Skip to comments.
Senate Source Threatens Vote of Confidence/No Confidence Unless Lott Racial Firestorm Stops
ABC News and the Los Angeles Times ^
| December 13, 2002
| Richard Simon and Janet Hook
Posted on 12/13/2002 7:40:55 AM PST by ewing
Senator Charles Hagle (R-Nebraska) broached the prosepect that Lott's job is in jeopardy.
'Is this a big enough deal to cause a revolution in the Republican conference?I dont think so, but these things have a way of going further than expected.'
Increasingly this week Lott has been subjected to the drip-drip-drip of criticism and scrutiny that ofeten drives officials from power in Washington.
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) suggested Thursday that the GOP leader do more to diffuse the controversy, perhaps appearing at a news conference or other forum 'in which he just makes clear that he is wrong.'
snip A senior Senate aide says that Lott is trying to weather the political storm, hoping it will calm during the holidays.
'If it [the Lott racial controversy] doesn't die down, I think the Senate Republican caucus will be forced to give a vote of confidence/no confidence in him the aide exclusively told the Los Angeles Times in the Friday morning editions.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: abcnews; latimes; lott; vote
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-131 next last
To: ewing
It appears that the Republicans are becoming more like Democrats as each day goes by. They are reactionary instead of visionary, which is what cost the Democrats dearly on November 5th.
21
posted on
12/13/2002 8:06:57 AM PST
by
A2J
To: ewing
If, a few days ago, Lott had given the speech that Bush gave yesterday, this situation might have calmed down. (Probably not given that he said the same thing before.)
Regardless, Lott might step aside.
To: Cousin Eddie
Make that MUST step aside.
To: brbethke
This whole sorry mess is a political hit job, pure and simple, and the fingerprints of Terry McAuliffe, James Carville, and Hillary Clinton are all over this one. While the murder weapon may have been manufactured by the Democrats, the fingerprints on it are Republican.
24
posted on
12/13/2002 8:10:45 AM PST
by
A2J
To: ewing
Lott should step down from the leadership not because of what he said or didnt mean to say. Its because he is a ninnyfied moron and a RINO (redundant I know). Hes a non team player.
To: brbethke
"This isn't about Trent Lott, it's about which party controls the U.S. Senate when it reconvenes in January."
So how does Lott's stepping down as Majority Leader affect that? Or are you saying that if Lott cannot be Majority Leader he is going to take his marbles and go home?
I think the back bench is a *fine* place for Lott.
To: A2J
That is a problem with Republicans, innit? Give us a brief reprieve from being the minority party, and we immediately turn inward and start the purges and cannibalism. Just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
27
posted on
12/13/2002 8:14:32 AM PST
by
brbethke
To: brbethke
The sudden appearance of stories about Lott's racist activities as a college frat boy has as much credibility as the sudden appearance of Linda Tripp's shoplifting arrest record. Funny you should mention the Linda Tripp story. The reporter, Jane Mayer, claimed she got the information from some relative of Tripp's that she talked to. In fact, she got the information from Tripp's official government files, released in violation of the Privacy Act.
To: Cousin Eddie
I have to agree, if this Senate staffer comes forward more publicly that Lott is dropping frequent N-bombs in the Cloakroom.. it may be hard for anyone to defend him
29
posted on
12/13/2002 8:15:02 AM PST
by
ewing
To: No Truce With Kings
I think the back bench is a *fine* place for Lott. And if Lott decides to leave, why should that matter?
What might still matter to Lott is if Bush now issues some kind of statement encouraging him to stay in the Senate.
To: No Truce With Kings
Yeah, I think Lott would do exactly that. Not that I blame him; if he steps down as Majority Leader the Dems will smell blood and
really pile on, while the rest of the Pubbies will scramble to put even more distance between themselves and the designated target. If Lott is deserted by his party (as seems to be happening), then yes, I think he's fully capable of saying "F.U." and quitting the Senate completely.
Then Musgrave appoints a Dem to fill his seat, we're back to a 50-50 Senate, "power sharing," "co-chairs," "bi-partisanship" and all those other lies, and the hunt for another Jeffords really intensifies.
31
posted on
12/13/2002 8:19:56 AM PST
by
brbethke
To: GraniteStateConservative
Ask someone who grew up during Jim Crow how funny it was. I saw Jim Crow in action, and it wasn't pretty.
The visibility given Lott's gaffe -- as opposed to Byrd's Clan membership -- can tell us a lot about why blacks hesitate to vote for Republicans.
