Peggy Noonan: Counsel for Trent

Opinion Journal ^ | 12/13/2002 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

What Lott told us last week, and what he should do now.

People approach the Trent Lott story in political terms. Does it hurt the Republican Party? Do the Democrats get more out of the scandal if they successfully campaign for Mr. Lott's departure, or do they gain more if he continues as GOP leader, functioning as a handy daily symbol of the racism that resides in the secret heart of all conservatives? What did President Bush's comments mean? And by the way, why isn't the New York Times flooding the zone?

[Pokey78]

Pinging the Peggy list.

[gcruse]

bttt

[Common Tator]

Yes sir Peggy!

Does anyone really think that Trent Lott will step down and stay in the Senate? Anyone with a brain knows that he is very unlikely to do that. He will of course resign his senate seat

The Democratic governor of Mississippi will undoubtedly replace Trent with a Democrat.

That would tie the senate with Jeffords makeing it 50-50.

What do you think the Democrats would offer Chaffee or Snowe to cross the isle. What will McCain do? Which one will sell out to Daschle. The odds are 65 to 35 that one of them will.

The Surpreme court is at stake and both Bush and Peggy came down on the side of two more Souters.

[Russell Scott]

Are kidding me? Trent Lott's ego is such that if he looses his leadership position he will resign. I don't think so. But if true, then Trent Lott is a bigger liability to the party than I ever imagined.

[Fury]

What do you think the Democrats would offer Chaffee or Snowe to cross the isle. What will McCain do? Which one will sell out to Daschle. The odds are 65 to 35 that one of them will.

I'll bet you a $250 pledge, payable to FreeRepublic, that Chaffee or Snow will NOT jump from the Republican party between now and November, 2004. Because if one of them did jump, FR would be needed more than ever.

[P-Marlowe]

AMEN!

[beckett]

Noonan is right. Lott should go.

[ThePythonicCow]

Thanks, Peggy. You made more sense of this than all the other commentators I've heard combined.

I'm presuming that Peggy is calling for Lott to step aside as a Senate Leader, and that she is not expecting Lott to leave the Senate entirely. Seems appropriate. She argues the case well.

[woofie]

Sadly I agree with Peggy....She is a wonderful writer and clear thinker

[TLBSHOW]

The ones responsible now are people like Peggy and

the Family Research Council, National Review Online editor Jonah Goldberg, radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, columnist Andrew Sullivan and others have joined Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton http://www.cornellreview.org/nsogart.cgi?num=107


So why are these “girly boys,” as Ann Coulter once called them, acting as if Trent Lott burned a cross on Colin Powell’s lawn? Most of them have ulterior motives. Andrew Sullivan, for instance, wants to prove his social liberalism to moderate readers. Opposing the right-winger from the Deep South is a natural way to achieve that goal.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/805592/posts?page=54#54

[sinkspur]

Does anyone really think that Trent Lott will step down and stay in the Senate? Anyone with a brain knows that he is very unlikely to do that. He will of course resign his senate seat

Yep. He's likely to become a lobbyist with those RACISTS he hangs around with in Mississippi and make millions while those who rode him out on a rail are wringing their hands, one Lincoln-Chaffee-hissy-fit away from a Democrat Majority.

[goldstategop]

Peggy Noonan's wonderful prose is always insightful, touching and sublime. And this is the one time after you've read through this new essay of hers that you agree with the punch line: its time for Trent Lott to step aside. No, not for the sake of his party as important as that is. But for the sake of America and putting to rest the Dems' hopes of playing one group of Americans against the other for narrow political gain. Let's hope Lott decides for once to do the right thing because right now its the thing America needs most.

[F16Fighter]

Peggy Noonan is yet another coward advocating pulling out the chopper without Lott aboard.

I didn't know she was clairvoyant as well, knowing what he may have meant, but hey -- what's most important is the Republicans avoiding getting the cooties from Trent Lott.

Loud and clear, Ms. Noonan.

[Zack Nguyen]

If I were Trent Lott, I would call a press conference and this is what I would say.

"Good morning. Many people in this town have chosen to reinterpret my remarks a few days ago at Senator Strom Thurmond's birthday party. Perhaps I should have been clearer in my words. If anyone thinks that I was doing anything other than offering words of kindness and respect to an old friend who has served his country faithfully and well for decades, they don't know me or know how I try to live my life.

But just to be clear, let me offer this: I believe all people are created in the image of God, and are equal before Him. Because of this all people should be afforded dignity and respect. I believe government should be color-blind. I believe that the color of one's skin is not nearly as important as how you act and treat others. I believe the racist past of this country is shameful, and I am proud to be a member of the party that ended slavery and supported Civil Rights.

Now most people in this town know that I believe that. But some leftists have been wasting their time trying to score political points. My Democrat opponents have decided to to attack me for a poorly worded sentence, and in doing so have chosen to ignore their own history. For your illumination and that of the American people, I'd like to go over that history.

The Democrat Party stood in the way of every piece of civil rights legislation in this country for 100 years after the Civil War. They even stopped an anti-lynching bill. None of the liberals carrying on now bother to remember that.

A Democrat Senator used the "N" word on national television last year, and I do not recall any of the people who currently call for my scalp even uttering a peep when he did.

Former President Bill Clinton worked for an avowed segregationist and no one uttered a word.

Reverend Al Sharpton is an open anti-Semite and is still considered reputable by the media.

So you can see that my opponents here are living in a glass house while they persist in throwing stones. There is a double standard. If you are a member of the leftist elite you are allowed to get away with certain racial indiscretions. In some cases you are allowed by the left and the media to engage in open racism without consequence. That is wrong.

So I gladly confess that I should have made myself clearer while I was celebrating my friend's birthday. But I will not, ever, give in the iron fist of political correctness or the henchman of the left who wish to hold one standard for Democrats and another for Republicans. This Republican, at least, doesn't scare so easily. Thank you."

And then walk off without taking one question. Whaddaya think?

[Consort]

Correct. So much is at stake. No more RINO/McCain bashing until the new Supreme Court Justices are confirmed, and taxes are lowered, etc., etc.....

[ArcLight]

Peggy Noonan. God bless her.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I was looking for a little more clarity from Peggy. Were it not for the last sentence, I would have thought this whole essay was an "ellipsis."

[McGavin999]

I don't think he would resign as a senator if he was given a very powerful chair on a very powerful committee.

[F16Fighter]

Good link...

Joe Sabia is 100% right.