Democrats plan to use Lott gaffe to push civil rights agenda in Congress

Associated Press / SFGate

[RCW2001]

JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/12/18/national1732EST0727.DTL

(12-18) 16:53 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Whether Trent Lott stays or goes, Democrats and civil rights groups see his apparent nostalgia for a segregated past as a golden opportunity to revive a hate crimes bill, push a minimum wage increase and force the White House to tilt new tax cuts toward minorities and the poor.

They predict the sudden Republican sensitivity to racial issues will continue whether or not Lott stays on as GOP Senate leader in the next Congress, when the party will control both houses.

"Trent Lott is the cue stick by which we engage in our game of billiards," said Rev. Joseph Lowery, former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and president of the Black Leadership Council.

Democrats predicted a new civil rights spotlight on their rivals.

"Republicans have to prove, not only to us, of course, but to the American people that they are as sensitive to this question of racism, this question of civil rights, this question of equal opportunity, as they say they are," Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle told CNN. "But whether or not they truly are depends on who they nominate, what actions they take, how they vote."

Lott ran into trouble Dec. 5 at a 100th birthday party for Sen. Strom Thurmond, who ran for president as a segregationist in 1948. Lott said people in Mississippi were proud to have voted for Thurmond at the time, adding, "if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either."

He since has apologized repeatedly, but GOP officials have sounded increasingly eager to usher Lott off the leadership stage, worried that the race-based controversy would affect their ability to increase the party's share of the black vote.

Lott has refused to step down, saying he can do more to atone as Senate Majority leader.

Democrats say the issues that Lott may have helped them push include an expansion of hate crimes legislation to cover sexual orientation, which Republicans blocked this year; a minimum wage increase; national legislation banning racial profiling; reform of death penalty laws, which activists say is used against minorities more than anyone else; and AIDS funding, especially for Africa.

Consideration of any of those issues would have been unlikely in a Republican-controlled Congress.

Democrats are also looking at bringing up more affirmative action programs, which Lott said he supports. "I do feel that affirmative action is necessary and essential as we try to bring people of all backgrounds religions and races into the mainstream in America to have opportunity," Lott told ABC on Tuesday.

Democrats are particularly looking at proposing educational affirmative action to ensure university and college admissions are fair to minorities and first-generation college-goers, officials said.

"I think it would be good to have a leader who now believes in affirmative action and will take steps to make sure that affirmative action programs are implemented in every aspect of our lives," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., a leader of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Even the Republican bedrock issue -- tax cuts -- will be affected by the Lott controversy, Democrats say. One Democratic aide, speaking anonymously, said Democrats plan to take him up on pushing tax policies that are beneficial to low-income Americans.

A Democratic House member, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said he relished the idea of Lott staying as Senate Majority leader or even as just a senator, saying the gaffe opened the door for all kinds of Democratic legislation.

©2002 Associated Press  

[Republic of Texas]

What rights are there left to get? Who, in 2002 America doesn't have civil rights? Once we all have equal civil rights, do we need MORE civil rights laws?

[noahltl]

I'm a little lost on the concept of segregation being a white racist thing. I was only two years old when Thurmond ran for President so I need some educating. It appears to me that segregation is a black thing: Miss Black America, Black Expo, Black Caucus, Kwanza, NAACP, ad infinitum. If Lott was for this kind of segregation why is he being condemned by the black leadership? ;-)

[Illbay]

I think you're wrong. I think that just as soon as the slightest, credible charge of "racism" is leveled, all other discussion will stop.

This thing has become a monster, all because our people chose to imitate a deer in the headlights.

[RCW2001]

This thing has become a monster...

Perhaps a 'little' diversion is in order to slay this beast..hmmm?

[First Amendment]

This whole tempest reminds me of an old saying: the jackals howl when the lion walks by. If Lott had been lion-like (true statesman, principles over popularity) then this whole thing would have died down. These continual a**kissing apologies are truly nauseating and are far worse than anything he said at the birthday.

A politician who is a real statesman should act for what is right, regardless of whining by jackals. Eventually he would have come through this.

I hope the other Repubs can get some character together and if more of this stuff starts to get thrown, they deal with it like the effluvia that it is.

[takenoprisoner]

The unasked question is how does a moron with an extremely bad rug become majority leader in the senate? It's not a matter of whether Lott should step down. It's a matter of what the hell was Lott doing there in the first place? Only an idiot would make such a comment whether he actually believed it or not. Was he trying be funny convinced Strom's birthday was the place for him to finally become comedian of the year? Or is he indeed a closet racist as some now are convinced?

If I had to wager I would wager he was trying to be funny and to humor Strom in his on self indulgent embilcilic way...and that he is not some closet racist as others have prescribed. The problem comes when one has to discriminate between a moron and racist. There's a fine line there making it difficult to analyze the minute differentiations between moron and racist.

[speekinout]

They WILL go away because they have no substance. Have faith.

