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Why Gang Up on Lott When Rather and Wallace Get Off?
newsmax ^ | 12/11/2002 | Christopher Ruddy

Posted on 12/11/2002 10:09:09 PM PST by TLBSHOW

Why Gang Up on Lott When Rather and Wallace Get Off?

The liberals would love to see Trent Lott out as Majority Leader. But, I am dismayed by the number of Republicans and conservatives calling for Trent Lott’s head over his remarks about Strom Thurmond.

While not saying anything directly racist, Lott implied he agreed with Thurmond’s segregation views when Thurmond ran for President in 1948.

Lott quickly, and decently, apologized for the remark.

“. . .I'm sorry for my words,” Lott told radio host Sean Hannity Wednesday.

“They were poorly chosen and insensitive,” Lott said.

Lott then explained that he made his comments in this context:

“When I think back about Strom Thurmond over the years, what I've seen is a man that was for strong national defense and economic development and balanced budgets and opportunity, and that's the kinds of things that I really had in mind.”

I believe Lott. For several good reasons, but one important one. He would have been crazy to want to imply he supported segregation.

And another good reason is that Lott has a long, good record when it comes to race issues and fairness.

But sadly, Republicans are scrambling to attack Lott. Why?

One of things I discovered early in my career is that if a conservative wants to get really accepted by the media and get a lot of air time, he or she needs to attack a fellow conservative.

A conservative is “crowned” by the liberal establishment when he/she engages in ritual sacrifice of a fellow conservative.

This ritual act occurs when the “conservative” gets an op-ed in the New York Times or the Washington Post, and uses one of these platforms to attack a fellow conservative.

After the ritual, the conservative gets a liberal “halo” and is "cleared" for plenty of air time on CNN, ABC News, Nightline, and so on.

No, I am not participating in the sacrifice of Lott.

Lott may not be the savior of the Republican party, but he doesn’t deserve to be ruined by an ambiguous remark that some have deemed offensive. I can understand why people may be disturbed, but I also appreciate Lott’s apology and explanation. End of story.

Instead, I was wondering when the major media would get around to reporting Dan Rather’s racist remarks.

I am talking about his comments in July of 2001, while on the Imus show, when Rather slammed CBS news exec for forcing him to report on the Gary Condit story.

Rather said on air, "What happened was they [CBS management] got the willies, they got the Buckwheats. Their knees wobbled and we gave it up."

Of course, the Buckwheat term is used to describe a frightened black man. At the time of Rather’s use of the term, NewsMax noted that other public figures had gotten into hot water, even lost their jobs, for using the term.

Not limousine liberal Dan Rather.

Or what about his CBS colleague Mike Wallace. Wallace once said, with film rolling, that Blacks and Hispanics had difficulty filling our loan applications. According to Wallace, they were simply too busy “eating watermelons and tacos” to learn how to read and write.

The comments made by Rather and Wallace are far more insensitive than anything Trent Lott has said. Why have they never been held to account or asked to resign?

The liberal hypocrisy continues.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatives; lott
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To: TLBSHOW
If Trent Lott caves-in to the race hucksters and resigns his leadership position, then he is the spineless panty-waist cheerleader I've always thought him to be. What suprises me is how many spineless race hucksters are here in a "conservative" forum calling for his head. I guess they think if Trent leaves then the blacks might vote 97% socialist democrat instead of 98%.
61 posted on 12/11/2002 11:18:03 PM PST by Godebert
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To: SwordofTruth
Hmmmm... yeah, I think you're right. Too bad.
62 posted on 12/11/2002 11:19:00 PM PST by Jim Robinson
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To: Reagan Man
I`m confused [this happens all to often], if you were the leader in the Senate, just what would you have done to prevent Jumping Jim from leaving?
63 posted on 12/11/2002 11:31:45 PM PST by bybybill
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To: Sir Gawain
*grin*
64 posted on 12/11/2002 11:39:31 PM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: Sir Gawain
As bad as this situation is, I am able to sign off with a smile on my face, because of your canny post. Your timing is impeccable! ;-)
65 posted on 12/11/2002 11:43:31 PM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: McGavin999
You've got the best idea - only the Dems are wanting him to resign from the Senate altogether. Lott has been a dreadful majority leader. He would be much better on the appropriations committee. It would be the best thing he could do for the GOP for his home state constituency.
66 posted on 12/11/2002 11:59:04 PM PST by Bogolyubski
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To: TLBSHOW
bump
67 posted on 12/12/2002 12:30:59 AM PST by Outraged
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To: Outraged
Thanks for the bump!

