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.