Commentary: Lott Throws In The Towel (Conservative base will be gone)

crosswalk ^ | 12/20/2002 | Gary Bauer

[TLBSHOW]

Commentary: Lott Throws In The Towel Gary Bauer President, American Values

After days of endless apologizing, Trent Lott has thrown in the towel and resigned as Senate Majority Leader. Late last night he began making phone calls to GOP colleagues to let them know his decision.

Also over night the White House began a more concerted push to replace Lott with Senator Bill Frist, who will now emerge as the "frontrunner."

Frist is a savvy media personality, but he angered many conservatives by interfering in Republican primaries around the country, virtually always in favor of the moderate candidate over the conservative. And he was a staunch supporter of former Surgeon General Satcher, who was pro-abortion. I hope a more reliable conservative-- either Nickles or Santorum-- will throw their hat in the ring.

Now comes the hard part. This mess doesn't end with Lott's resignation. The GOP needs to find its backbone. One example: There are reports that the Administration is now afraid to go into court against the University of Michigan's offensive racial quota system that selects students from certain minority groups regardless of grades while rejecting white students with much higher grades.

For 30 years the Republicans have opposed these quasi-quota schemes. Are we now going to throw in the towel because of the smear campaign against Republicans of the last two weeks?

Some insiders are suggesting there will be reluctance at the White House to nominate conservative judges. Such reports better be inaccurate or the conservative base of the party will be gone.

Let me bring up again one easy way for the White House to signal that it knows how to play hardball and help Americans of all races. Many Washington D.C. schools are abysmal and the children, mostly black, trapped in them are ill served. The White House should send a school voucher program to Capitol Hill on the first day of the new Congress just for the District of Columbia. Ted Kennedy will scream. Hillary Clinton will pull her hair out. Daschle will reach for the Maalox. And they will line up and vote "no" against those black families and in favor of the teacher unions.

Last year Bush dropped his voucher plan because Kennedy refused to let it out of Committee, but there should be no cave in this time.

[eddie willers]

And the republicans walked right up to it, looked at it, identified it, and stepped in it anyway DEALT with it in an honorable way!

Look...I'm a 50 year old white southern male and even I cannot think of anyway to explain Lott's words at Strom's party as anything other than racist.
God knows I've tried, but there is NO OTHER way to explain it.

Just because the Dems cry "Wolf" at every turn doesn't mean that there can't be a wolf.

The American hoi polloi will see that the Republicans did the right thing and will respond positively. Then with Frist at the helm, they will expand their majority and then be able to move the agenda through the necessary moderate stage into the more legitimate conservative government we deserve.

[TLBSHOW]

we should be MORE emboldened to support every conservative item on the board.

Thats the truth!

[A Citizen Reporter]

"He already has a track record that has started many a war here at FR."

Which is what you lie in wait to advance, right TLB? You love to fuel the fires, at whatever website you frequent.

[justshe]

Prove to me Bush isn't a liberal Republican advancing the commie rats agenda?

TLB...you really ARE losing it here, guy. You need to remember the battles fought..and the reasons FOR those battles..and the consequences if we LOST those battles. Your "peerspective" ( I use that word intentionally) is in need of a tune-up,imo.

[Texasforever]

He's insinuating you're agreeing with him on that. Are you?

I am not getting into this. If my statement was not clear then I don't know what else to say. I argued my position on Lott with all the force I could but the argument is over as far as I am concerned. It is no longer rational to keep the subject going.

[rintense]

Texasforever is right we will see what happens but we can't just go along as blind people when he does liberal things when he doesn't have to.

You're mixing issues again, TLB. My disappointment with Bush has nothing to do with any thing 'liberal'. And I think you'll find that many of the regular Bushbots do disagree with Bush on things. Conservatives will be far more critical of the President and the Majority now than ever. But just as Texasforever thinks we should not follow blindly, we also should not abandon with frivolity and carelessness.

[TLBSHOW]

I THINK YOUR DOING A BIT OF A SPIN lol

I posted from your link what I said because I don't hide from it.

I could post what you said about islam before the president called it peace. You were 100% opposite him and when he said it was peace you stepped right in line. That is what has to end now that we have won it all.

[Howlin]

But I wanted to know if you now think Bush is advancing a "commie RAT" agenda.

[Howlin]

I posted from your link what I said because I don't hide from it.

Good to know exactly where you stand -- against Bush.

[rintense]

Excellent post, justshe. I know that many of my dose friends and I have disagreed on this. But we've done so intelligently and respectfully. And we all still support the President! *GASP*

The cause is common to all. The path to that cause varies. As long as we all reach the same goal, it shouldn't matter how one gets there.

[Howlin]

I could post what you said about islam before the president called it peace. You were 100% opposite him and when he said it was peace you stepped right in line.

Post it.

[Texasforever]

But I wanted to know if you now think Bush is advancing a "commie RAT" agenda.

If I have to deny that to you then my entire history here is a lie. Frankly I am insulted that you would ask.

[cardinal4]

I hope the people see this for what it is, but the left can be pursuasive. Look, an accusation of raciscm is a low blow to someone who is not. I cant speak for Trent Lott, but I can speak for me, Im not a racist, and as a conservative, shameless Bushbot, Im dissapointed the Repubs or the White House didnt defend all of us. We have Hillary saying Republicans are racists on Fox news, this from the "F***ing J** Ba****D woman? No One is standing up up to a blantant and insulting attack on good NONRACIST people. I supported W through thick and thin and still will. But he should have stood by the Right. Just my opinion.

[TLBSHOW]

Depends on the fire. If its worthy of fighting for I do if not I don't. As for the liberal sites if Pitt is involved I sure do fuel the fire.

[Howlin]

Frankly, I did it because I wanted to be sure YOU knew he was insinuating you're agreeing with him, given some of the stuff he's posting as of late.

On the record, so to speak.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Barbara Streisand, TLB. You blow with the wind. You don't stand for anything. But you show up with your enormous ego, thinking you can get everybody fighting with each other......I've seen the tactic before.

[rintense]

Prove to me Bush isn't a liberal Republican advancing the commie rats agenda?

Ok, TLBSHOW. If you are equating my dislike of the President's handling of the Lott stuff with statements like this, then you need to step in out of the rain. That dog won't hunt.

I don't believe your statement at all, TLBSHOW, and for you to infer that I do is disrespectful to me, not to mention, uncalled for and terribly breach of etiquette. My beef is with Rove's influence, period.

In other words, don't even think you speak for me. No one on this forum speaks for BUT ME. Anytime you put words in my mouth, I'm going to come and smack them right out.

That you can be sure.

[rintense]

And TLB, you STILL have not posted the specific quote, word for word, where you claim Bush and Powell said all Christians are bigots.

And I know why you haven't. Because you can't find one! You have a to stop spinning words for your own truths.

[Mo1]

Good to know exactly where you stand -- against Bush.

To be honest .. I've gotten to the point I'm don't know who's side TLB is on

[Howlin]

Nor has he posted where Bush supports affirmative action, which he continues to claim.