Posted on 12/17/2002 8:04:12 PM PST by TLBSHOW
Opposition Research Starts on Nickles
Early this week, I told those of you who want Trent Lott gone that dumping him will not end the smearing. I said, "Even now, Democratic Party operation research is giving a Clymer exam to the records of all potential Lott replacements." Sure enough, Jim Abrams of the Associated Press has run the first hit piece on Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), who came out against Lott on one of the Sunday shows.
Headline: "Nickles' Voting Record on Civil Rights Mirrors Lott's." The subtext here is that Don Nickles embraces segregation, "too" because that's what they say about Lott. This is going to keep happening to Republicans until we stop being worried about whether or not we're all thought of as racists. It's going to keep happening until we start tackling this with the mountain of historical facts about the Republican Party's history on civil rights.
I guarantee you they're working on similar stories about Senators McConnell, Frist, Domenici and anyone else who might replace Lott. Without mentioning the Democrats who also opposed it, Abrams dutifully transcribes the DNC talking point that Nickles opposed making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday. He does write that "Nickles unsuccessfully pushed alternatives to a paid holiday," but follows it up quickly with the fact that he backed a Jesse Helms amendment to preserved tax exempt status for private schools, such as Bob Jones University.
You must mention Bob Jones; it's obligatory if AP wants to keep getting the DNC faxes and not have to actually do their own research instead. There's a whole bunch of tax exempt colleges out there, but you have to name this one. Everywhere in this article it's "Lott and Nickles." It's like reading an article about Sonny & Cher. AP also reports that "the senators" again, they are one-and-the-same, "differed with the NAACP" on Head Start, education programs, the confirmation of John Ashcroft and global AIDS funding.
So they're all bigots, because they dared disagree with the NAACP and supported Ashcroft. They're already moving on from Lott to Nickles, as proved by the quote AP printed from Hillary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington office: "We're concerned..." Oh, she's quoting Daschle! "We're concerned that Nickles has voted just as poorly or even more poorly than Trent Lott." [Italics added] Do you see this? Nickles is even worse, now! I hate to say See, I Told You So, but this is all happening. We have to take this garbage on. There's no other way to stop it.
And I might ask you exactly when you decided we don't have to hold our leaders to the same standards we tried to hold Bill Clinton to.
Did you see his interview last night? Did you see what he was willing to say to save his job? He said that we ALL are racists but he's willing to help us find our way out of this.
Don't talk to me about decency until Lott gets some.
Yep. In the December 10th WH briefing Ari told a reporter that Lott's initial explanation was good enough for Bush and that Bush saw no reason for him to resign or say anymore. The next day, Olympia Snowe demanded that Lott have a press conference because the explanation was not clear enough. Then The Bush Whitehouse jumped on board and Lott was doomed from that point on.
The pundits do, and until now I always considered them dumber than the average FReeper.
You don't go from being the Majority Leader to just another back-bencher. It just doesn't happen; it's like a professor who doesn't make tenure. He doesn't just go back to his office and say "ah, well, maybe next year!"
When you are denied tenure, you LEAVE.
When you get a "no confidence" vote as a Prime Minister of a government, you call a snap election and step down.
I mean, do you read or watch television or do anything to expand your horizons at all?
And where were you last Monday night on the David Horowitz thread and we were pleading with Lott to come out NOW and apologize profusely?
What did Lott do then....?
Released his lame "discarded policies of the past" non-apology.
BTW, you must have admired all the Democrats that stood by Clinton all the way.
They were good, loyal team players.
Good Lord... where's your sense of decency?
I wonder if you will show the same outrage when Bush "panders" and the next ML "panders" because that is exactly what happens when you are in a leadership position charged with getting things done.
I never said, as you've now claimed, that I didn't want anyone to say something, which I disagreed with. OTOH, dear, THAT is exactly what you and those who want Trent's head on a platter, have been posting to any and ALL who disagree with you, since this mess began. I guess that YOU are " allowed " to say whatever is on your mind, but the opposition is not. Have I got that right ? If not, go back and reread ALL of your posts , since this began.
And, FWIW, you better believe that I won't keep still ( though I did, for almost a week ! ), when I see people saying things which only aid and abbet those who only want bad things ( try distruction of ) for the GOP.
Just keep right on digging, Howlin. :^)
Of course I know Lott can't stay. I said so DAYS ago on FR. When did it dawn on you?
It has been obvious since then that the only practical and honorable thing for Lott to do is to step into the background and go back to doing the work of a Senator instead of playing court jester for the liberals.
Then maybe we can have a Leader who is credible and sensible and proactive and doing the critical work of making our majority permanent.
That is exactly the principle I've held since this fiasco started -- and ONE apology ought to have sufficed.
The wheels began falling off for Lott once he began aimlessly begging forgiveness at every turn instead of holding his ground.
After watching Lott on BET selling himself out as well as promising to sell out his conservative constituency as further penance, he can longer be entrusted to do the right thing for the GOP.
I support Trent Lott retaining his Senate Seat, but as for Majority "Leader," that takes a man of conviction -- has he any left??
Lott's ass-kissing has made a bad situation a helluva lot worse. I had his back at the beginning, but he has now made that impossible. I think he's dust, and I'm now pulling for Nickles to take his place.
My prediction is that the GOP leadership will convince him not to resign his seat for the good of the party, but I of course could be wrong. What do you think the chances are of a Snowe &/or Chaffee jumping ship if Lott resigns his seat and a Dem takes his place?
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