Clarence Thomas helps Republicans; Lott doesn't.
To: No Truce With Kings
I know Lott and he is not as vindictive as I am. If they hold a confidence vote on me I would put there ass in the minority by resigning from the senate. Then I would hold a news conference to let the world know that I resigned because these same arrogant pricks said nothing about mr kkk comments on Fox and are good friends with a murderer. Then I would politely tell them to go well you get the Idea.
33
posted on
12/13/2002 8:21:47 AM PST
by
cksharks
To: TLBSHOW
It must be clear that the GOP win of 2002 is not over UNLESS Lott resigns from the Senate. That would be tragic.
It would be a hard thing for anyone's ego to both step down and remain in a lesser job, but it would be the right thing for the nation at this point.
I would far rather have Lott in control and have the Senate in Republican hands than have Lott resign the Senate just so someone else can be MajLdr. That would make it 50/50 again and would throw the Senate to the Vice President and probably to another Jeffords-type jump by some opportunist.
Lott in charge is better than democrats in charge.
34
posted on
12/13/2002 8:22:51 AM PST
by
xzins
To: No Truce With Kings
Lott has been a terrrible Majority Leader with he weak spine. It would be better for the conservative cause if steped down as majority leader, but remained in the Senate. He made an off hand remark to pay a compliment to a retiring collegue that was blown out of proportion. He should stick it to the Dems on the way out by proposing a change to Senate Rules that no Klansman or Former Klansman (aka Robert Byrd) can Serve as a Committee Chair or Ranking Member. Let's see how the Hypocrite Rats try to weasel out of that vote to punish one of their racist collegues.
To: detective
There is no consistant standard of behavior Just like there was no controlling legal authority?
and this is wrong.
It is wrong and bone-headed for a leader in the GOP to be so stupid as to give the Dems a hammer, no, a SLEDGEHAMMER, with which to bash on the 2002 gains. Whether Lott is a bigot or not is now secondary to the stunning lack of judgement he displayed with this statement - and lack of judgement is one of the worst problems for a leader to have.
36
posted on
12/13/2002 8:23:21 AM PST
by
dirtboy
To: brbethke
This whole sorry mess is a political hit job, pure and simple, and the fingerprints of Terry McAuliffe, James Carville, and Hillary Clinton are all over this one. Yeah, Carville must have hypnotized Lott so he would make such an incredibly stupid comment. You sound like Hillary, blaming Bill's problems on the vast right-wing conspiracy. Lott said this on his own free will, and he needs to take responsibility for his incredible lack of judgement and let someone else be Majority Leader, and whether or not the Dems are baying for blood is immaterial - the GOP needs to do this on its own accord. This isn't the first time he's rammed his foot into his mouth on this topic, and the fact that he is unwilling to watch his trap is another indication that he is NOT suitable for any kind of leadership position. As another poster said on this thread, he'll do fine as a back-bencher.
37
posted on
12/13/2002 8:27:45 AM PST
by
dirtboy
To: cynicom
However, after all the effort put in to regain control the senate, Bush and others are willing to shoot one of their own wounded comrades.Say WHAT? The only shot fired here was the round Lott placed squarely into his own foot.
38
posted on
12/13/2002 8:29:03 AM PST
by
dirtboy
To: dirtboy
Ahh..So you shoot the wounded also, not a team player, sorry to hear that.
39
posted on
12/13/2002 8:31:43 AM PST
by
cynicom
To: detective
...why can Senator Kennedy kill his girlfriend and noone questions his fitness to serve in the Senate while Senator Lott makes an innapropriate comment at a birthday party, ...and yet he is expected to resign. There is a double standard. Democrats are held to a different degree of accountability than Republicans, period. Maybe that's because the dems' constituencies don't give a hoot how honorable their representatives are, as long as they get their share of the pie.
As for Massachusetts' unconvicted felon...Teddy actually was removed as Majority Whip (cit. below). Is Lott's mouth the modern equivalent of Chappaquiddick? Yeah, if your mouth is Republican...sorry, double standard.
From Encarta: "In 1969 his colleagues elected him Senate majority whip, and he was widely regarded as a Democratic front-runner for the U.S. presidency. On July 18, 1969, however, Kennedy drove his car off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, and his only passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, was drowned. The event, in which he was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, seemed to quash his presidential hopes. Despite his reelection to the Senate the following year, he lost his bid for reelection as majority whip."
40
posted on
12/13/2002 8:36:19 AM PST
by
cloud8
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-131 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson