Posted on 12/11/2002 11:55:55 AM PST by wcdukenfield
On September 24, 2002, the Senate Democrats set aside time during morning business to pay tribute to Strom Thurmond. What's remarkable about every one of these statements is that they were effusive in their praise of Thurmond, and none contained any negative reference to Thurmond's 1948 presidential bid as a Dixiecrat, let alone any reference to his segregationist past.
What are we to make of this? Are these senators sympathetic to segregation? Of course not. Clearly, it would have been inappropriate to use the occasion to disparage Thurmond. Their purpose that day was to honor him. And they did.
Some have argued that their grievance with Trent Lott is more particularized. During Thurmond's 100th-birthday celebration, 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."
Lott says he was not referring to Thurmond's segregationist views. Many Democrats aren't buying this explanation. While refusing to label Lott a racist who, in fact, is a cautious legislator who tends to seek comity rather than confrontation they apparently insist that his comment was intended to be racist.
Well, then, what are we to make of Democrat Senator Carl Levin's September 24th praise of Thurmond? Among other things, Levin said, " ... I am pleased to join my colleagues in paying tribute to Senator Strom Thurmond and honoring him for his unparalleled record of public service to this Nation." And then a few sentences later, Levin says, "In 1948, while he was still Governor, [Thurmond] ran for President as a State's Right Democrat and received 39 electoral votes, the third best showing by an independent candidate in U.S. history."
Are we to conclude that Levin was honoring Thurmond for, among other things, his historic showing as a segregationist candidate in 1948? If not, why else would Levin have mentioned it in the context of praising Thurmond's career?
Of course, Levin's not a racist, either. He made this statement in the same vein as Lott did. Yet, there's no condemnation of Levin either from Democrats or Republicans. And so goes the politics of selective moral outrage.
Because of his "Dixiecrat" race for President in 1948 and his steadfast opposition to civil rights legislation that included speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes on the Senate floor (the record for filibusters) in opposition to the 1957 Civil Rights Act, it has been easy for the national media to characterize Thurmond as a racist. In truth, just like more liberal Southern senators such as J. William Fulbright (D.-Ark) and John Sparkman (D.-Ala), Thurmond did defend the segregationist practices of Southern states against what he deemed "a new kind of police state centered in Washington." But he was not a hater of the Bilbo stripe and, while governor from 1946-50, successfully sought the abolition of the poll tax and more funds for black, albeit segregated, schools. Link.
He also fought at Normandy (Bronze Star, Purple Heart...15 other medals), was a judge, governor, state and fed. Senator...the only U.S. Senator in American history to win a write-in vote - and helped elect S. Carolina's very first Republican Senator - Phil Gramm - many years later.
Those S. Carolinians who loved Strom Thurmond, sent him to the statehouse and Washington, were mostly Democrats. Strom spoke at the Dem. convention in 1948. Trent's early Mississippi political upbringing was typical of the south - Democratic and racist. Let's talk party and race and American history....the real story. The "Radical Republicans" were murdered along with the freed slaves they helped defend in the pre-Civil War south. The Republican Party was formed to help fight slavery and prevent its expansion westward.
Or let's talk perspective and priorities of a nation. The press ignores the serious work Sen. Thurmond did to strengthen our national defenses in the 80s, or his mentoring of young leaders, his humility, his servant heart. If Strom, like Sen. Byrd, had remained a Democrat, there would be an annual "Thurmond week" on the History Channel and every American child would learn about this American hero...apology long since accepted.
Of course the RATS dismiss Byrds as being ancient history, but they also ignored it when KKK Byrd started talking about "white niggers" on national TV only a year and a half ago. No moral outrage or demands that he resign from the race hustlers then, just "regret" over his "unfortunate choice of words".
Whenever some of my socialist neighbors start in with the same kind of crap, I literally laugh at them. It demonstrates how non-relevant they are.
It also makes them frustrated and mad as hell. A pox on all of them.
Well, one MAJOR accomplishment, to the sheer delight of the dems, was to disallow witnesses during the sham Senate Impeachment Trial thereby tying the hands of the Impeachment Managers.
If Lott would ever shut up and listen for once, maybe he would have a clue.
He is blowing it again right now on Fox.
Your comment on what has he accomplished is interisting. I never thought about it until now..................Quick Answer: Nothing.
I forgot about that. Yes, that was an accomplishment. George Gekas told me, over coffee at a 7/11 that Lott was accompanied by Rick Santorum (R-PA), entered the room and said "It is Over, Clinton gets off".
Gekas told me, "That Bastard (Clinton) is gonna skate.".
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