Lott's tribute to Thurmond seen as racist

SFGate ^ | Saturday, December 7, 2002 | Thomas B. Edsall

[Michael2001]

Washington -- Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi has provoked criticism by saying the United States would have been better off if then- segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948.

Speaking Thursday at a 100th birthday party and retirement celebration for Thurmond, the retiring Republican senator from South Carolina, 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. "

[Michael2001]

My memory is fuzzy: which party has the former Klan member again?

[zarf]

Is lott's hairpiece growing inward?

I think he just presented Jesse Jerkson with a large strap - on.

[lelio]

Trent should keep his mouth shut and just let everyone think he's an idiot.

[truth_seeker]

Lott used bad judgement, and someone in his position should not make mistakes, like this.

I predict Lott will be replaced within one year.

[Arthur McGowan]

Note that Lott didn't actually SAY anything about race or race relations, and that he COULD have been referring to a lot of OTHER issues. But never mind. Any stick will do to beat a dog.

[xm177e2]

My memory is fuzzy: which party has the former Klan member again?

You think there's only ONE former Klansman in Congress? You're really just not cynical enough. Byrd might be the only known former Klansman, but I would bet a substantial sum of money that at least one Republican congressman, at one time in his life, was a member of the KKK.

[donmeaker]

We can hope.

I guess he feels like the US should have kicked it under the rug.

Strom was, at that time a Democrat, cheesed off with the anti-segregationist policies of the Democratic president. Strom ran in reaction to the national Democratic party choice Truman. Harry Truman ran against Dewey, but also ran against the "Do nothing congress".

[xm177e2]

What do you think Trent Lott meant, then? Segregation is the most obvious answer. That was almost the entirety of the Dixiecrat platform.

[FreedomFlyer]

Lott should go.

He is a poor leader, with the sort of personal morals that would lead him, not only to speak longingly about Jim Crow, but to brag to the Washington Post about how he suppressed evidence from the public and narrowed the scope in order to shorten Clinton's trial in the Senate.

[jennyp]

Abuse button hit - but only because it's really a Washington Post article & should've been truncated. (Legal problems & all you know...)

[Super Mak90kid]

So what if he did say that. Maybe things would be better now. How do we really know? This whole thing is a non- issue

[goldstategop]

Trent Lott's comments were uncalled for. To suggest the U.S would have been better off with a racist in our nation's highest office is patently offensive to American sensisibilities. That being said its easy to make too much of what Lott said as the Left is wont to do. I don't ascribe them to any personal prejudice on his part, more of an expression of we're all good ol' Southern boys unguarded moment of solidarity.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Not only is Senator Byrd a former KKK recruiter, but Truman, who was president at the time, also had ties to the KKK. This report backfires so easilly.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

One thing I'm learning, when a Republican gets smeared, I almost always regret it if I don't bite my tongue for a couple weeks. You jumped the gun a bit too faster there, Dillon.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I think they messed up. If Lott said anything racist, I'd play Frank Sinatra music for a week [the worst torture I can think of]. Truman was president in '48, and he had ties to the KKK. This report is going to backfire, and all these quick-to-bash Lott guys are going to eat their words.

[arielb]

are you saying that Strom Thurmond is a racist?

[A.J.Armitage]

The problem is, this time he's got something to back it up. We don't need leaders handing ammo to the left. Lott should go.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Truman was president in '48. Here are some links from another message board. They were top of the google list.

KKK and Harry Truman

http://www.ku.edu/~kansite/WWI-L/1998/10/msg00535.html

KKK and Harry Truman

http://www.ku.edu/~kansite/WWI-L/1998/10/msg00523.html

Truman in the KKK?

http://www.usahistory.com/trivia/wwwboard/archive/messages/1200.html