The trial balloon was, "Lott should step down as majority leader". That balloon floated magnificently, beyond their wildest dreams, aided by hot air from his own fellow Republicans.
The next trial balloon, already in the whispering stages, will be, "Lott should resign his seat." Lott might just up and do that, returning the Senate to 50-50.
Warning to GOP: Stop the piling on or you might just find yourself negotiating with Puff over control of the Senate again.
I don't know about you, but I'm done with this. It is clear that Lott is going to have to resign as Majority Leader, and, yes, the drumbeat for him to quit altogether is next. The Senate will be 50-50, and Free Republic will continue to blast Lott, even after he's gone.
The Republicans are making spectacles of themselves, trying to outdo the Democrats in outrage.
Guess what? We can't do it. We'll never be able to do it. The Black Caucus is laughing at the GOP, flailing around in the chum-filled water of accusations of racism.
Accuse of us racism, and we say "Yassur, we's racist but we won't be no mo."
Phase two of this sordid tale will commence after Lott resigns as MJL.
The Republicans are making spectacles of themselves, trying to outdo the Democrats in outrage.
Guess what? We can't do it. We'll never be able to do it. The Black Caucus is laughing at the GOP, flailing around in the chum-filled water of accusations of racism.
Accuse of us racism, and we say "Yassur, we's racist but we won't be no mo."
Phase two of this sordid tale will commence after Lott resigns as MJL.
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I completely disagree with your take on the Lott fiasco.
The drumbeat to resign will be of a much lesser volume than to step down. For one thing, no Republicans will join the Black Caucus in the calls for resignation. For FReepers, Lott has maintained and will continue to have a good voting record and if Lott can become a quiet back bencher, no FReeper will speak out against him.
As far as the media is concerned, House Speaker Denny Hastert is a non-entity, House Majority Leader Dick Armey has retired and House Whip Tom DeLay does his best work beneath the media's radar. By default, Trent Lott has been the media's congressional GOP focal point (perhaps the largest outside contributing factor requiring Lott's removal). As soon as Trent is removed as the focal point, the media will largely go away.
I don't believe Republicans are engaged in trying to outdo liberals in outrage. But because of past and continuing media bias regarding the GOP's stance on race, the GOP is compelled to restate our stance - and to restate it loudly and often. Republicans are not outraged by Lott's remarks, they are embarrassed. And Republicans are embarrassesd, not because Lott's remarks or Lott himself are racist. Republicans are justifiably embarrassed that their Leader is capable of such a insensitive and amateurish comment (and lazy, too - repeating portions of 20 year old, earlier speech commending Thurmond).
There's no chum-filled water and GOPers calling for Lott to step down are NOT agreeing that Lott or the GOP is racist. We're saying, "Lott's a moron and we as a party would be dumber still by keeping him in his post as Senate leader."
There will be no phase II.