Expressing the thanks of the Senate to the Honorable Strom Thurmond for his service as President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate and to designate Senator Thurmond as President Pro Tempore Emeritus of the United States Senate.
Mr. LOTT submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Expressing the thanks of the Senate to the Honorable Strom Thurmond for his service as President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate and to designate Senator Thurmond as President Pro Tempore Emeritus of the United States Senate.
END
I propose that all the senators who supported this resolution step down for embracing segregation, racism and a Dixiecrat.
Oh yeah, there were no dissenting votes.
You would think that Trent Lott would have better sense than to make such a stupid comment, but no one has ever claimed he was a rocket scientist. This whole thing has blown way out of proportion and it has damaged the Republican party
Very astute!! It's my understanding that Strom Thurmond changed his ways almost immediately after that presidential run.
He was one of the first to hire black aides and has never done anything since to revert back to his way of thinking when he ran for president.
I am NOT a Lott fan and would like to see someone stronger in the leadership position - but his remarks are the truth if he was referring to Strom Thurmond's change of heart and was expressing admiration for him.
Apples and oranges.
The resolution clearly says that the Senate is thanking him for his service as an officer of the Senate. There's nothing controversial there, it's honoring Thurmond's *current* service.
Lott's remarks are controversial because he (twice) said that the country would have been better off if Thurmond had won the presidency back in 1948, WHEN THURMOND WAS A STRONG SEGREGATIONIST. By specifically referring to the 1948 run both times, Lott was, intentionally or not, expressing approval for the "good old days" of segregation.