[TLBSHOW]

Senator Lott is not a racist. You would be truly hard pressed to find a racist in the U.S. Congress in either party. No really. He said something very stupid, and perhaps even more stupid, he did so while cameras were rolling. When he projected Mississippi pride for being one of the few states that voted for Strom Thurman in 1948, he wasn't endorsing the Dixiecrat platform of racial segregation - even Strom Thurman himself long since repudiated that. He was trying to flatter a 100 year old man.

Lott is guilty of an insensitivity that perhaps is too common too among white politicians. But it is a sin of the brain and not one of the heart. What did Lott say?

SID JOHNSON

[RobFromGa]

OK, Jesse, I'll wear this stupid Kwaanza hat one more day! Then the gloves come off!

[ruoflaw]

I think the only thing that Lott is guilty of is not giving a heartfelt apology when this thing hit....although it took two days to hit. I don't think Lott is a racist and I don't believe for a minute that Lott was referring to Thurmond's segregationist platform when he was heaping on the praise....Lott had been talking about the things that old Strom stood for as a Republican...less government and a strong defense of our country....after all, when Strom ran on that platform....he was a democrat...but nobody wants to talk about that. The democrats called for Lott's head and the Republicans were too afraid of being called racists so they joined the histrionics and some Republicans helped fan the flames...the Republicans disgraced themselves and now the dems will pull the race card forever.