They won't go away until the GOP stands up and says THIS IS ENOUGH. Lott isn't a favorite, but the Dems are very good at picking on the least popular. Not many are going to stand up for Ashcroft, either. And after that, who else? The only ones who are safe are the nearly-Dems like McCain.

The Dems never sacrifice anyone. Why are the GOP so happy to throw any of theirs to the wolves?

[speekinout]

It's time to get a new dog that is not afraid of the pheasants.

And who is that??? It certainly is not any of the sheep that are happy to dump Lott just because he was attacked by the Dems. The GOP are weaklings. The Dems will stand up for one of their own, no matter how vile, but the GOP will attack theirs on the weakest provocation from the enemy party.

I'm looking for someone willing to face down the Dems. And that's not easy to find these days.

[Darling Lili]

"I think you're wrong. I think that just as soon as the slightest, credible charge of "racism" is leveled, all other discussion will stop."

The operative word being "credible," of course.

Don't worry. I doubt there are too many more powerful Republicans standing in line to publicly applaud segregationism.

[Darling Lili]

This thing has become a monster, all because our people chose to imitate a deer in the headlights.

You're right.

"Our people" should have handed Lott a script, shoved a collective arm up his butt, and worked his mouth while he told his detractors to go to hell: he was advocating state's rights while complimenting an old man at his birthday party. Thinking he was smart enough to diffuse this gaffe by himself, they didn't, and Lott reverted to type.

By the way... if Lott hadn't imitated a deer in the headlights on BET, we wouldn't all be wondering, now, how he's going to vote when a non-affirmative action judicial nominee comes up.

[takenoprisoner]

Considering the cowardice that Lott showed on the BET interview, there won't be any "facing it" with Lott as Majority Leader.

Lott reaching out to black people reminds of the sly dog trying to nuzzle up to the cat...no fooling the cat.

[section9]

Now this I agree with you on. Let's suppose, for the sake of argument, that Lott stays. The minute he caves to Daschle, he is likely to engender a revolt within the Senate Republican Conference. The loyalty of people like Santorum, McConnell, and Ted Stevens does not come cheap. So if Lott stays, it's because he's made a bargain with those conservatives less disposed to compromise with Daschle.

Lott's loyalty to Judge Pickering will be an early "manhood" test. Either he meant what he said about Pickering last year, or it was all a travesty. I see no indication that Pickering's nomination will be pulled, as of yet, despite what Lott said last Monday night.

What I am counting on is that the Democrats will, as is their fashion, overreach. They will tend to because their political center has gravitated to the left. The Democratic left is filled with zealous ideologues and such people always believe their own bullshit. Thus, the Rats cannot help but attempt to ride this horse as far as it will take them.

Until, wanting for food and drink, the horse keels over and meets its maker.

Meanwhile, Bush will remain in the center, being the guy who is trying to solve the problems. As you indicated to us over a year ago, that makes all the difference.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Husker24]

This is just code for giving specil privilages to Homos, as a matter of fact if the Dems had their way i would probably have to spend time in jail for saying "homo".

[Illbay]

I agree with your statements, except that when you have a political animal like Lott you're dealing with, you never make it necessary for him to think he's got to go on BET.

[Husker24]

We have to fight fire with fire, get rid of Lott as Majority leader and then constantly bring up Byrd Byrd Byrd!!! non stop, at least Lott wasnt in the Klan.

[Terry Mross]

APB, that was soooooo funny.

RCW, I wish some republican would say that just once on tv...."What rights do I have that Jesse Jackson doesn't have?

[Terry Mross]

Remember Lott on Nov. 6th? "I'll probably do some things that will make the democrats mad." He said this in such a whimpy way I wanted to puke. Oh, Trent, whatever you do, don't make the enemy mad.

[Polybius]

It's time to get a new dog that is not afraid of the pheasants.

And who is that??? It certainly is not any of the sheep that are happy to dump Lott just because he was attacked by the Dems.

Lott should not be dumped because he got attacked by the Dems. He should be dumped because exposed his belly and peed on himself in submission to the Dems on BET.

So who is the dog that is not afraid of the pheasants? In the opinion of the National Review, it is Seanator Don Nickles.

"Don Nickles's voting record, which the NAACP condemns as too similar to Lott's, should really recommend him. In contrast to Lott, he is able and willing to defend it. The sooner conservatives can defend principled votes at odds with the NAACP's agenda without Trent Lott's self-imposed baggage, the better. "

NRO Staff on Sens. Nickles, Santorum, McConnell & Frist

[Intolerant in NJ]

White guilt is an ugly thing to watch...yep, and the 'rats played the 'pubs like champion big-game fishermen on this one - threw charges out and then watched the 'pubs run away rather than defend Lott for fear of being called racists themselves (even though many of them had heard him make similar comments many times before with no objection whatsoever), egged him into more and more grovelling and apologies because he wasn't "emotional" enough or said policies were "discarded" instead of rejected, and now want to throw him overboard because he's sold out the party - and they really believe that they'll be more steadfast and determined when the 'rats go after the next 'pub leader for some trumped up insensitivity or slur......