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.
I think the issue is becoming "is he a liability?"
Those options are few because wimps and cowards would instead of attacking the Left, eat their own. Yeah, Lott Messed up. He admited it. He apologised for it. SO GET OVER IT ALREADY. Grow a spine and Call those on the left calling for his head what they are, RACE HUSTLERS! And that includes some RINOS screaming their heads off about this.
So the racists are the people that take Trent Lott's at-least-twice-uttered remarks in support of a segregationist at face value?
Sen. Lott has released a statement and appeared on national media to apologize for his statements. He has explained his statement and the context in which it was made-enough is enough!
Lott clearly doesn't understand the gravity of what he said, the gravity of what the Dixiecrats stood for. He hasn't said anything about any of it and he hasn't said one word about saying the same damn thing last Saturday back in 1980. If Lott isn't a segregation supporter, then he's merely too incompetent to be our Senate leader.
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters, and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are hypocrites and they are the real racists.
That may be true, but it's a non-sequitor. It has nothing to do with the issue at hand about Trent Lott.
Jackson has not apologized for his 'Hymie' town comments, nor for his forty years of immoral leadership; Sharpton has never apologized for his role in the Tawana Brawley disgrace; members of the Congressional Black Caucus have never asked fellow Democrat Sen. Robert Byrd to step down for using the word 'nigger' twice on national television.
Those are facts, yes, but that's a non-sequitor still. It has nothing to do with the issue at hand about Trent Lott.
Black and white Democrats alike who continue to demand that he [Lott] step down are doing so only for political reasons. And Republicans who fail to support him are displaying cowardice.
I'm sorry. I thought Lott was a political leader. Maybe Mr. Peterson doesn't realize that examining the politics of political issues is a part of the game. He also is resorting to another fallacy-- Ad Hominem attack: Disregard what Republicans who wish Lott to step down as Leader say for they are cowards.
Lott should not step down; he should not offer any more apologies-this matter is done! We should judge people based on their hearts and actions, and unlike many of his detractors, Trent Lott has no history of being a racist."
Well, this isn't done, Mr. Peterson even if you say it is. He does need to apologize for saying what he said in 1980. He should come clean regarding whether he has said that Thurmond should have been elected in 1948 more than twice. He should apologize to the Republican Party and make it clear that he understands exactly what the Dixiecrat Paryt stood for. He should also resign his leadership position.
You have got to be kidding .. Sorry but you are wrong
You have got to be kidding .. Sorry but you are wrong
No, I'm not.
We will have other opportunities, but only if we do not insert a GOP majority leader who will, in essence, do EXACTLY as Tommy Dashcle wants if he is to avoid being filibustered into eternity.
The longer you take to do the right thing, even if someone you despise supports it, the more damage you will suffer in the process.
Get it done, and get it done now. The "race baiters" want this dragged out for a long time--the LAST thing that they want is a quick, decisive resolution. They want Lott left in place for two years while they keep him ineffective.
One of the most important decisions that businesses make is knowing when to stop throwing good money after bad. We've gone past that point with Lott.
other opportunities??
We keep getting opportunities and every friggin time the Dems throw something out there and what do we do .. bend over and take it
Well I am sick of bending over .. I am sick of the Dems and their dirty tricks and I am tired of us being wimps
Bull. We blow our own opportunities by expending political capital on defending blackmailable toupeed idiots like Vacant Lott.
Well I am sick of bending over ..
Great. Keep Lott around, you're going to be doing it for the next two years...BEFORE the GOP gets broomed from the White House and Congress.
I am sick of the Dems and their dirty tricks and I am tired of us being wimps
Then quit supporting neutered wimps like Lott, dipwad.
I guess I can add dipwad to my list huh?? .. is it at all possible to have a discussion/debate/whatever with you without the name calling?
As for Lott, I don't support him .. never have but what I do support is the end of running away with our tails between our legs over something the Dems THINK
Yeah, but you have to have a minimal amount of intelligence to do so, and you haven't shown a hint of having any.
Your point seems to be that we should all commit glorious seppuku on the Capitol Steps to show the world that we won't be intimidated from being really frickin' stupid.
You've now wedded yourself to Lott, and you're going to discover, if he stays on, that you've sold your soul.
There are no victims...only volunteers.
How do you know that? I think they want to demonstrate their power by winning a victory NOW, and then they will use that demonstrated power to intimidate everybody else. What we need to do is to deny them that victory NOW.
They don't need a Lott in place to continue to find flimsy excuses for race-baiting. Once he's gone, they'll just go after others. And they'll do it with all the more vigor if we have emboldened them.
If you continue to insult other people on this board, just why is it that you think others will take your arguments seriously?
You really are a piece of work
Because the election cycle is over for now. If Lott is still in the leadership slot in January 2004, he becomes the issue again.
I think they want to demonstrate their power by winning a victory NOW, and then they will use that demonstrated power to intimidate everybody else. What we need to do is to deny them that victory NOW.
Son, you would make a lousy chess player. You play to win, not to delay someone else's victory, and that means you occasionally write off a misplaced pawn or minor piece. Failure to do so means that eventually, your king is checkmated, and you lose the game.
They don't need a Lott in place to continue to find flimsy excuses for race-baiting.
This one isn't as flimsy as you wish it were. We can deal with the flimsy attacks that may follow much more easily than the not-so-flimsy attack underway now.
Once he's gone, they'll just go after others.
There's only so many times you can do this to different people, but by God, you can do it to one cooperative target over and over again.
And they'll do it with all the more vigor if we have emboldened them.
Pursuing a flimsy attack with vigor is a great way to achieve failure. So's defending the indefensible.
I just insult the ones who insist on committing suicide and taking me with them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.