[Pokey78]

Pinging the Peggy list.

[gcruse]

bttt

[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

[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?

[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."

[mrustow]

Powrful writing, but she makes one big mistake:

It is hard to believe that Trent Lott meant to suggest that segregation was OK. It's hard to believe any modern American would think that.

Millions of Americans think segregation would be preferrable to the current situation. And the group that most aggressively supports segregation ...

[mrustow]

is black folks.

[Arthur McGowan]

The most destructive agency during Jim Crow--the one that did the most to keep Black people psychologically and economically down--was the Government School. Without Government Schools, segregation would hardly have affected children at all--at least not with anything like the destructive effects it did. Without Government Schools, Brown v. Board of Education would have been unnecessary.

Funny how Government Officials, when congratulating themselves about how Government freed this country from Segregated Schools and Segregated Lunch Counters, hardly ever hint that it was Government that created and enforced Segregation in the first place.

[ellery]

BUMP!

[onedoug]

There are two races of people: the decent and the indecent. Lott should have been removed from his leadership position when he caved on impeachment, and should finally be removed now, for that same reason. His piling on only compounds his indecency.

[Reo]

Peggy Noonan now joins the growing chorus for leadership change which also includes Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Cal Thomas, Thomas Sowell, John Fund, Mona Charen, and Michelle Malkin. A pretty impressive group....I hope the Pubbie senators are listening....

[The Great Satan]

It is hard to believe that Trent Lott meant to suggest that segregation was OK.

Hardly. Have a few drinks with the average German of World War II vintage (and even a few younger ones) and they'll be telling you how good it was under Hitler, and how the Jews were "asking for it." Same for Italians and Mussolini, Russians and Stalin, and so on. People aren't that different the world over. Most are comfortable with the ideas and prejudices they grew up with and, at best, only pay lip service to any "enlightened" ideas they picked up after age 25. That's just the reality of human nature. Doesn't mean that Trent Lott is a monster, any more than your average crypto-Nazi German septuagenerian is a monster. They're just average, mediocre people, that's all.

[Hatteras]

There is an obvious connection in this whole situation that no Republican has the doo-dads to bring up and no Network Anchor will touch. Both Trent Lott AND the "Grand Old" Senator Thurmond were DEMOCRATS when they espoused any RACIST views.

Why do they keep referring to Strom Thurmond as some kind of wonderful grand patriarch if he was a racist. What does Senator Byrd think about all this? Why do they forgive Strom Thurmond for what he has said and done in the past and not Trent Lott. Hmmm, could it be.... politically motivated?

[GOPJ]

Well said, Peggy. You make us proud.