran for president back about the time they were born or were still in short pants. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Senators are generally ignorant self-absorbed idiots who don't have a fuller understanding of anything except how to smile on camera. I don't know if you realise it or not, but what you are saying is that Lott has come out of the closet as an old-time segregationist, which is, quite frankly, about the stupidest take on this situation that a person could come up with. Lott stuck his foot in his mouth because of his ignorance. He's done it before, he'll do it again.