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.

[EternalVigilance]

So, do you think Trent Lott's problems are all Alan Keyes' fault too? ROFL...

[Wingsofgold]

Probably 'cause "W" ain't no mind reader and didn't know what Lott was going to say until he said it. Geez.

[over3Owithabrain]

No one was discussing what Lott did 40 years ago until he opened his foolish mouth LAST WEEK and for all intents and purposes endorsed segregation. I am totally un-PC and an enemy of the race-baiting Dems, and I cringed at his remarks. At best they were utterly stupid, which alone should completely disqualify him from leadership. Why is he worth the trouble, name a time he went to the mat for anyone else. Hell, even his self-defense has been mealy mouthed: "I have black friends". I say again Lott must go, for the sake of all that is decent!!!

[TBall]

I have to go. True or not its certainly been fun. I always thought things were confirmed by 100 posts.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Care to illuminate that?

[Torie]

Are you suggesting that Lott wasn't in the conference call at all? If so, we are in a Sink of a Spur, which is much ado about nothing. Not Sink's fault of course. He was a mere conduit, which is what most of us do as we report who is saying what about whom.

[Miss Marple]

Choices for motivation:

Hatred of the Bush family.
Professional troublemaker.
Democrat mole.

Perhaps I should also tell you that he was not trusted by the first Bush White House, but managed to get hired by Dan Quayle. He also somehow managed to get promoted from a domestic policy advisor to Quayle's Chief of Staff (and I would like to know how the first Chief of Staff was removed...I haven't found that one out yet).

He was instrumental in getting Quayle to give the Murphy Brown comment in that speech (admitted it on Fox) which was, of course, SO helpful to Quayle's career. He encouraged Quayle to break publicly with the White House over the issue of the Kurds, rigiht before the 92 election. Not a great help there, either.

In Quaye's own book he says that James Baker wouldn't allow Kristol to sit in on campaign meetings in 92. Baker said he didn't want everything leaked to the press.

Now, I ask you, is this someone who is helpful? Are you also not getting a little bit suspicious?

Either Kristol delights in causing Republicians trouble, or the man is a Jonah and when we see him we should immediately run in the opposite direction!

[Askel5]

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

Gee, is he talking about former Governor Bush's "Friend from the Magnolia State" feted to great (backroom) effect in Texas?

[P-Marlowe]

Why should he be held to account NOW for what he did as a youth 40 years ago

Why is the Manson Family still in Jail? Why is Sirhan Sirhan still in Jail for something he did when he was just a kid?

Segregation was an evil. It was an oppressive evil. It was a dark spot on the history of the United States and everyone who supported it was doing the devil's work.

Lott supported it. Lott fought for it. Lott has never really admitted that he was evil himself when he supported it and fought for it. He will only admit that segregation was immoral but he will not admit that HE was immoral.

He will always be suspect. So when he says something like he did last week, that is more than enough evidence to a lot of people that Lott's character flaw that he had when he was young is endemic.

[ApesForEvolution]

xxxlinton's crime was sex, it was perjury, obstruction and probably much, much worse.

[habs4ever]

Uh,sure thing...it's a bit premature, even for crystal ball readers, to predict how badly Lott will flame out come next May, isn't it?

That doesn't matter when your mind is made up.

[skeeter]

But, then, I can't believe a lot of what I've read from longtime posters and conservatives over the last week.

Friggen cannibles.

[The Great Satan]

I told y'all Chester was going to pull a Saddam Hussein, and stake everything on the "Samson Option." It's a riverboat gamble, but Lott figures, hey, what's he got to lose? No way is Lott going to go down without taking the GOP down with him.

This calls for some serious strategery. Maybe Bush should bribe the Capitol Hill barber to shear off that blow-dried bonnet Lott wears on his empty head. That would send him scurrying back to Mississippi in no time. It may be our last best hope.

[sneakypete]

And now, in an obvious slur on the South, you put up a "NO DOGS, NO NEGROES, NO MEXICANS" sign.

And he even misspelled "Negroes".

[crasher]

Yes. More from the Post:

"Yet, in a sign of the Lott camp's concerns, some allies are quietly suggesting to GOP senators that Lott might resign from the Senate if he is forced out as leader, a move that could jeopardize the party's one-seat majority. Mississippi

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D) presumably would appoint a Democrat to replace Lott, they note. That would leave the Senate evenly split, enabling Democrats to regain the majority if they could persuade a moderate Republican to switch parties.

A source close to Lott dismissed the scenario, saying, "it would be a cold day before Trent Lott gives his seat to a Democrat governor."

[P-Marlowe]

But, if you continue to be as anal as you have been, you'll rip Lott because he didn't use the word "EVIL."

Truth is truth
Lies are lies
God don't take no alibis.

[EternalVigilance]

...leave leadership in the summer." June or July?

Every day that Lott stays in the Majority Leadership will prolong the torture for the Republican Party...I don't know how anyone thinks he can endure for 6 days, much less 6 months...or why they would want him to.

[Torie]

Ya, Bush knew Lott was a "racist" or something in the neighborhood, which is why he feted him. Can't we do a bit better than that?

[fqued]

Agreed.

In 500+ posts, I have yet to see any evidence that this is anything more than a rumor.

Once someone has some evidence, please post it in bold and in color, so I don't miss it.

Actually, Lott can resign sometime in the near future. He could NOT resign during the past week because that would be taken as proof that he is a racist. Once this blows over he can resign.

[EternalVigilance]

A source close to Lott dismissed the scenario, saying, "it would be a cold day before Trent Lott gives his seat to a Democrat governor."

If true, that's the best news I've heard all day.