Trent Lott Needs to Apologize Profusely and Quick, Or Step Down

Front Page Magazine ^ | 12/09/02 | David Horowitz

[M 91 u2 K]

Trent Lott Needs to Apologize Profusely and Quick, Or Step Down

I watched in disbelief the birthday party for Strom Thurmond on C-Span as Trent Lott endorsed Thurmond's 1948 segregationist run for the presidency, boasted that racist Mississippi voted for Thurmond in that election and claimed that if the rest of the nation had voted for him as well we wouldn't have had a lot of the problems we've had since. The charitable explanation for this excrescence is that Senator Lott was momentarily out to lunch, that he forgot what the 1948 Thurmond candidacy was about. If so, he needs to apologize quickly and profusely or step down. If the explanation is less charitable and he means what he said, the Republican conference needs to force him to step down.

[martin_fierro]

If there's one thing that Lott has expertise in, it's backtracking from another stupid/lame statement.

[eddie willers]

I usually agree with Horowitz....
And in this case....I still do!

[garbanzo]

The drumbeat is quickening...

[eddie willers]

The drumbeat is quickening...

I finally heard his remarks tonight on Hanniy's radio program.
The drumbeats are understandable.

[goldstategop]

I disagree with David here. The Dems aren't milking this issue because they're concerned about racism and civil rights. They're milking this issue solely to tighten their lock on the black vote. Trent Lott should certainly say he put his foot in his mouth and said something he didn't mean to and leave it at that. If there's any one lacking a decent respect for the opinion of mankind, it ain't the GOP here.

[guitfiddlist]

Let's not look this gift-horse in the mouth - let's dump this horse's ass.

[garbanzo]

They're milking this issue solely to tighten their lock on the black vote.

And that's a bad thing (from their perspective)? The point of political parties is to win elections - the GOP simply doesn't need this albatross.

[DCPatriot]

It is absolutely amazing to me that the GOP can destroy so much goodwill so quickly.

Was Lott drunk? Was he high?

This is incredulous....let alone from a SENATE MAJORITY LEADER.

I am shocked speechless.

[AngrySpud]

I'm with you.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

This is a fine time to finally tell the country about a true American hero...not a perfect man, but most definitely close.

If you know the senator, you understand that he is one of the few politicians who will not tell you a lie. So when I asked him about his health and the fact that he will be 100 in less than two years, I was moved by his response. He grabbed my hand and said, "son," a tear welling in his eye, "some people thank God for every day. I thank him for every second. When I wake up in the morning, sometimes I pinch myself and just get out of bed laughing, because I'm still here. "

Ol' Strom, by Armstrong Williams.

[widowithfoursons]

I just keep wondering why no one (including O'Reilly tonight) has said anything about Senator Byrd being a KKK member in the same time frame. Let's be fair and balanced.

[joyful1]

If he doesn't step down (isn't the governor of Mississipi a Republican?), then at least Trenty boy needs...

a new toupee!!!

Boy, does he ever look nerdy!

[laconic]

I agree; it was a REALLY, REALLY dumb statement. I respect Strom Thurmond and the way he has voted for the past thirty years but I did not agree with his segregationist period, which I believe he has since repudiated. He would NOT have made a good president with these views and his presidential candidacy was marginal at best (what did he get, 1.5 percent of the vote in 1948?). This is not just a senator speaking, but the Senate LEADER representing and leading all REpublicans; this is truly one of the most bizarre things Lott has said in a bizarre (and really, unsuccessful) career since he became Majority Leader.

[BuddhaBoy]

Republicans should stop the "Democrats have a racist too!" rhetoric about Robert Byrd and do the right thing. Trent Lott may not be a racist now, but he was at one point, and so was Strom Thurmond.

Republicans should take this great opportunity to replace Lott as Leader, and if we have a Republican Governor in Mississippi, then hopefully Trent Lott will leave the Senate altogether, instead of mucking up things on a Senate committee.

It's time for Republicans to step up and dump Lott, not for being a racist, but for being an IDIOT.

[muawiyah]

What Lott said at a birthday party for America's oldest senator, Strom Thurmond, is not serious politics nor a reflection of firm beliefs.

People who take it seriously are humorless bluenoses.

[goldstategop]

You know if Lott hadn't said this the Dems would have found another excuse to play the race card. Its pretty much the only weapon that keeps em fairly competitive with Republicans but its also one that'll come back to bite em. By that I mean its turning the rest of America off through this mean-spiritedness and divisiveness of theirs in playing one group of Americans off against the other for political gain. If any one has an albatross around its neck - its not the GOP.

[eddie willers]

I just keep wondering why no one (including O'Reilly tonight) has said anything about Senator Byrd being a KKK member

Because Byrd's old, stupid and ineffectual.
Lott's not old.

[Jhoffa_]

Horrowitz is a nut case..

If Lott should go it's not because of this. It was obviously a mistake and all the rats but daschle are trying for maximum mileage here.

David is too sensitive to false changes of "racism"

[woofie]

ditto...It was a stupid thing to say