As much as I dislike Trent Lott, he doesn't need to resign over this. The Democrats need insensitive blunders like Lott's to chip away at the Bush armor. Booman, I don't think you are cynical, at all. George Bush, T. Lott are the pinnacle of cynicism.
The take on NPR is that Lott is playing hardball and saying that not only will he resign from the leadership position, but he will resign from the Senate. (As of last night's drive home (12/13).) That adds a different dimension to the question.
Lott is doomed, it remains to be seen how much additional damage he may or may not do. At this point, his continued presence appears to better serve his opponents than himself or his own Party. I suspect Lott's perserverance now is motivated by self-agrandizement tinged with personal affront and outrage, as opposed to any ideologic principle. Should he somehow survive this undiminished, it will be a political miracle, and mark Lott as a Master Politician. More likely, though, is that he will be replaced as Majority Leader. Should he voluntarily step aside, all the better. Should he choose to fight, things could very quickly get very ugly. and a matter which should have been a non-issue will fully occupy the attention and energy of the Senate to the detriment of actualy vital legislation. I have difficulty imagining Lott putting Party and People ahead of Self. Of course, one of the benefits of cynicism is that one's surprises are most often pleasant.
timber
timber says:
"and a matter which should have been a non-issue"
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Booman
We can't weed 'em all out, but the more blatant ones have to be sent on their way. Lott had got so used to saying things like that he didn't realize folks would be perceptive enough to pick up on it after all these years.
BillW wrote:timber says:
"and a matter which should have been a non-issue"
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Yeah, that's a bit suspect, isn't it? I meant the statement should never have been made, there should have been no cause for an incident to arise. I did not mean to imply personal support of "DixieCrat Politics". Great strides have been made over the last few generations as regards racial equalitiy and basic human rights. The DixieCrats were responsible for none of that progress. Remarks such as that made by Lott, and the brouhaha resulting therefrom are sad evidence the end of the fight for equality and basic rights is yet generations away.
timb er
Gee timber, that was immediate, to the issue and responsive! Whoa, (Ex?)Senator Lott could learn from that!
Took Lott 4 times - and that was for only the last of his episodes. He didn't applogize for the numerous others!
Edgar,
...Remember, I'm viewing him as a cancerous cell in my enemy's brain. I don't want him removed!
I know what you mean, Booman. I honestly don't know how that would play. It would be interesting to see it through, but, I believe he will be forced out. His replacement may have the same seniments - hell, he's a Republican - but he will be harder to catch.
I desperately wish the public would wake up to what's going on - Apparently, they don't really want the truth, generally speaking. How else do you explain Clinton's high popularity, followed by Bush's high popularity, when the men are complete opposites?
Bill took care of business with the bottom line....Dubya did his leadership thing in times of great crisis. Didn't take brains, just a stoic look, and good speech-writers. When that started to wane, and people started to notice the economic situation regressing to the way it was on his daddy's watch, He did the thing that will always rally americans. Found a plausible enemy, and said, "Hey let's go kill somebody!" (Do you know that over 70% of americans favor capital punishment, even thiugh,, it doesn't deter crime, occasionally kills innocent people, and cost more than life imprionment?)
Most voters who live in the states of the Old Confederacy and call themselves Republicans are usually tainted with racist views. They switched to the GOP -- and were welcomed there wholeheartedly -- after LBJ passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
With the passage of this act, Southern African-Americans were allowed to exercise their right to vote. The white southerners were shocked to find themselves in the same party Democrat party as African-Americans, so they welcomed the call of the GOP. This "Southern strategy" is history in GOP presidential races.
If you meet someone from the Old Confederacy who calls herself/himself a Republican, then I can guarantee you that that person is usually a racist, regardless of their public persona.
Thus, Sen. Lott knew what he was saying in his birthday tribute to Sen. Thurmond. Lott's racist past -- and present -- were not usually known by the public at large. Lott was caught, so to speak, with his racist pants down.
Because of his racist views, Lott needs to resign as the incoming Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. He should also resign his senate seat and retire to the mint juleps of his hometown, Pascagoula, Mississippi, where he will be certain to find many like-minded people.
(<BTW, I am a white Southerner who proudly remains a Democrat because it is not a party of exclusion.)
Hey WH!.....You been on vacation pal? Haven't seen you for a minute. Check this, as a democrat, don't you think Lott makes a great target, and weak spot?
I must be on the right track because the momentum seems to be increasing among republicans, to oust him.
Yer lovin' this, aintcha Booman ?
heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee . . .
Well,....what can I tell Setana?
Here are excerpts from an editorial by Fernando Dovalina which appeared in Sunday's Houston Chronicle:
LOTT WAS ONLY SPILLING GOP'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
The Republicans' ugly little secret, the secret to some of their success, is their subtle appeal to racists.
.... the Republicans have been too hard to pin down. They have played a two-faced strategy exceedingly well.
.....Since they can't appear to be insensitive to equal rights, much less racist, Republicans appeal to both factions by using code words and buzz words. The words are a wink to the racists, who understand the language.
Minorities know the code and buzz words too, of course: "states rigfhts", "affirmative action", "special interests", "special rights", "liberals ideas", "welfare queens", "handouts" - even "Al Sharpton, even "Hillary Clinton". Is it any wonder that most blacks, even conservative ones, just can't pull that lever for the GOP?
The point is moot: The news of Lott's decision :"to not seek the leadership of The Republican Party for the 108th Congress" is flying about the airwaves. Now, will it be Frist? Santorum? Some surprise player?
timber
