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Democrats plan to use Lott gaffe to push civil rights agenda in Congress
Associated Press / SFGate

Posted on 12/18/2002 5:08:34 PM PST by 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  


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 12/18/2002 5:08:34 PM PST by RCW2001
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To: RCW2001
Lott, the gift that keeps on giving.
2 posted on 12/18/2002 5:12:55 PM PST by Hazzardgate
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To: RCW2001
Gee... I'm surprised it took THIS long to see this.
3 posted on 12/18/2002 5:14:51 PM PST by Darling Lili
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To: Hazzardgate
Seriously. You gotta give the Rats and presstitutes credit. "Keep the hate alive". It's all they got...
4 posted on 12/18/2002 5:15:34 PM PST by eureka!
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: RCW2001
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.
Which will get dealt with appropriately, with Nickles or Frist at the helm.
6 posted on 12/18/2002 5:17:51 PM PST by Darling Lili
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To: RCW2001
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.

SFGate Editor:  "Hold muh brie an' watch me write this!"

As far as I know, Lott's comment can only be interpreted as nostalgia for segregation. "Possible nostalgia" would be a better choice of words.

7 posted on 12/18/2002 5:18:41 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Hazzardgate
Do you really think Delay and Hastert would pass such laws in the House.

They will hold hearings. Hear tesimony. Go out to cities all over the usa to get local input. Bach in Washington they will bring in minority leaders to testify. After it makes a big splash, they will do what the Democrats always do.... nothing.

8 posted on 12/18/2002 5:18:48 PM PST by Common Tator
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To: RCW2001
Arlen Spectre said on Connie Chung today that he and other Republican Senators expect a more moderate program from Senate Republicans.

He called for more affirmitve action and has written Bush asking the Justice Department to join in supporting the race based program of U 0f Michigan.

Whether Lott goes or stays and whether or no Dems regain Senate control (several moderate GOP Senators could flip if someone more conservative than Lott - Nickles - becomes majority leader) Bush's agenda is basically dead in the water.

I beleive you will see the emergence of a block of moderate GOP Senators and Congress people align with the Democrats. The next two years may produce much more "progressive" legislation than anyone would have dared to predict.
9 posted on 12/18/2002 5:18:56 PM PST by Douglas
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To: RCW2001
Pushing this stuff is exactly why the Rats lost in the first place. They act as if these idiot policies have popular support. They don't. The Rats need to get back on their medication.
10 posted on 12/18/2002 5:19:15 PM PST by speedy
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To: RCW2001
ABBL (Any body but Lott) can make the case just fine, thanks. Bring it on.

11 posted on 12/18/2002 5:19:33 PM PST by chiller
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To: eureka!
Yeah, and Trent Lott gave them a big old Christmas pie full of the moral indignation and self-righteousness that they love to gorge themselves on.

Sickening.
12 posted on 12/18/2002 5:19:37 PM PST by EllaMinnow
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To: RCW2001
The Republican agenda can be defended. But not with Lott as ML. Dump Lott, then we can go back to business as usual. Rats will get no traction out of this once a new ML is found.
13 posted on 12/18/2002 5:19:50 PM PST by LibWhacker
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To: RCW2001; dubyaismypresident; hobbes1; xsmommy
Civil Rights Law # 469,034,856: White men shall not be permitted to tackle black men. In fact, we hate racism so much that BLACK men will not be permitted to tackle black men...
14 posted on 12/18/2002 5:20:02 PM PST by Argh
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To: RCW2001
Methinks the Democrats have mistaken George Bush for Trent Lott. I doubt that Bush would be a pushover for this stuff just because of Lott.

The Democrats are over-reaching again, and it will catch up to them. Just how do you "tilt new tax cuts toward minorities and the poor" when they don't pay the taxes in the first place?

-PJ

15 posted on 12/18/2002 5:20:22 PM PST by Political Junkie Too
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To: RCW2001
Trent Lott, thank you. On behalf of all conservatives who went out and voted for Bush to rid the nation of Clinton/Gore, who gave the GOP all branches of power, who pushed issues that would move this country forward, who toiled for years to have true fairness and equality in our government.

Thank you, asshole, for killing all of that in one fell swoop, with your unprecedented recklessness, stupidity, and selfishness. May every bad consequence you have heaped upon us come back to you tenfold in hell.
16 posted on 12/18/2002 5:23:27 PM PST by over3Owithabrain
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To: RCW2001
They will use it to push racial preferences, not "civil rights".
17 posted on 12/18/2002 5:26:20 PM PST by aculeus
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To: RCW2001
Ain't gonna happen. Dems haven't figured out yet that the public is on to them...That's why they lost in Nov.

The points they thought they would score over the Lott thing are not going to materialize.

18 posted on 12/18/2002 5:26:33 PM PST by what's up
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To: eureka!
hm. ONLY the liberal scum can convince the stupid sheeple that a silk purse is a sow's ear...
19 posted on 12/18/2002 5:27:33 PM PST by bannie
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To: Political Junkie Too
Just how do you "tilt new tax cuts toward minorities and the poor" when they don't pay the taxes in the first place?

-PJ

15 posted on 12/18/2002 5:20 PM PST by Political Junkie Too

Earned Income Tax Credit

20 posted on 12/18/2002 5:29:29 PM PST by FLAUSA
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