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IMO Lott's comments were just an excuse for all those who already had their knives out for him to run away and let him sink - so much for Republican principles.....

Maybe this is the way it is. For everyone in office, there's some way to "get" them if they stray?

What first bothered me is that this was a thought crime. It had nothing to do with what Lott actually said or his actions, it was about people interpreting it.

And now you have conservatives coming down on Senator Lott for appearing on BET and expressing a willingness to discuss issues with black leaders. Well, you know what? That could've actually increased support on border-immigration issues. I would think black employment and opportunity suffer greatly both with this influx and with jobs going overseas.

It is chilling if this is what's going to happen to dissenting opinions being expressed by those in a position to influence the decision making process.

And now you have conservatives coming down on Senator Lott for appearing on BET and expressing a willingness to discuss issues with black leaders...if I interpret the criticism of Lott correctly, people aren't so upset with the fact that he appeared on BET, which as you suggest really could have been a positive opportunity for discussion of problems under the right circumstances, as they are angry that on the program he promised an expansion of projects that most conservatives find offensive, such as affirmative action, and all but admitted that he and all other white southerners were some kind of closet racists. As Linda Tripp was eventually reduced to agreeing with those who repeatedly called her "ugly" and said she looked like "a bloated carcass" during the Lewinsky affair, to the point that she herself confessed "I never knew how ugly I really was", so I think Lott was probably in large part driven to his mea culpas on BET because every previous attempt at apology had been attacked by even those who should have been defending him. Had those conservatives now coming down on him offered him support after his first or second apology instead of demanding more and more by criticising him for not being "genuine" or "emotional enough", Lott probably never would have made the promises to the black community which the party is now going to have a hard time going back on......
Anyhow, the struggle goes on - happy new year.