Posted on 01/02/2003 6:12:39 AM PST by sheltonmac
Most Americans seem to believe that Trent Lott deserved to suffer for his "insensitive" comments at Strom Thurmond's birthday celebration. Now that Lott has been forced to step down as Senate Majority Leader, neo-conservative Republicans are the ones cheering the loudest.
"We've wanted him gone for a long time," some have said. "We needed to get rid of him and move on with our agenda." The trouble is, no one in the party seems to know exactly what that agenda is.
Of course, that hasn't stopped neo-cons before. Pragmatism has always trumped principle, and as long as the polls reflect public approval for their actions, they really don't care about anything else. They must increase their majority in 2004 at any cost, and to do that they must first shake their xenophobic image.
As everyone knows, the GOP has long been branded as the party of racists. Such labels have been successfully utilized by the liberal left for years, and Republicans have tried everything to keep those labels from sticking. The end result is that in order to present the voting public with a kinder, gentler GOP, Republicans typically begin adopting Democratic positions.
It's the same three-step process every time: 1) liberals make the accusation of racism against a Republican, 2) the Republican denies the charge and 3) the Republican agrees to sign on to the liberal agenda, hoping that in doing so he might prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is not a racist. The entire fiasco surrounding Trent Lott is only the latest example of this kind of Republican cowardice.
Lott's comments sparked all the predictable reactions from all the usual suspects. Men like Al Sharpton and NAACP president Kweisi Mfume —both veteran champions of racial divisiveness —wasted no time in attacking the senator.
Sharpton, who had remained strangely silent in 2001 when Senate Democrat Robert Byrd let fly with his "white niggers" remark, said, "[Lott] should step aside. No one is saying that if the people of Mississippi want to elect him to the Senate that they don't have the right to do that. But to be the head of the party in the Senate, given the sensitivity of that position for the interest of the country and the party, Mr. Lott should step aside."
Mfume's response was a bit more harsh. He called Lott's little speech "hateful bigotry that has no place in the halls of the Congress," and dismissed Lott's subsequent apology as "too little, too late."
Reacting to the verbal barrage from the left, the neo-cons scattered. No one even bothered to mention the possibility that Lott was simply acknowledging the distinguished political career of his 100-year-old colleague. Nobody proposed that when the senator from Mississippi implied that we would be better off had Strom Thurmond been elected president in 1948, he was referring to some of the more noble causes Thurmond stood for, like states' rights and a less-intrusive federal government.
No, the neo-cons were so desperate to prove that they could be just as racially sensitive as their slightly more liberal counterparts that Lott's political fate had already been sealed. He was the perfect fall guy, and his sacrifice was worth it if it meant keeping the GOP in power.
Republicans, listen up. Whether you agree that Trent Lott should have resigned as Majority Leader or not, his ousting is yet another sign that you just don't get it. No matter what you say or do, you will always be viewed by the left as a bunch of bigots and racists. Bending to political peer pressure doesn't help —in fact, it makes you look weak. The sooner you learn that, the sooner we can begin repairing the damage your party has done to the conservative cause.
But it's probably too late. The mob has spoken, and Trent Lott has been forced out of his leadership role. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah summed up what Republicans expect of Bill Frist, Lott's successor: "I think Bill has a kind of a more moderate record and a more moderate approach toward things, and I think that it's going to be very difficult to criticize him."
In other words, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." And that, my friends, has become the battle cry of the neo-conservatives in the GOP, Party of Cowards.
There's Trent's lagacy for you.
Nice Majority LEADER he was.
You can't address my point with words can you? Your personal attack speaks for itself.
The Washington Post, state officials, labor leaders and RnMomof7 -- 4 peas in a statist pod.
Oh. Well, then maybe I had better rethink my position! ;-)
Where are the objections to sheltonmac's deliberate ignition of a flame war?
That seems to translate: someone who is even more spineless and willing to cave to the left. I hope not, but I must confess that I have lost my faith in the willingness of these senate Republicans to stand for true conservative values and get legislation passed accordingly.
Bingo!
But it's probably too late. The mob has spoken, and Trent Lott has been forced out of his leadership role. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah summed up what Republicans expect of Bill Frist, Lott's successor: "I think Bill has a kind of a more moderate record and a more moderate approach toward things, and I think that it's going to be very difficult to criticize him."
I wonder if the same people who were calling for Lott to step down are also adimately pro-life? After all, Lott was going to bring up a partial birth abortion bill; somehow, I doubt that's first on Dr. Frist's agenda.
I don't want to hear any whinning on this site from any actions (or in actions) on the new Majority Leader's part; you all who were calling for Lott's head deserve what you get.
C ya!
Well, I am the author, and I don't see where I called the GOP a "party of racists." I was simply pointing out that "such labels have been successfully utilized by the liberal left for years." The truth is that the GOP has long been a champion of civil rights, but that hasn't stopped the left from making the accusation. Unfortunately, as the Lott fiasco shows, the GOP is so afraid of the "racist" label that it will go out of its way to prove that it's not racist.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
You want to set the standard for the incoming SML based on what the outgoing one never got around to doing?
Tell me, what would you rather have a major figure in the party in the headlines for: Dumb comments, or for rendering aid in a very nasty automobile accident, saving four of six victims?
Huh? Higher standards? Who are you kidding? And what have the Republicans done to slow down, or stop this massive influx of millions of illegal aliens into our country??? We are attacked by foreigners with our own aircraft, trained in our own schools yet our borders and immigration policies are a complete "free for all".
This invasion disaster has changed this entire country. Our taxes have gone up, wages have been driven down, our social services choked off, our jails are full of illegal aliens, our emergency services and our hospitals are completely overwhelmed! This immigration disaster is not only a national disgrace, it is now a nation security nightmare.
This invasion of many millions has been going on Before Bush's Dad was in office! What did President Bush's Dad do about it? Nothing! Where is this higher standard?
Higher standard? Higher standard? And you bring up someone, a doctor even, LOL! stopping at a vehicle collision and helping out? Most eveyone I know would stop and assist or offer any assistance they possibly could. This aint no big deal. Any normal American would do what they could to help out.
What the heck is this? What the ---- kind of analogy is this???
Higher standard? LOL!
I guess they were just mad at me for bringing a knife to a knife fight...
Thank you... all in a days work. I have a private agenda. To expose more people to the nature of being a Conservative American, rather than a Conservative Republican. Have been called a socialist, liberal, communist, RINO, and a few obscene and profane names that I shall not recount. I learn each day, that is what matters to me.
You can keep telling yourself that all you want, but that doesn't make it so. If incompetency was the real issue here, Lott would have been gone long ago. By the way, if he isn't fit to be Majority Leader, what makes him fit to be in the Senate at all?
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