Skip to comments.
LOTT THREATENS TO QUIT THE SENATE IF FORCED FROM LEADERSHIP
Newsnight with Aaron Brown
| 12/13/2002
| Jonathan Karl
Posted on 12/13/2002 7:26:54 PM PST by 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.
TOPICS: Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: mollusk; spineless; trentlott; wuss
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 401-420, 421-440, 441-460 ... 1,121-1,126 next last
To: clintonh8r
Anybody supporting Kristol wins the Mary Matlin award for stupidity to be married to Carville.
To: Senator Pardek
Do you want an idiot for Majority Leader?
Problem is the GOP senators sure seemed like they did
I can't figure how he got the support he did
What the hell was wrong with the GOP senate
Well I guess after being used to go along to get along Dole Lott was a natural replacement
422
posted on
12/13/2002 8:59:58 PM PST
by
uncbob
To: sinkspur
Until I hear a Republican Senator SAY in public that Lott threatened to blackmail the Senate, I will continue to see this as a CNN, CNBC, NPR attempt to dump more dirt on Trent Lott.
As a newspaper reporter myself, I know how these no name sourced stories can be used to smear someone.
We might as well ask the wind to provice verification of this story, because the CNN reporter who made this report will not reveal his source.
423
posted on
12/13/2002 8:59:59 PM PST
by
Edit35
To: All
For Petes sake, lets all be unreasonable....
424
posted on
12/13/2002 9:00:40 PM PST
by
woofie
To: Dave S
Then why dont you leave and restart the Dixie Crat Party. Segregation Forever! Maybe Strom will run again.(SARCASM) Why don't you stop throwing the race card around faster than Vegas dealer.
To: Captainpaintball
And 'I agree' with that bump.
To: fooman
If Lott has to quit there as a list of Dems that HAS GOT TO GO. Kennedy, Franks Byrd and all.
427
posted on
12/13/2002 9:01:28 PM PST
by
oyez
To: poodle
I just cannot believe a Senator would walk away when he is used to all that power
Newt did in the House
428
posted on
12/13/2002 9:02:07 PM PST
by
uncbob
To: No Income Tax
"Within the agenda, how do you expect Bush to get his judicial appointments through the Senate judiciary committee?" If Lott resigns after the Senate is re-organized in January, the 50:50 vote (plus the VP) will maintain a GOP majority in each committee.
If he resigns and a Dem replacement is named before the Senate is re-organized, the best we could hope for is deadlocked committees. Because, if the parties can't agree on a new resolution regarding organization, it reverts to the rules applying to the previous Senate. The VP, by the way, has no vote in organizational matters -- only on legislation.
429
posted on
12/13/2002 9:02:07 PM PST
by
okie01
To: sinkspur
Hell, he could quintuple his salary if he left Not if left "persona non grata" with the White House and the members of the Senate (ala Traitor Jim Jeffords). He would have no clout in Washington. No clout, no interest from the corporations.
430
posted on
12/13/2002 9:02:23 PM PST
by
Dave S
To: sinkspur
If I didn't know better, I'd think that this was DU. Can these people be GOP members and call our senate majority leader a terrorist, gay and a racist?
This reminds me of the attacks on Bush in the primaries. Maybe Kristol is responsible. I'm surprised no one has accused Lott of drunk driving yet.
431
posted on
12/13/2002 9:02:49 PM PST
by
GWfan
To: Torie
I thought the law said if the regular election was more than 12 months away, the Governor appoints an interm Senator, and then a special election is called within 90 days of the vacany. They try and recruit Moore, we go with Wicker, Pickering, or Amy Tuck.
432
posted on
12/13/2002 9:02:58 PM PST
by
crasher
To: APBaer
"While a commendable virtue in others, this is so unusual in a politician it stimulates thought of what is he afraid others might retaliate with? "
To some degree I think it is both cultural (i.e. being from and growing up how and where lott did) and part of Lott's individual personality. He doesn't even talk bad about people without the power to pull out skeletons. It isn't bad behavior, or even unusual, for a well-raised boy from Mississippi.
To: HoundsTooth_BP
Just having the Lott's face in leadership, standing with Bush for photo opps on legislation initiatives, is an energizing force for RATS. He gave them the story and he keeps giving the RATS traction by his black-mailing the GOP.
To: WarrenC
Right on all counts. And the Dems will never let this rest. Maybe some heavyweights should have a face to face talk with lot and convince him to do the right thing or get his legs broken. Just kidding. I just don't think Lott is showing good sense in handling any of this. He doesn't seem ro realize that its not just him involved in this. I like to think Republicans are better than that.
To: fooman
Get a grip. 60 votes to impeach was impossible.
436
posted on
12/13/2002 9:03:38 PM PST
by
chnsmok
To: Poohbah
Many gay men are married and have childrenSo now we are going to create another slander huh? Hell why not add pedophilia to it and throw in a smidge of Satanism?
.
To: No Income Tax
the democrats will use this issue in the 2004 campaign regardless of whether Lott stays or goes. The democrats are trying to attach the "bigot" or "racist" label to all republicans--not just Trent Lott.
Yes, the Democrats will play the race card regardless, they always do. But which action by the GOP makes that accusation stick - dumping Lott or keeping him as their Senate leader? And ask yourself, why all of a sudden are libs like Alan Colmes and others saying Lott should stay in charge? They have already succeeded in neutering what little testicle he had to begin with - now he will be their puppet. He couldn't even bring himself to counterattack them in his weak-kneed defense. He must go and believe me, W is figuring out how to do it right now. I'll take Bush over Lott in a pissing contest anytime.
To: deport
I just think something about this story is fishy...almost like someone read theories here on FR and then went to the press with a story about a supposed blackmail threat.
I cannot believe everyone is assuming this is true without even one named source.
Who told CNN this? Why does Kristol know this? I want some answers before I add blackmail to the list of things against Lott. I would think others would, as well.
To: Miss Marple; Torie; Howlin; sinkspur; Darlin'
Within an hour of the news conference, several GOP senators issued statements of support for their embattled leader. Sen. Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record) of Kentucky, the incoming GOP whip, said, "I believe the American people will accept his apology and want us now to move forward together."
But other lawmakers, outgoing GOP whip Don Nickles of Oklahoma among them, kept their own counsel. And several senior Republicans, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lott's survival as leader was not a foregone conclusion.
Several GOP sources, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lott's office organized a conference call of Republican senators following his appearance in an attempt to shore up support. The sources added that while no participants suggested Lott step aside, concern was expressed about the long-term impact of the race-based controversy on the GOP legislative agenda, on Bush and on the election prospects of Senate Republicans in 2004.
440
posted on
12/13/2002 9:04:17 PM PST
by
deport
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 401-420, 421-440, 441-460 ... 1,121-1,126 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