Goodnight...
68 posted on 12/12/2002 12:33:32 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: Texasforever
Poohbah I have modern history on my side. If Lott steps down because of this it will only feed the beast.

You have two choices: feed the beast ONCE, or feed the beast every frickin' day between now and November 2004.

Vacant Lott kinda foreclosed your other options for you. Get PO'd at him, not me.

69 posted on 12/12/2002 4:56:45 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: TLBSHOW
Do you want to bet on it?

Son, that would be like betting on the Sun rising in the east. I'll gladly take the bet.

Conservative press releases die a quick and invisible death unless they can be used to damage the conservative movement, in which case they will be put to that purpose.

70 posted on 12/12/2002 4:59:54 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: hole_n_one
Who's the bigger idiot....Trent Lott or me?

You lost a pool.

Lott has lost any chance to move the GOP agenda forward.

He's the bigger idiot.

Real question: who's the bigger idiot, the idiot, or those who knowingly follow an idiot?

71 posted on 12/12/2002 5:02:31 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: jospehm20
I do not believe Majority Leader Lott is a racist. If that is the case, it would be wrong for him to resign over this non event.

If Lott is not in actuality a racist, then he's a blithering idiot. He is also a completely compromised leader--the price of getting anything done in the Senate will be making Tom Daschle the de facto majority leader.

We cannot afford to expend the political capital needed to save this toupeed mediocrity's leadership post.

Bulldoze the Vacant Lott!

72 posted on 12/12/2002 5:08:46 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Jim Robinson
I agree - I personally think Trent learned a hard lesson about "leadership sharing" and trusting the Dems in the last two years. I think he deserves a chance to show that he has grown some cajones. I think most Republicans are hammering him not because of what he said (I think they all know he didn't mean it the way it is being construed), but because they considered him weak.
73 posted on 12/12/2002 5:09:04 AM PST by Clintons Are White Trash
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cover
Click Here!

74 posted on 12/12/2002 5:09:20 AM PST by shuckmaster
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To: Clintons Are White Trash
I agree - I personally think Trent learned a hard lesson about "leadership sharing" and trusting the Dems in the last two years. I think he deserves a chance to show that he has grown some cajones.

The only way Lott will avoid The Eternal Democrat Filibuster is for him to do EXACTLY as Daschle wants. You thought his last go-around was bad? Dear God Almighty, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

75 posted on 12/12/2002 5:13:54 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Jim Robinson
The weak-kneed Republicans who are hollering for his removal will do us more harm than the Democrats.

How so, Jim? Shouldn't we hold ourselves to a higher standard? Shouldn't we do what's right regardless of whether there is a media firestorm? Trent Lott said that we'd have been better off electing a pro-segregation, pro-poll tax Dixiecrat (not a Republican, mind you) in 1948 on AT LEAST two occassions. How many times, Jim, does he have to say it before we believe him? Many people (some here at FR I've found) agree with Lott that Thurmond should have been elected president. Why is it so far-fetched that Lott believes what he said (AT LEAST twice)? How is it weak-kneed to purge our party leadership of people who believe what Lott said? Isn't it the right thing to do? The weak-kneed thing is to let Lott remain. Even broken clocks are right twice a day. Just because Kerry and others are right on Lott's removal as Majority Leader, it doesn't logically follow that it's the wrong course of action-- that would be a fallacy.

76 posted on 12/12/2002 5:26:03 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
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To: Jim Robinson
Under what circumstances would you allow him to be forced out? What is so sacrosanct about not forcing him out?
77 posted on 12/12/2002 5:27:29 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
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To: SerpentDove; TLBSHOW
The types of ads the Dems will use against us will pale in comparison to the NAACP lynching ads against Bush. They will run audio and video of the Dixiecrats ranting and raving against giving rights to "Negras" and "Coloreds" and then run a clip of Lott's comments. And there won't be anything unfair or inaccurate about the ads-- that's why they'll be so potent. Lott hasn't shown that he realizes the gravity of what he said.
78 posted on 12/12/2002 5:31:09 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
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To: Jim Robinson
If we have symbolic control of the Senate, but not real control, we will get all the bad from the bad bills and failed nominees without being able to blame Daschle Democrats for it (the good side of a failed Senate session)-- which worked well this year.
79 posted on 12/12/2002 5:33:22 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
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To: GraniteStateConservative
Paul Simon, a liberal democrat, was at the meeting. He says Lott is being railroaded. There was nothing evil in his remarks. He was joking.

Which means that you and every other "conservative" trying to hang Lott because of this have helped hang Trent based on false evidence of bigotry. You feeling good about that?

80 posted on 12/12/2002 5:36:48 AM PST by jwalsh07
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