Don Nickles Calls for New Senate Leadership Election to Challenge Lott

Fox News | 12-15-02

[rightwing2]

Fox News just reported that ABC reported that Nickles has called for a new Senate leadership challenge to Trent Lott!

[BuddhaBoy]

Just a prediction. Calm down.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"This is a very craven move by Nickles, demonstrating how personally ambitious he is as a pol."

I agree. And, it sickens me to think how happy the democRAT caucas is this morning.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm not sure that we disagree. I was refuting a post that said that If Lott stays in the Senate then the GOP will be irreparably harmed.

[cyncooper]

Bush should do the right thing and affirm his support for Lott

Bush cannot "affirm" something that isn't so, therefore it would be the wrong thing to do---to say he supports Lott when he does not.

[kcvl]

Because trying to tell IDIOTS that this WASN'T about race it was about STEALING another Senate seat when the RATS COULDN'T win in the election. Worked fine for the *itch and her mouth-piece, James Carville. The same thing I tried to tell people about BILL CLINTON and no one listened. They are EVIL and will do ANYTHING(ANYTHING!!!) to get what they want. Thanks for helping.

[A2J]

Yes, if he is a man of courage who sincerely believes what he has been saying: that his comments were wrong and indefensible.

If his words were so "wrong and indefensible," then the courageous man would resign his seat for fear of bringing more shame to the "honored chamber."

You're just looking to save the GOP's hide, not bolster character. Lott has apologized more than once and still some Republicans refuse to stand with him. Being courageous means willing to take the heat for standing for what is right.

[sinkspur]

Don Nickles is an honorable man as far as I know, but if he has some racial skeletons, then he will be gone too.

Who doesn't have "racial skeletons," Boy, in your world of "integrity" where no one has ever sinned, no one has ever said anything they wish they hadn't, and all must tiptoe on egg shells because of the chips on the shoulders racial opportunists wear as badges of honor?

[dogbyte12]

This is a very craven move by Nickles, demonstrating how personally ambitious he is as a pol.

I agree and disagree. This is Nickles whole career here. He has built himself up this high in politics and he has thrown the big dice over this issue. If Lott beats him, Nickles' career is over. If Nickles wins, he is a front runner for 2008. Nickles was a wonder boy. Elected to the Senate at age 31 in 1980. He is 52 now will be 58 in 2008... I am guessing that he feels that 2008 will be around the right time to find out if he has what it takes to grab the brass ring.

[John Lenin]

Another mature conservative heard from.

If Lott makes it known that he will step down and the GOP railroads him out anyways, all the time, effort and money I have donated to the GOP is thrown out the window. What do I owe the GOP ? Absolutely nothing !

[kcvl]

We certainly do now, that's for sure. Open the borders and give more jobs to illegals too. That will probably be his next step. Don't want to upset Fox.

[sinkspur]

That would kill any future lobbying bonanza Trent is contemplating.

Lott could serve on 5 or 6 boards of Mississippi companies who would love to have him and for which he's done a great deal in his time in Congress.

In addition, his family is wealthy.

Lott has the whip hand here, not George W. Bush or any "FBI Files" that may or may not be floating around.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"But Pickering is now finished---thanks to Lott."

If Pickering is now finished---it's thanks to conservatives who helped brand Lott a racist in an attempt to pay him back for trying to manage a diverse Republican caucaus instead of pushing the conservative agenda.

[John Lenin]

I will wait to see how this plays out, but if the worst happens I'm gone from the GOP.

[hinckley buzzard]

"They don't even listen to blacks in the party."

JC Watts was critical of Lott. Rice and Powell refused to make statements of public support. What Black Republican office holders do you know who came out in his support?

[A2J]

Will he end his career on a positive note in the party's eyes, like a Gingrich, Dole, and Ford, or as a Jeffords?

To say that Lott would be a "Jeffords" should he choose to resign his seat is utter nonesense.

Jeffords switched sides to satisfy his own political career and goals. Should Lott resign he would be doing so because his own party acted like the ravenous wolves of the Democratic party and devoured him.

Stop placing party over principle, it makes you look like a Democrat.

[Torie]

Nickles is not going to be the next majority leader. I wouldn't waste a lot of time doing research on him.

[TLBSHOW]

Well look here Jesse and Don


JESSE JACKSON But it’s not just about African-Americans. Don’t stop there. Mr. Ashcroft has taken very strong positions against workers right to organize, against women’s rights to set the termination in the case of incest and rape, against environmental protections. There—there’s a range of objections, so it’s—it’s more than—than Ronnie White. He is an extremist embraced by the Southern partisan which he calls the civil rights—the civil (unintelligible) the American heroes. He does not represent broad-based credibility.

DON NICKLES I disagree with that. I don’t think that’s fair. Again, I know him well and John Ashcroft is an outstanding individual, he’ll make an outstanding attorney general, and for—people oppose him because they disagree with him philosophically. I look at Janet Reno. Janet Reno was President Clinton’s, I think, third pick to be attorney general, she was pro-choice, she was pro—against the death penalty and she’s confirmed, rather quickly, 98-to-nothing and so just because somebody has philosophical differences doesn’t mean they can’t be confirmed. And we know—and we know John Ashcroft, and he deserves to be confirmed...

SAM DONALDSON But—but to know and to like someone doesn’t mean the same thing as to think their record is qualified.

DON NICKLES But he’s qualified. I mean, he is more than qualified. We’ve never had somebody that is both attorney general and governor and senator be nominated to—for the post of attorney general.

JESSE JACKSON This is using—this is choosing collegiality over civil rights and social justice. On matters of voter suppression, can we turn to him? I think not. On matters of affirmative action, can we turn to him? I think not. Can women fighting for rights of sexual termination turn to him? I think not. Can the environmentalists turn to him? I—I think not. And in that position which sets the moral tone, we deserve a broader, more credible person. There’s a lot of talk about Mr. Bush’s...

SAM DONALDSON The Republicans won.

JESSE JACKSON Well, really...

SAM DONALDSON What I mean to say to you that in 1992 and 1993, when President Clinton came in, could the Republicans turn in some of his nominees?

JESSE JACKSON And—and—and that’s a huge debate. We do know that, in fact, they got the fewest number of votes, which usually does not equal winning. Mr. Bush, who won because they stopped the clock cannot...

DON NICKLES Whoa, whoa...

SAM DONALDSON Now wait...

JESSE JACKSON ...because they stopped the clock cannot now turn back the clock.

SAM DONALDSON Well, you said he used ‘Nazi tactics’ in Florida.

JESSE JACKSON Let me tell you what happened...

DON NICKLES Now wait a minute—wait a minute, you can’t—you’re referring...

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/ThisWeek/thisweek/transcripts/tw010107_jackson_trans.html

[cyncooper]

Hey, that doesn't matter as long as the RATS "like" us.

I profoundly disagree that President Bush's motivation behind his stern statement was the above. Rather, he is moved by a simple standard: Right and Wrong.

[alnick]

You're not rubbing anything, Boy.

Boy? Well, it's clear where you're coming from.

[BuddhaBoy]

Who doesn't have "racial skeletons

Let me clarify. Many people do have racial skeletons. Strom Thurmond did, but he was able to successfully put them aside. Trent Lott is tone-deaf. If he were the kind of Leader that Republicans need, he could have put this thing down easily. He only made things worse every time he opened his mouth.

Someone with racial issues in their past will not be brought down by them, and I don’t think it would be fair to do so. Someone with racial issues in their past, who cannot articulate how they have grown since, is a dead duck.

Lott is history.