"We don't have to be more liberal, but we do have to be more relevant in a progressive way...They have a destruction machine, we don't...When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody who's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right."
Looking back I see his words for what they are, demonrat code to attack and destroy, EXACTLY what's going on now. They are indeed being strong and wrong. It's scary to see how many people on our side are fighting the enemy's battle for them. Most of us want someone else as leader, but if we use this exaggerated situation to achieve it, we'll be cutting our own throats, as far as the party's concerned. As much as I dislike Trent Lott, I don't believe he's a racist. I do believe that Bill Clinton is a racist, and I for one, WILL NOT surrender to his ploys. Lott needs to step down quietly, LATER, in response to more appropriate non-threatening needs such as family-time or some such, preferably during a break in the next congress. But right NOW the party and its members should FIGHT LIKE HELL. Better to be strong and right than strong and wrong. Lott may be an idiot, but he's not a racist. We won't be fighting for Lott, we'll be fighting for the PARTY. /rant
The issue now, is --can replacing Lott be engineered in a way to do as little damage as possible? No doubt the Dems will crow. They will say Lott's stepping down PROVES R's are racsists. I think the R's should stage a big press conference where Lott announces he will not run for the leadership position because of the hub-bub over his poor choice of words. The R's should point out the partisan double standards that are routinely applied. They should point out that ex-KKK Byrd is never criticized by the Left, give some other such examples, and forcefully require some Dems to defend against charges of racism.
Even though I think Lott has to give up the position of Majority Leader, I also think the R's should go on the offensive about the character asassination aspect of this.