LOTT THREATENS TO QUIT THE SENATE IF FORCED FROM LEADERSHIP

Newsnight with Aaron Brown | 12/13/2002 | Jonathan Karl

[sinkspur]

Trent Lott, in a conference call with 27 GOP Senate Republicans today, said that he would leave the Senate if forced from the Leader position.

Jonathan Karl said three or four of the Senators viewed this as "blackmail," but that the majority still support Lott and want him to continue as Leader.

[chnsmok]

5.2 posts a minute. I think people feel strongly about this.

[xzins]

If he insists on playing that way, then we should back off. We do not want another 50/50 Senate. He realizes he has the power and is willing to use it. I wish he'd show the same stubborness when dealing with the Dems.

This will hurt the GOP in the 2004 election. They should develop a strategy to counter the race-baiting before that time.

[tomahawk]

Your option 2 should be entitled the "Doomsday Scenario". Whoever could even make this even possible (Lott) is clearly unfit for leadership and should be vacate the post or be removed.

[sinkspur]

He should merely state "I disagree with my colleagues who have to deal with the reality of politics, but I will serve out my time - not as Majority Leader, but as a representative of the great people of Miss."

He's being branded a racist.

Are you comfortable with a racist in the GOP caucus in the Senate?

[Koblenz]

Everyone is saying 2004 is going to be a cakewalk for the Republicans. In Illinois, Fitzgrald is a loser. In Alaska, it looks like the Ex-Dem Governor can run and win. That puts us down TWO seats. Sure, Hollings may retire, or he may run another 20 years.

[sneakypete]

Newt betrayed his wife and us. He did the right thing by getting out.

Of course. We can't have people in powerful positions that have gotten blow jobs,can we? It's MUCH better to stab him in the back to remove him so it's safe for the Dims to rule again.

[fooman]

well the buzz on this thread was that cheerleader lott was gay and thats why we did not get a trial in the senate b/c of the blackmail.

Well, lets use the blackmail against him, we 'out' if resigns, unless he does the back bench thing!

I know, I know EVIL.

[RJCogburn]

If he insists on playing that way, then we should back off.

No way....his threat makes me more willing to see him go, assuming this story is correct.

[over3Owithabrain]

Y'all are a little paranoid about Kristol, eh? Why bother about the little twerp - all the Democrat "subterfuge" you think he has done has done a lot of good, right? Yep, must have been his double-dealing that gave the GOP all houses of government.

One person, and one person alone, is responsible for this current mess - TRENT LOTT. If the GOP was smart a month ago right after the election victory, they would have not have voted him to be the upcoming majority leader. Now they're paying the price sooner than later and it's time to cut their losses.

[SwatTeam]

The very fact that Trent Lott said what he did and has led this thread where we're tearing each other apart is proof he is a stupid jerk. The question now is do we want a stupid jerk as the "face" of the Republican Senate.

I disagree. Only the stupid jerks on this thread are responsible for making themselves look like stupid jerks. And Trent Lott hasn't "led this thread where we're tearing each other apart". Only the stupid jerks on this thread are doing that. I don't consider myself one of them. Do you? And he will only be the "face of the Republican party" if we let the race baiters and the haters dictate how we are perceived. You can bet your sweet cheeks that if the governor of Mississippi was a Republican this entire story would have died before it ever got repeated once.

[habs4ever]

We don't know IF he pulled anything, right now.Considering the actors involved and the stakes, why not let things cool off a bit until we know for sure?

[William McKinley]

Click on my name, and on the left you will find a thread about it. Even if we consider Fitzgerald a goner, we are looking at gains of 3-6 seats, not 1-2.

[ApesForEvolution]

Sadly, the GOP via the Lott just handed the RATS their old-new issue and this won't go away. The potential for good with the Lott, even leading the Majority, was slim to begin with because of the Lott's nature. It could be argued that the GOP would get more done with a slim minority, consider the near-longer term agenda, with a minority and no Lott. Lott seems to do better when we're in the minority anyway. He's more comfortable there, 'holding the line' with the minority excuse, than leading. He's a HORRIBLE, STUPID, INEPT leader with RAT tendencies.

[Poohbah]

If Lott leaves the Senate, the Senate goes to effectively a 50:50 split since the Mississippi governor would appoint a democrat to fill Lott's seat.

Then we make sure that Lott understands that resigning the seat entails some really negative consequences for himself.

Just how is the conservative agenda going to move forward?

It ain't going to move forward at all with this jackass in charge.

Within the agenda, how do you expect Bush to get his judicial appointments through the Senate judiciary committee?

How do you expect to get them through a 49-vote Democrat filibuster?

This country has far more important issues to deal with than some poorly chosen words from Trent Lott.

Yeah, I noticed. Mind explaining why Lott didn't?

The hate which is spewed from the left on a daily basis is far worse.

Yeah, go use the "so's yer old man!" argument.

I have news for you--that argument does not work.

The democrats see an opportunity to at least get a split in power in the Senate.

Except for a few voices, very few people here are looking at the motives behind the attacks on Trent Lott.

And you don't get it. The Democrats want to make Lott the issue for the next two years. With Lott out of the leadership circle, that issue goes away.

[Cold Heat]

He was trying to make a old man smile. He has, nor has he had any racial overtones in his statements. This is quite obvious to me.

His leadership of the Senate has been wanting, but this is not the time and place to argue this.

You have taken the lie about this to heart and mind as have the rest who are helping to destroy my party and my dreams of finally turning the liberal tide of marxism.

This is all I will say on this matter. If Lott resigns you will get what you deserve.

[Mo1]

If Lott leaves, his successor has to negotiate with Daschle.

I agree .. Lott can't leave under this mess

But you do know that we can let Lott get away with this blackmail either

So the question is now what do we do??

I haven't read all these posts yet, in case you already answered it

[swheats]

Point me to that accusation. Never heard that one before.

[wretchard]

I don't relish the prospect of a Democrat-controlled Senate. But President Bush could (albeit with difficulty) prosecute the Afghan campaign and build up in Arabia despite the Democratically controlled Senate because he had moral authority.

What Trent Lott is asking the President to do is squander his moral authority and submit to blackmail in exchange for a slender one-vote majority. If the Republican party had 60 Senators it would have far more to lose than it does now. With 60 Senators you can really control the upper chamber, revoke treaties, appoint judges, etc. With a simple majority, nothing much is guaranteed.

I understand your point and share your disgust at having to lose (if necessary) a hard won majority. Some people fault Lott for allegedly being a "racist". Well maybe, maybe not. But if his blackmail threat is real, he is a real skunk and not the kind of person you want in the same foxhole.

[GWfan]

They won't realize it. They love to be worked up into a frenzy and spew venom. The usual suspects ae all on this thread.

[chnsmok]

Lott is not a racist or gay. NO Dem would have voted for impeachment, no matter what, just like Lott said.