LOTT THREATENS TO QUIT THE SENATE IF FORCED FROM LEADERSHIP

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

[John Lenin]

Anybody supporting Kristol wins the Mary Matlin award for stupidity to be married to Carville.

[uncbob]

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

[Edit35]

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.

[woofie]

For Petes sake, lets all be unreasonable....

[Texasforever]

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.

[ApesForEvolution]

And 'I agree' with that bump.

[oyez]

If Lott has to quit there as a list of Dems that HAS GOT TO GO. Kennedy, Franks Byrd and all.

[uncbob]

I just cannot believe a Senator would walk away when he is used to all that power

Newt did in the House

[okie01]

"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.

[Dave S]

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.

[GWfan]

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.

[crasher]

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.

[WoofDog123]

"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.

[ApesForEvolution]

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.

[dalebert]

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.

[chnsmok]

Get a grip. 60 votes to impeach was impossible.

[Texasforever]

Many gay men are married and have children

So now we are going to create another slander huh? Hell why not add pedophilia to it and throw in a smidge of Satanism?

.

[over3Owithabrain]

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.

[Miss Marple]

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.

[deport]

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.