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.

[woofie]

I always thought Lott was a drunk driver....who is your source?

[ApesForEvolution]

"...two out of three scenarios have the Senate in Democrat hands. Only if there is sustained pressure on Lott to step aside and stay in the Senate do we avoid the problem you noted."



This can't be repeated too many times.

I'll bump to that.

[Texasforever]

Do you think they listen? They're so busy being scared sh..less.

Yep.

[Torie]

Well if you have researched it, I accept that. That is an unusual procedure for a state. Typically, the appointee serves until the next general election. If it is true, I find that to be of considerable comfort, and do think Lott is really, really overplaying his hand.

[Wingsofgold]

It will be Mike Moore. Musgrove would appoint him in a second.

[chnsmok]

Some people here are worse then the Dems at character asassination 101.

[sinkspur]

But how many people do you know who actually fought and lobbied to keep blacks out their all-white fraternity? Hmmm?

FORTY YEARS AGO?

Have you told your wife about all the screwing around you did when you were in college? Did you ever do stupid stuff in college?

George Bush drank like a fish when he was in college and later, but quit when he was 40.

I know lots of people who did stuff in college that they regret. I know girls who got abortions in college.

What could be worse than that?

[Reagan Man]

I have no desire to see Trent Lott stay as majority leader, but I don't want to lose his Senate seat and possibly hand the Senate back to the Dacshle obstructionists. A minor verbal infraction, a stupid remark by Lott was pulled out of context and the political world went bonkers for the last week. I think you should blame the liberal establishment and not Trent Lott for making FReeping more difficult in the future. Race baiting, double standards and political correctness has been employed by the liberal elites to damage Lott and conservative Republicans office holders everywhere. That's the truth!

[Poohbah]

I was merely observing that the state of being gay and the state of having grandchildren are not mutually exclusive.

But the Democrats have something on Lott. Whenever Lott has had an opportunity to do whatever Tommy Daschle and Hillary Clinton want, he's done so with unseemly haste. Whenever he's had an opportunity to pull the plugs on the GOP agenda, he's done so with unseemly haste.

[fooman]

I see your pt. on the price of public service and so did mithchell and kissinger.

But a guy can have grandchildren and 'switch hit', especially in the 60s.

I never called Lott racist, b/c he is not. The dems have clearly demagoged this one-- I gotta hand to them.

They will fight to the death for the power and we will always find a way to lose on 'principle'

[RJCogburn]

You are once again asking a reasonable question. More information before we accept this 'threat' as true is needed.

[TBall]

Is your post true?

[FreedomFlyer]

Fortunately, most of the Freepers have been good on this issue, but there are a few who seem to think that we have to support Lott because he is our Bill Clinton.

If it was CLEAR that this strategy would work--trying to drag this out for months until Democrats and honest Republicans give up trying to oust him--then one might at least contrast expediency with having a solid, effective leader. But the likeliest outcome of allowing Lott to stay is the destruction of the Republican majority. When the censure motion is passed next month, Lott will undergo yet another round of calls for his ouster, and the Republican Party will be effectively dead.

The cockiness that everyone warned of hit the Republicans only a month after the election--thinking that they can ride this out without spending all of their moral capital.

The question is: Can Bush recover if he waits another day to call publicly for his ouster?

[Lurker]

Yea, I missed that.

My bad.

L

[crasher]

By the way, I saw the Jonathan Karl report that this thread is based on. I think Karl was very vague on how exactly Lott let it be known that he would resign his seat if he had to resign as ML. I didn't get the impression that he made the threat to all 20 Senators (by the way, I head 20, not 27) in that conference call. Karl did say that some Senators took what Lott said as a threat.

[ApesForEvolution]

"He's being branded a racist.

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

Yes, sink, I am. But, when and if he can leave the Senate in fairly short order without threatening the majority, that would be ideal. That's the world of politics. Join us in it sometime.

[Mo1]

Proves the Democrats have hit a Grand Slam on this one.

I wouldn't say a grand slam .. yes they hit us hard .. but if I know the Dems .. it's just a matter of time before they do something and change the headlines

[Amelia]

I wonder, with all the people leaving the administration this last week or two, WHAT THE HELL is going on that we are NOT being told? Alien invasion or something?

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

Yep, funny how with the "Scud Boat", North Korea's announcements on its nuclear program, possible material breaches from Saddam, etc., what we're hearing about non-stop is Trent Lott. Very odd.

[EternalVigilance]

Why defend Kristol, EV?

I don't...I don't even like him...I consider him to be an arrogant *ss.

It's just that some here tend to go off into tinfoil-land about him sometimes. They seem to see him behind every tree trunk.

[Texasforever]

Newt did in the House

Livingston, Packwood, Nixon, and Tower. ALL republicans.